Hi Tiffany,

I have had very similar experiences to you. I first started having seizures when I was 14. I was rushed to ER and had all relevent testing done, but they showed nothing out of the ordinary.

A year later I started having more seizures which resulted in repeated testing, but nothing was ever found.

The majority of my seizures have been during the night, just waking up or due to sleep deprivation. My very first one when I was 14, I remember waking up, opening my door and looking down the corridor towards the window, then it was all black. Next thing I'm on a stretcher and Paramedics were asking me what I had taken (thinking I was attempting suicide).

Other nights I remember briefly waking up during a seizure. The scariest of which was finding myself caught between my bed and the wall, unable to move or feel my body.

Other times I have not been conscious during the seisure at all, but have woken in the morning feeling very 'foggy' and confused. One time I was actually unable to find the door to lead me out of the room, to which I started to panic, and eventually my step-dad opened the door.

If I have had a seizure during the day, I start to lose feeling to my mouth, then face, and always start looking to my left and up, then usually fall as I no longer have control of my body. They have always affected my recent memory (usually up to 6 weeks prior)

I have been on a range of medications, and gone through a severe allergic reaction to Lamotrigine resulting in Stevens Johnson Syndrome (Wikipedia it)so have been able to settle temporarily on a combo of Keppra and Epilim, which has kept me mostly controlled.

I too have suffered anxiety from my seizures, but reflecting now, I think the majority of my anxiety in my teenage years was hormone or medication related. I am trying to arrange to try a different medication as I have found the anxiety from my current combo is increasing.

Strangely enough, it was only this year that anything showed on my EEG. I wanted to apply to become a paramedic, and because of my underlying condition had to undergo testing before I was able to obtain the correct licence to be able to start studying. Anyway, my EEG now shows 3 areas of my brain with unusual activity - the most alarming to me is in the memory area.

It has been 2 and a half years since my last seizure, and then 2 years before that.

I would suggest definitely seeing a Neurologist and or Neuroscientist. If you dont agree with a doctor, keep searching for one that will listen. I have had the same problems with previous doctors, but someone out there does have the answers for you - You just have the patience to find them.

Hope my experiences can help you. =)

Kim,

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number and caring fellow members, especially here in this forum, just let us know how we can assist, you see we are are supportive and relaxing place to be. Our shoulders are here for support in many ways.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene

I am not a doctor, but I can tell you what happened to me. Night time seizures where I lose conciousness and bite my tongue hard, day time "spells" of confusion/slow motion/memory issues. Moments when my head and jaw locks and I cannot reply. Speech problems come and go. I may or may not have stomach issues when this happens.

I have celiac disease and the gastroenterologist believes that may be the cause. My neurologist seems to question that I even have celiac. My primary care physician seems to think celiac is just a stomach ache that can be fixed by eliminating gluten. Celiac is really a disease that can hide in your body and cause malnutrition. As such, it can pop up with all sorts of symptoms, lilke joint aches, or neurological symptoms like migraines, and seizures. A gastroenterologist is needed to do blood tests and a scope of your intestines.

Celiac is controlled by going on a gluten free diet. This is hard to do because most everything seems to be a hidden source of wheat. (Kraft foods and General Mills are unusual in that the two companys make a point of disclosing ANY source of wheat in their products. Chex- corn, rice, and a couple of others are gluten free as well) But the gluten free diet does not work unless you get it ALL out of your diet and keep it out for long enough for your body to cleanse and heal itself.

Do not take this as a diagnosis. Take it as hope for your future. Good luck.