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Old 01-24-2012, 05:11 PM #1
markrisgold markrisgold is offline
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Default Seizures and stroke symptoms

Hello to all. A newbie here. I am very inspired by all the threads I have read so far and thankful that I am not alone!
Heres my story and any input would be great!
I am 40 yr old female. Fit. Healthy.History of Migraines.
1 month ago I was hospitalized for what appeared to be a stroke. I had a migraine for 2 days then started to get worse and went to ER and fainted. When I came too I had lose of speech. left side weekness and very confused. ER doc said he thought I had a stroke but CT was clear. He proceeded to tell us he felt very strongly regardless of CT I was indeed haveing a stroke. He admitted me. Neuro doc runs a battery of test and my EEg was one of the worse he said he had ever seen. Both hemispheres of the brain had seizure activity going on and he couldn't believe that I had not had a grand mal. So he proceeds to ask about the migraines...after much discussion he said that 75% of the time I was describing seizures and not migraines. So I am on Keppra..at home...BUT..I have seizure like activity almost nightly...very dizzy all the time and my head still hurts everyday in the left temporal lobe where all the "bad" pain has always come from. My husband feels the ER doc was right in his thinking I also had a small stroke,...but Neuro disagrees...however neuro can't explain why a very healthy woman all of a sudden can't walk..talk..see...and has seizures! he said the MRI was good...but someone told me that it can take days for a stroke to show up on an MRI...so am I having seizures from a stroke or what the heck else could be going on? I am thinking of going to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio for a 2nd opinion....any help is great as I am VERY frustrated at this point with the medical world! I presented to many docs and ER's over the years just like I did a month ago (not as bad) and was doped up and sent home being told it was a migraine when I KNEW IT WASNT!!!
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Old 01-24-2012, 07:38 PM #2
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Hi markrisgold,

Welcome to the forum! I'm no neuro but I've had seizures for 39 yrs. and strokes can lead to seizures in some cases. My advice to you is to see an Epileptologist (Dr. specializing in epilepsy) I've seen many neuros, over the yrs. but I've gotten the most help from and Epileptologist and I have found they know much more when it comes to epilepsy and the neurology world.
Just like you I have damage on both sides of the brain the right and left temporal lobe. When you fainted, and couldn't speak as well as the dizziness sounds very much like a possible seizure. I started having migraine headaches which lead to seizures when I was a kid. I've also tried taking keppra but that drug increased my seizures like crazy. You need to go to an Epilepsy Center and see an Epileptologist and have them do testing on you to find out what's really going on. In the mean time start taking vitamin B12 once a day and cut back on cell phone use as well as carbs and starch foods. You are at the age where you may be starting to go through your change and hormones changing can be a big cause of seizures in women. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue
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Old 01-25-2012, 01:44 AM #3
numbum46 numbum46 is offline
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hi Markrisgold,

what you are explaining is very similar to the type of seizure I had when I was pregnant with my first child. i already had a history of epilepsy and had mostly had grand mal seizures but then they seemed to stop during college so sy a four year period then I got married and got pregnant fairly early on and has d this happen. I couldn't talk, couldn't understand what others were saying i was weak, I think I passed out too and when I went to the Dr. they determined it was a migraine and put me on bed rest. I did get a bad headache afterwards. so I was on bedrest for a month before they took me off. Now I think i had several of these and it wasn't until maybe 7-8 years later when I was having what some docs thought were migraines again but were really seizures I went to a neuro in Minneapolis who is now retired and he diagnosed me with complex partial epilepsy. I also do have migraines but they are much different. I had complex partial seizures for quite a few years but then they once again started to go into grand mal seizures. i have an aura but I get confused and stand up and usually say something like the last time i said "Oh s***" waled into another room and hit the floor seizing.

but what you are despcribing does sound a lot like complex partial seizures. i would ofte3n end up paralyzed after and at that point would be conscious and would just not be able to talk or move for about ten minutes and then it would pass. sometimes my hands and feet would go into the most incredible positions and stay that way and they were stuck that way until the seizure was over. there is no way i could ever do those positions normally. Of course I would have great pain from that afterwards.

i agree with Sue that you should see a neurologist whose specialty is epilepsy. Neurologists usually have a sub specialty so the ones that know the most about seizures are epileptologists. and you find them mainly at University Medical Centers although you can also find them at Speicial Neurology centers as well.

good luck to you and taking Vit B12 will help. One good form is a tablet that you put under your tongue and let it dissolve. when it disolves sublingually like that your body can absorb it better. Also sometimes you can find it in a spray and that also absorbs very well. One place to get the spray is Mercola.com. I have no interest in this place and make no money from it i am just giving you a suggestion of where to find this. also Amazon.com has several different brands of the sublingual as well as sprays. I also have nerve damage in my face and neuropathy so my dose is supposed to be at least 5000mcgs. a day. I believe Sue says to take 1000mcg. it's a B vitamin so I don't think it hurts to take more as what isn't used is peed out. (I hope that was ok to say).

take care,
Sara
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Old 01-25-2012, 02:01 AM #4
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Wink Hello & Welcome!!

markrisgold,

Hello and welcome, happy to see you have come to be with us, it a great place to be. As you can see we have a great number and caring fellow members here, welcome to a supportive and relaxing place.

I started having seizures when I was 10, which was 48 years. During that time when I would have a seizure I would remain in the same position as I was before it begin. If I had any thing in my hands I would not drop it and it was hard to get out of my hands. When I was in one, I would hear what someone was saying to me and form my words to talk back, but could not move my mouth.

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
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Old 01-25-2012, 12:20 PM #5
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Thanks for the info Sue. I will look into the Epileptologist. Never heard of one before so I am interested to see what I learn. As for the hormones and menopause..I had a full hyster over ten years ago..so already been thru the change of life! My hormones I have tested every year and they are good.
Thanks again
Quote:
Originally Posted by Porkette View Post
Hi markrisgold,

Welcome to the forum! I'm no neuro but I've had seizures for 39 yrs. and strokes can lead to seizures in some cases. My advice to you is to see an Epileptologist (Dr. specializing in epilepsy) I've seen many neuros, over the yrs. but I've gotten the most help from and Epileptologist and I have found they know much more when it comes to epilepsy and the neurology world.
Just like you I have damage on both sides of the brain the right and left temporal lobe. When you fainted, and couldn't speak as well as the dizziness sounds very much like a possible seizure. I started having migraine headaches which lead to seizures when I was a kid. I've also tried taking keppra but that drug increased my seizures like crazy. You need to go to an Epilepsy Center and see an Epileptologist and have them do testing on you to find out what's really going on. In the mean time start taking vitamin B12 once a day and cut back on cell phone use as well as carbs and starch foods. You are at the age where you may be starting to go through your change and hormones changing can be a big cause of seizures in women. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue
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Old 01-25-2012, 12:33 PM #6
markrisgold markrisgold is offline
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Thanks Sara for the info. I find that the people who go thru things seem to know more than the Medical World!
I do take B12 as well as other supplements. I would rather take the Natural, Organic route any day over synthetic drugs.
I have went round and round with so many docs and ER's that I wasn't having a migraine when they tried to say I was! When you have migraines you KNOW WHEN you are having one and when you aren't!
I wake up with daily head pain and am nauseated and dizzy most days since this happened...is this normal? I see the Neuro tomorrow and if we aren't happy with him then we are going for a 2nd opinion elsewhere.
Thanks so much
Quote:
Originally Posted by numbum46 View Post
hi Markrisgold,

what you are explaining is very similar to the type of seizure I had when I was pregnant with my first child. i already had a history of epilepsy and had mostly had grand mal seizures but then they seemed to stop during college so sy a four year period then I got married and got pregnant fairly early on and has d this happen. I couldn't talk, couldn't understand what others were saying i was weak, I think I passed out too and when I went to the Dr. they determined it was a migraine and put me on bed rest. I did get a bad headache afterwards. so I was on bedrest for a month before they took me off. Now I think i had several of these and it wasn't until maybe 7-8 years later when I was having what some docs thought were migraines again but were really seizures I went to a neuro in Minneapolis who is now retired and he diagnosed me with complex partial epilepsy. I also do have migraines but they are much different. I had complex partial seizures for quite a few years but then they once again started to go into grand mal seizures. i have an aura but I get confused and stand up and usually say something like the last time i said "Oh s***" waled into another room and hit the floor seizing.

but what you are despcribing does sound a lot like complex partial seizures. i would ofte3n end up paralyzed after and at that point would be conscious and would just not be able to talk or move for about ten minutes and then it would pass. sometimes my hands and feet would go into the most incredible positions and stay that way and they were stuck that way until the seizure was over. there is no way i could ever do those positions normally. Of course I would have great pain from that afterwards.

i agree with Sue that you should see a neurologist whose specialty is epilepsy. Neurologists usually have a sub specialty so the ones that know the most about seizures are epileptologists. and you find them mainly at University Medical Centers although you can also find them at Speicial Neurology centers as well.

good luck to you and taking Vit B12 will help. One good form is a tablet that you put under your tongue and let it dissolve. when it disolves sublingually like that your body can absorb it better. Also sometimes you can find it in a spray and that also absorbs very well. One place to get the spray is Mercola.com. I have no interest in this place and make no money from it i am just giving you a suggestion of where to find this. also Amazon.com has several different brands of the sublingual as well as sprays. I also have nerve damage in my face and neuropathy so my dose is supposed to be at least 5000mcgs. a day. I believe Sue says to take 1000mcg. it's a B vitamin so I don't think it hurts to take more as what isn't used is peed out. (I hope that was ok to say).

take care,
Sara
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Old 01-25-2012, 07:42 PM #7
Porkette Porkette is offline
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Hi markrisgold,

When you see the neuro tomorrow you might want to ask for a DNA test to be done. This will show what meds will help you the most with the least side effects. Many times I've been dizzy for a few seconds and I will get wicked headaches after a seizure, I also get a nervous feeling in my stomach this is known as an aura seizure also called a simple partial seizure.
Try using the cold water therapy to see if it helps you. Put a cold washcloth on your face and neck 3 times a day this calms the neurons down in the brain and stops the seizures from happening. I went through a test a yr. or 2 ago when I was asked to take my temperature 3 times a day at the same time and each time after I had a seizure. The days I had any seizures my temperature was higher. I was also asked to keep track of how many times I yawned and the study showed that the days that I didn't yawn that much were the days I had the seizures. They have found that yawning helps cool a persons brain. In regards to vitamin B12 take 1000 mcg. once a day.
Here's wishing you well and May God Bless You!

Sue
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Old 01-27-2012, 03:26 PM #8
markrisgold markrisgold is offline
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Thanks so much Sue.
Look at my New Thread I posted, "My Neurologist is the crazy one!" for an update on my visit yesterday.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Porkette View Post
Hi markrisgold,

When you see the neuro tomorrow you might want to ask for a DNA test to be done. This will show what meds will help you the most with the least side effects. Many times I've been dizzy for a few seconds and I will get wicked headaches after a seizure, I also get a nervous feeling in my stomach this is known as an aura seizure also called a simple partial seizure.
Try using the cold water therapy to see if it helps you. Put a cold washcloth on your face and neck 3 times a day this calms the neurons down in the brain and stops the seizures from happening. I went through a test a yr. or 2 ago when I was asked to take my temperature 3 times a day at the same time and each time after I had a seizure. The days I had any seizures my temperature was higher. I was also asked to keep track of how many times I yawned and the study showed that the days that I didn't yawn that much were the days I had the seizures. They have found that yawning helps cool a persons brain. In regards to vitamin B12 take 1000 mcg. once a day.
Here's wishing you well and May God Bless You!

Sue
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