Wow, Jack! Hello and welcome. Your post was amazing and filled with lots of details, I'm hoping we can give you a hand.

I first wanted to ask more about the weird sensations you have under (?) your scalp. I have sensations around my head that are quite difficult to explain as they give off the most bizarre feeling that no words could properly describe. I'll try and tell you mine and you let me know if anythings similar. I figure if you have them, too, my babbling will make sense.

My sensations are actually an aura I have before one of my less favorite of seizures (I was blessed with a few various types, hoorah). It starts off feeling like static, and it actually pulses in a rhythmic type of pattern. It feels as if someone rubbed a balloon on my head (we've all had it done, lol). It's like a static aura is in my head. It feels like its from above my head and its depth goes into my head, almost like I can feel it in my brain which is kind of gross.

It seems like it pulses from my forehead to the back of my head right above my neck, then repeats. This typically happens before a seizure or a 'fit' that will drastically affect my vision, balance, etc. My seizures after these auras normally shock me, I have numbness in various locations from my fingers, arms, to even my hiney. I have electrical shock types of sensations in my legs, back, head, etc. I eventually feel frozen and cannot see, but I remain fully 'awake' in my head, I just have no clue what my body is doing.

From what I have been told, these seizures originate in the Parietal Lobe and frequently 'bounce' off of the Occipital Lobe. HERE is a link to information about it, the website is down right now but should be back up soon.

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Regarding drinking, when having my VEEG they tried to make me drink. Due to my fear of alcohol I refused. Alcohol, amongst many other things is a seizure trigger. I'd only have a few drinks and would experience blackouts also, the last one I hit my head and shoulder hard enough that I never drank again. My Epileptologist asked me if I drank, I told her no but I did two-three times per year and most events resulted in my being very sick. She told me I'm probably one of 'those people' who do not tolerate alcohol as it triggers seizures, stating what I called a blackout is probably a seizure. You can view various Epilepsy-related websites and most will say in some people with Epilepsy, even small amounts of alcohol can trigger a seizure.

However, large amounts frequently (as seen in an alcoholic) then stopped can cause withdraw seizures. I'm pretty sure that would apply for drugs, too. In some people, even caffeine is a trigger for seizures. Not for me though, I drink a good 2 pots of coffee per day and I do fine.

Before I babble even more, I was wondering how long you have had these 'seizure-type' of symptoms. Did you have them BEFORE the depression symptoms came along? If not, did you stop taking your medicine or did your medicine you had been taking (on a long-term basis) get changed? There are quite a few medications that can cause withdraw seizures.

There are also a few medications that act as an AED that are also used to treat BPD. Lamictal is used for both, link: http://www.lamictal.com/. Have you ever tried that? If so, did it help at all with the other symptoms?

Edit: The website to the link I gave is still down, so here is a link to the cache of it.