Last year after much crazy diagnostic testing, I got to see a neurologist who did all the basic stuff and essentially said I had 'abnormal spikes on both sides of the brain' and he though my strange symptoms were actually seizures. I tried to get him to be a little more specific, but he never gave me more answer than simply 'seizure'. I've been doing well so I don't have an appt to see him again until Sept, but now I'm curious. Is it typical to have a specific seizure type listed, is it likely he has more definitive data than 'abnormal spikes'? What does that even mean?

I get the electrical activity part, but I'm not a neuro buff.

As for symptoms, I get these 'waves' of what I assume to be an adrenaline rush. I start to feel shaky and light headed, and a 'punched in the gut' feeling then my heart starts galloping up to 140-150 (always sinus and it's NOT SVT...it starts out gradually), BP rises to 190's/110's, the wave sort of peaks, then comes back down and I start sweating and shaking uncontrollably. I've not had that many of them, but 2 docs witnessed the HR and called for ambulance transport to the ER, although now I know what to expect I usually just sit it out at home. It's very draining, though LOL

The worst ones have lasted hours with the waves getting 'larger' and then slowly getting 'smaller' and less frequent. I've had some that were very short in duration and sometimes I don't know if I'm having one or not, it's very mild and short, maybe just an anxiety burst. I was started on Keppra and haven't felt a 'big bad one' in about a year or so. Not a large dose, currently at 500mg.

Anyway, that's me. I also have peripheral neuropathy and lots of oddities that never quite match up with a real dx, so I'm always thinking and theorizing about what the aliens have done to me

Hi BestyAnn,

I can't help but wonder if you are having a aura (simple partial) sz. when you get the feeling in your stomach that leads into either a complex partial or tonic clonic (grand mal) sz.
If I may ask do you ever see colors in your eyes before you blank out? If you do it could be a complex partial sz. and if the sz. last for a long time it could be a tonic clonic sz.
The spikes your Dr. is seeing is the electrical activity going on in your brain and from what you described as abnormal spikes meaning that at certain areas of your brain there's to much electricial activity and the spikes cause the neurons to fire up and trigger a seizure for you. The best way to describe it is to think of lightening that you see during a thunderstorm. This is whats happening in your brain and it's triggering seizures. You should start keeping track of your seizures and get a calendar write down what time the seizure started and if it lasts over 15 min. then describe the seizure. By doing this the neuro may see a pattern in your seizures. I often have them when there's a low pressure in the weather, stress or lack of sleep. Try taking vitamin B12 1000 mcg once a day this will help calm your nerves down and it may decrease your seizures. I wish you the very best and May God Bless You!

Sue

Thanks, Porkette I guess my question was, are the 'abnormal spikes' actually seizure activity or are they typical abnormalities seen in someone who is known to have seizures?

I don't blank out, I never even considered seizures as a possibility. I went to the neuro simply b/c I have odd sensations/pains/etc that are part of neuropathy w/a history of c5-c6 fusion. I tend to chalk up most of my nerve pains and such as 'neck issues'. The seizure dx sort of threw me, I was actually seeing a cardiologist and an endocrinologist to try and figure it out, but they both wrote me off w/no explanations. The neuro was the one who was intrigued and wanted to find an answer.

I do/did get auras w/migraines, mostly a blind spot that would grow and block my vision, then decrease and turn into pain. I went many years w/o migraines, but the most recent one I had was pretty colorful, like a kaleidoscope blocking my vision instead of a gray area. These adrenaline/cardiac events don't feel anything like that, and I haven't had a certain one in about 1 1/2 years. Then again, I don't know for sure I'm having an episode unless my HR goes over 120, sometimes I get small sensations but since they haven't turned into full blown craziness, I blow them off. Times of heightened stress (like grandmother dying, or when I got hit by a car) I have felt 'surges' but those were not really that unexpected. So I just don't know.

I am now taking a b12 supplement

And I just noticed, you typed 'Besty' which is what my Granny always did

BetsyAnn,

I see you have made it here, happy to see you. As I said there are some good listeners and helpers the. Sue has given you some go advice of epilepsy. Nice to hear you are already on B12. You need to stay away from bright flashing lights, like at a theater. When I am one I just turn my head during the time of them. Also it would not hurt to go see an Epileptologist, mostly you can find them at medical schools. I myself was sent to one by my neuro, and it has help me greatly.

I too have been taking Keppra and have good luck with it. How I wish what helps one person could work for all.

Please keep us up to date on your situation. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Hi BetsyAnn,

Let's see I think I spelled your name right this time, I had just come home from work and I was tired sorry about that.
I'm wondering if the neuropathy could be triggering up possible complex partial sz. and of course getting hit by a car wouldn't help at all. I have family that has neuropathy problems and their Dr. put them on topamax which is a sz. med to help control the pain and the possibility of sz. starting.
The odd sensations could be more electrical spikes in the brain triggering a sz. or the pain you are feeling. What you might want to do is try "Cold Water Therapy" What you have to do is take your temperature 3 times a day at the same time and any time you might have had a possible sz. Write down what time it is when you take your temp. along with the reading. You will also need to keep track of each time you yawn and write down what time you yawn. They have been doing a study and they have found that yawning cools the brain. The next step is any time you feel a possible sz. starting put a cold washcloth on your face and the back of your neck along with doing it 3 times a day at the same time. By doing this it will calm the neurons down in the brain and stop the possible sz. and it may help reduce your pain that you feel. I was involved in this medical study and they found that my temperature was higher by a degree or 2 before I had any sz. and I was yawning less that day. I also was able to stop a few more sz. by putting the cold wash cloth on my face. I know it sounds strange but they already have a cooling device out in the UK for people who have epilepsy and now the US had to wait for the FDA to approve of it. Sorry to carry on so long but I wish you only the best and May God Bless You!

Sue

Hi Betsy, I see you are here on this forum also. I'm glad you found it and are using NT well!

I'd like to also add that besides the B12, you might investigate magnesium. Fixing magnesium levels can really help with high blood pressure issues and it is also used in headaches, and migraine prevention.

You could choose to eat more whole foods that provide magnesium like beans and nuts, yogurt. Or you could get a quality supplement (except not OXIDE which is not absorbed).
200mg elemental daily of a chelate or SlowMag one twice a day
may really help.

I have on my magnesium thread some PubMed papers:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post31697-20.html

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post861343-280.html

We at Peripheral Neuropathy use magnesium for our PN pain,
and it really helps.

So I really hope you will read my magnesium thread (which has grown very long since 2006) and give it a try. 200mg elemental is 1/2 the RDA, and usually is a good conservative starting point.
Some people eventually decide to take higher doses, and if you do want to try that make sure your kidney functions are normal.
There are some remarkable success stories with fixing magnesium here, and you could be the next one!