[pk42284]

One year ago, I was going to bed and all of this sudden out of nowhere I got this feeling of intense sad emotion that literally came out of nowhere. It's almost painful and not painful like a headache but it comes in waves and feels like an intense unbearable emotional/depression pain where I feel like I can break into hysterical tears but cant, that lasts from seconds to minutes sometimes hours. when it gets to intense, almost like a stinging sensation you get from a hangnail. It's really hard to explain accompanied by an overwhelming uncomfortable excitability feeling in my throat. These feelings have no rhyme of reason or triggers. I love my life and not depressed but I have been getting these symptoms almost every day for a year now and just want answers. My psychiatrist thought it was depression at first then put me on celexa which really made me depressed, then added wellbutrin. Took me off of celexa put me onto prozac and was still on wellbutrin. Finally after that wasn't working. She dropped the prozac and now I am on wellbutrin only and just went to my neurologist who thinks what I am experiencing is called a simple partial seizures. I just got out of the hospital for a 3 day EEG and MRI all came back normal but he said that sometimes these simple seizures can rarely show up on an EEG and has started me on lamictal, I am up to 150mg now and wants me to be at 200 mg in next couple of weeks. I have felt some relief somedays and then BAMMMMM that feeling comes back, I have searched high and low on the internet and trust me, I am a pro at researching, got my degree from Univ. of Google. Help please, anyone?

[VegetaGirl]

You might be feeling anxious talk to your psychiatrist and see if that may be the cause there are different forms of anxiety. My attacks come at night and wake me up in my sleep I been taking Effexor for that. Talk to your doctor.

[kiwi33]

Hi pk42284

I am sorry to read about your experiences of panic/anxiety.

It might help if you got your GP to refer you to a clinical psychologist who has experience of using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with his/her clients.

CBT has helped me a lot with my depression and anxiety.

[DejaVu]

Originally Posted by pk42284

One year ago, I was going to bed and all of this sudden out of nowhere I got this feeling of intense sad emotion that literally came out of nowhere. It's almost painful and not painful like a headache but it comes in waves and feels like an intense unbearable emotional/depression pain where I feel like I can break into hysterical tears but cant, that lasts from seconds to minutes sometimes hours. when it gets to intense, almost like a stinging sensation you get from a hangnail. It's really hard to explain accompanied by an overwhelming uncomfortable excitability feeling in my throat. These feelings have no rhyme of reason or triggers. I love my life and not depressed but I have been getting these symptoms almost every day for a year now and just want answers. My psychiatrist thought it was depression at first then put me on celexa which really made me depressed, then added wellbutrin. Took me off of celexa put me onto prozac and was still on wellbutrin. Finally after that wasn't working. She dropped the prozac and now I am on wellbutrin only and just went to my neurologist who thinks what I am experiencing is called a simple partial seizures. I just got out of the hospital for a 3 day EEG and MRI all came back normal but he said that sometimes these simple seizures can rarely show up on an EEG and has started me on lamictal, I am up to 150mg now and wants me to be at 200 mg in next couple of weeks. I have felt some relief somedays and then BAMMMMM that feeling comes back, I have searched high and low on the internet and trust me, I am a pro at researching, got my degree from Univ. of Google. Help please, anyone?

Hi PK4228,
Welcome to the NeuroTalk family.
Please feel free to post an introduction if you'd like.

First of all, I'd like to tell you how lucky you are that your doctors are working diligently in order to find the cause(s) and also hoping to make you more comfortable. Keep up those very helpful relationships with your medical professionals.

The episodes you describe seem very uncomfortable. I hope you will find more comfort with each passing day.

Re: Lamictal. Lamictal (lamotrigine) is an amazing drug. I have seen so many people, with various presentations, do very well with Lamictal, with minimal side-effects. However, do watch for any sign of a rash and report this rash immediately to your physician. Don't delay. Some people have a severe rash reaction, called Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), to this med. SJS (rash) can be life-threatening. (Many drugs have SJS as a potential side-effect, by the way.)

At the same time, I have seen people do very well with this med for several years.

You write about a very interesting, yet a very uncomfortable, condition.
I am thrilled your psychiatrist and neurologist have done EEGs and an MRI.
I imagine that was a Functional MRI (fMRI)?

I am also "wowed" by the fact that the neurologist is trying to help out further, despite negative EEGs and MRI. Great care.

Did anyone discuss Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) with you?
Here's some information:
http://www.henryford.com/body.cfm?id=53213
Please see the links at the bottom of the page of the link, as well, in order to get a full picture of PNES and treatment, etc.

While most often, PNES episodes may appear more like grand mal seizure, PNES episodes can also look like absence or partial seizures as well.

I don't know what your neurologist is thinking, obviously. If your neurologist suspects partial seizures or PNES (due to negative EEGs), it's likely the neurologist would attempt treating either condition with a relatively mild anti-epileptic drug (AED).

It will likely take more time to see if Lamictal will help. Don't rush any increase, as Lamictal increases are slow on purpose, in hopes of causing fewer adverse reactions.

Do your vital signs change when you are having these episodes?
Pulse, respiration, blood pressure?

I am sure others will be along to comment/ask questions.

I hope you are comfortable.

To Our Healing,
DejaVu

[DejaVu]

Originally Posted by kiwi33

Hi pk42284

I am sorry to read about your experiences of panic/anxiety.

It might help if you got your GP to refer you to a clinical psychologist who has experience of using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with his/her clients.

CBT has helped me a lot with my depression and anxiety.

Pk42284,

I really like this suggestion by kiwi33.
CBT can be so helpful in managing so many different types of conditions, including medical conditions. I know of people having found CBT helpful with anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD-- as well as with various manifestations of various neurological conditions, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain conditions and more.

To Our Healing,
DejaVu

[pk42284]

Originally Posted by DejaVu

Hi PK4228,
Welcome to the NeuroTalk family.
Please feel free to post an introduction if you'd like.

First of all, I'd like to tell you how lucky you are that your doctors are working diligently in order to find the cause(s) and also hoping to make you more comfortable. Keep up those very helpful relationships with your medical professionals.

The episodes you describe seem very uncomfortable. I hope you will find more comfort with each passing day.

Re: Lamictal. Lamictal (lamotrigine) is an amazing drug. I have seen so many people, with various presentations, do very well with Lamictal, with minimal side-effects. However, do watch for any sign of a rash and report this rash immediately to your physician. Don't delay. Some people have a severe rash reaction, called Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), to this med. SJS (rash) can be life-threatening. (Many drugs have SJS as a potential side-effect, by the way.)

At the same time, I have seen people do very well with this med for several years.

You write about a very interesting, yet a very uncomfortable, condition.
I am thrilled your psychiatrist and neurologist have done EEGs and an MRI.
I imagine that was a Functional MRI (fMRI)?

I am also "wowed" by the fact that the neurologist is trying to help out further, despite negative EEGs and MRI. Great care.

Did anyone discuss Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) with you?
Here's some information:

Please see the links at the bottom of the page of the link, as well, in order to get a full picture of PNES and treatment, etc.

While most often, PNES episodes may appear more like grand mal seizure, PNES episodes can also look like absence or partial seizures as well.

I don't know what your neurologist is thinking, obviously If your neurologist suspects partial seizures or PNES (due to negative EEGs), it's likely the neurologist would attempt treating either condition with a relatively mild anti-epileptic drug (AED).

It will likely take more time to see if Lamictal will help. Don't rush any increase, as Lamictal increases are slow on purpose, in hopes of causing fewer adverse reactions.

Do your vital signs change when you are having these episodes?
Pulse, respiration, blood pressure?

I am sure others will be along to comment/ask questions.

I hope you are comfortable.

To Our Healing,
DejaVu

DejaVU thanks a lot for the reply and everyone else as well. Yes my neuro is awesome!!!! While I was in the hospital they mentioned that 50% of people that are there with negative EEGs are experiencing psychgenic seizures, so yes I am familiar I just can't accept that bc one year ago I was fine, but who knows I know stress manifests itself in crazy ways. My neuro said once i get to 200mg on lamictal lets see how I do, if he cant figure out he wants to do more in depth testing with some doctors he knows from the Clevland Clinic i.e. PET scans, etc... I have had some relief on lamictal it just seems everytime I go up i get the symptoms again and it really shakes me up. I just really want to get to the bottom of this and move on ya know?

[pk42284]

Originally Posted by VegetaGirl

You might be feeling anxious talk to your psychiatrist and see if that may be the cause there are different forms of anxiety. My attacks come at night and wake me up in my sleep I been taking Effexor for that. Talk to your doctor.

I have already been through that med go round with my psychiatrist, tried all the ssri's and welbutrin but not effexor yet which I know is a different class called NDRI, but thanks for the reply!!!! I really appreciate it!

[pk42284]

Originally Posted by kiwi33

Hi pk42284

I am sorry to read about your experiences of panic/anxiety.

It might help if you got your GP to refer you to a clinical psychologist who has experience of using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with his/her clients.

CBT has helped me a lot with my depression and anxiety.

Hi KIWI!!! Yes i did about a year of CBT which has helped me cope better with these symptoms

[pk42284]

Originally Posted by DejaVu

Pk42284,

I really like this suggestion by kiwi33.
CBT can be so helpful in managing so many different types of conditions, including medical conditions. I know of people having found CBT helpful with anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD-- as well as with various manifestations of various neurological conditions, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain conditions and more.

To Our Healing,
DejaVu

Dejavu I have done a year of CBT so far and yes it has helped as far as coping but nothing for the symptoms, but yes i cope much better than i used to. and to answer your questions about my vital signs, YES, my heartbeat is heavier and I tremble and start to breath heavier

[pk42284]

Hi sorry i just figured out how to reply quicker lol but yes I have tried all the ssri's and welbutrin but not the SNRI's like effexor yet bc i ve heard they are nasty to get off of