Hi guys - I'm not looking for a diagnosis or anything like that, more just suggestions I can read up on prior to my next neurologist visit.

I've been diagnosed with cerebellitis (a form of encephalitis) and have various neurological problems. The main one related to this incident is that I have been seeing a lot of flashing lights and dark spots.

I was prescribed tramadol for headache and neurontin for nerve pain, and the neurontin also seems to have reduced the number of flashing lights I'm seeing.

Anyway - last night while I was on the computer I experienced some strange perceptual changes. Basically the monitor seemed to be VERY far away; I looked at the keyboard and it and my hands seemed hundreds of metres away. This then made me feel very tall, huge, almost as if I was stretched or a giant. Colours seemed normal, my vision seemed as sharp as normal, but I don't remember checking my peripheral vision or how wide my field of vision was.

My apparent height made me feel VERY sick.

If I closed my eyes, on reopening them my sight seemed fine, but within a couple of seconds it was back in "everything far away" mode.

I got up to be sick, but my balance as completely gone and I staggered/fell (loss of balance was my initial neurological problem).

After I was sick, I got back to my computer and my vision seemed to return to normal, but I then started smelling burning. (No-one else could smell anything.)

The perception/vision was strange for 5-10 minutes, and the burning smell for another 5-10 minutes after.

I felt both starving hungry and very nauseus for the rest of the night. When I went to bed I then slept for about 15 hours.

Does this sound familiar to anyone, or does anyone have any ideas as to what it might be?

Thanks!

-Mac

I should add that during the episode I could see very big and bright flashing lights - like a jagged bright spot with a thick black edge - all around. Far more, more intense, and bigger than when I saw lights previously.

Hi Mac
have you tried posting this on the Epilepsy forum here?

just wondering if maybe members there can be of help to you

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum11.html

in short- Yes it does. Tell the neuro (you described it very well)

Hey Chemar - thanks, for some reason I didn't think of posting over there! Will do so now.

Jprinz99 - I might just print off that description and maybe hand it to my GP, see if I can have a word with him before the neurologist. At this point I'm not sure what I need less - my brain misfiring in totally mysterious ways, or new names for how my brain is misfiring!

Thanks guys!