[StuckinBoston]

I have been "blanking out" way to much lately. Having "hot flashes" (I am not that old in my 20's) my hands and feet at different times will feel like they are on fire. I asked doctor about absence seizure/epilepsy and they say No because previous eeg's done, months ago, came back normal.

I have days where I feel like I have missed the whole day - would not have a clue what has happened. Then other days I am fine. I was thinking maybe if I was having some type of seizure that that would account for my constant fatigue.

Should I chase this down with seeing another doctor or just chalk it up to one of those strange symptoms that comes along with a brain injury.
?

[Mark in Idaho]

I would suggest trying to document the before and after situations of these blackouts. With a journal, you may find that you have triggers that cause these events. If so, they would likely not show up during a normal EEG.

[PCSLearner]

If you haven't already done so I would suggest you look at the threads on here under "what the heck was that" and "migraine or something else." Lots of helpful info. on seizures and/or depersonalization. We learned that keeping track of how you feel before, during, and after these events is very important in helping your doctor diagnose siezure or some other event.

For example: Do you remember what was happening during, before and after? Were you able to respond to others around you? Can you ask someone who was close to you during the events what you seemed like to them?

Other than that all I can say is that the fatigue seems to last a long, long time. Do a search for "mental fatigue" and "physical fatigue" on this forum.

Also keep in mind that lapses in memory are common with PCS. I've read stories about high school students who recover from their PCS and not remember much of a school year. Another person I know about didn't remember much of his entire college experience, but he could perfectly remember the Spanish he learned in high school. There are lots of suggestions on this forum about playing memory games on computers or hand helds.

All the best to you. Take care.

[Hockey]

Dear Boston,

Wow! I could have written your post. My "zone outs" have been confirmed as seizures. I do also have a problem tracking the passage of time. Sometimes I think I've been doing something for fifteen minutes - and it's really been five hours. That can sure give the day a disjointed feeling.

Anyway, if I were you, I'd consider looking for better doctors. If you read through the PCS threads, you'll see that trouble with ignorant doctors is, sadly, a common theme. Most doctors know and/or care little about brain injury.

Cheers

[StuckinBoston]

Thanks for the replies. I talked to one of the doctors and he said he thinks it is just sleep deprivation ( I like how he said JUST sleep derivation). I know things are going on around me but I can not seem or feel connected to what is going on around me.

I am going to start writing things down and see if that helps them think outside the box.

[Hockey]

Sleep deprivation? Certainly my brain injury disrupts my sleep. However, I've been majorly sleep deprived before (I went to grad school and had a baby for heaven's sake) and it's nothing like the depersonalization (there, but not there) I feel now.

Besides, if your doc thinks you need better rest, there are medications he could give you to help you achieve and sustain REM sleep.

Good Luck