Seizures

[Steven00009]

I think I am experiencing seizures. I really need some advice. I may have epilepsy I do not know. What I do know is that every once in a while (once every 2-3 weeks usually, but somethimes more frequently) I experience temporary blindness(5-6 seconds at the most) then I become extremely dizzy and fall down, or if I am lucky, catch myself before this happens, it has never been more serious than this, so I am not sure if these are seizures or not. I need some educated guesses.

[ch85us2001]

My father has epilepsy, he controls it with medication very easily (hes a race car driver, so thats a good thing ) My advice?

SEE A DOCTOR NOW!
If they are seizures he will prescribe treatments for you and youll be good to go, if not you'll leave the office and be good to go. What do you have to lose, other than an hour of your time?


Good luck with that!

[VonDondu]

You don't need "educated" guess from people on a message board; what you need is a professional medical diagnosis. What you are describing could be seizures, or they could be something else. The advice you need is, who should you see about it? If you can't afford a doctor, there might be free clinics in your area; but you definitely need to see a specialist.

I wish you the best of luck.

[Fiona]

I agree. Epilepsy can cause long term damage without treatment.

[C Elegans]

I work together with a leading expert in epilepsia (EP). You should definitely see a neurologist, Stephen. From your description it is likely that you are experiencing epileptic seizures of petit mal type, but you should get a proper diagnosis by a specialist in neurology, and proper treatment. It may be also be something else, one can get seizures or seizure-like experiences for several reasons.

I know many people with EP, it can be everything from a little temporary nuicance to a life-threatning disease. Go and see a neurologist immediately!

[Hill-Shatar]

I do not know much about seizures, but you may wantr to check that you do not have any growths in the space in your head, such as a tumour or absesses.

Seizures can also be caused by withdrawl symptoms.

Another thing you may want to look at is whether or not this is a psychogenic non-epeleptic seizure. These ypes of seizures are uncommon, but not unheard of, and several different areas of professions, such as Neurologists and other physicians, often misdiagnose this as epilepsy. I do not know your personal history, so I can not be sure if this is the case, and it is more likely that if you suffer from seizures at all, and not forms of sleep deprivation, that it is epileptic. Or, you could be in danger. Thius entire area is really fuzzy to me.

However, the typical version of figuring out which is which, is extremely costly, and usually it yields the original physician's results. If you happen to get to the Doctor's quickly after one, then have him check your prolactin levels. Although these are not always active, a negative prolactin does not mean that epilepsy is ruled out.

I state again, it may be something else causing this, not a major seizure, as I doubt that you start shaking and spasming uncontrollably. This could just be some sort of mild syncope syndrome, or something else. This does not sound like a seizure level syndrome to me. I would have yourself checked out, and they will most likely find something wrong that is nowhere near seizure based. The human body is a complacted and complex thing, one that we do not totally understand.

Final time. I do not believe these are major seizures. I am also not qualified to diagnose you in anyway, nor do I have anything to really do with seizure like symptoms, unless they cross my work, which they frequently do. CE is the resident neuroscientist, so she knows much more about this than I do. Much more. Way more.

In any case, the correct action to take is going to a doctor as soon as possible.

EDIT- mmm... reading back to your original query sparks questions that I think I answered in a somewhat... petite way. In any case, you see that everyone recomends seeing a doctor at the first chance you get.

Actually, some of what I wrote may be more sidefacts that anything.

[C Elegans]

[QUOTE=Hill-Shatar]This does not sound like a seizure level syndrome to me. I would have yourself checked out, and they will most likely find something wrong that is nowhere near seizure based. The human body is a complacted and complex thing, one that we do not totally understand.

Final time. I do not believe these are major seizures. [/QUOTE]

Just for the sake of explaining something about EP, there are several types of seizures associated with EP, there are simple and complex, partial and full types of seizures. A so called petit mal seizure is not associated with the major motoric symptoms that the classical, more well known, grand mal seizure is. It's common that people don't even loose consciousness during petit mal seizure, they may only experience a number of strange sensations (tingeling, electrical sensations, dizzyness, nausea, strong smells) and also, loss of sensory input like a brief period of deafness or blindness.

[Hill-Shatar]

[QUOTE=C Elegans]Just for the sake of explaining something about EP, there are several types of seizures associated with EP, there are simple and complex, partial and full types of seizures. A so called petit mal seizure is not associated with the major motoric symptoms that the classical, more well known, grand mal seizure is. It's common that people don't even loose consciousness during petit mal seizure, they may only experience a number of strange sensations (tingeling, electrical sensations, dizzyness, nausea, strong smells) and also, loss of sensory input like a brief period of deafness or blindness.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, CE, it is just that when I read this, I immediately associated it with several dozen minor and major medical conditions caused by a variety of contaminants and sources, from genetics, long time injuries, physiological effects... when he said blindness, dizziness and near loss of consciousness immediately and subconsciously shoved it into a category involving problems with you heart, such as a Restricting Aorta. Immediate lethargy and others like it, I have heard, can be associated with seizures, however symptoms such as this have been attributed to hundreds of maladies on records, of which you know.

I would rather broaden the search parameters of what he has, instead of him running to a neurologist instead of first checking a physician to make sure that what is happening is not due to something related to major organs.

In any case, thank you for educating me on the different levels of epileptic seizures.

[VonDondu]

We don't know for sure if Steven00009 is having seizures or has epilepsy, so I think all of this speculation is premature. His short description of his symptoms sounds just like the fainting spells I've experienced (which were caused by a particular phobia of mine and were not random or unpredictable), but of course that doesn't mean that they are fainting spells. Just because they sound like epileptic seizures, that doesn't mean that's what they are.

It has been established that Steven00009 should see a neurologist (good advice), but the next question is how can he get access to one? I don't know his circumstances, so let's wait for some more information from him. I don't know what sort of health services are available on Tatooine. But seriously, he says he's a student, so he might be covered by his parents' insurance, if they have any. We need to know more about his options.

[fable]

[QUOTE=Steven00009]I need some educated guesses.[/QUOTE]

See. A. Doctor.

[Luis Antonio]

[QUOTE=fable]See. A. Doctor.[/QUOTE]

This. Instant.

[C Elegans]

Hill and I are not speculating about Steven anymore (not I at least), we speculate in EP and seizure-like symptoms in general.

All that can be said to Steven has been said, that's why I am letting the topic slipper away a bit.

It has been established that Steven00009 should see a neurologist (good advice), but the next question is how can he get access to one?
<snip>
But seriously, he says he's a student, so he might be covered by his parents' insurance, if they have any.

Sigh, to me as a Swede it seems totally absurd that the access to specialist health care should in any way be dependent on parents' insurances and such. We'll see where Steven lives, but if he lives in an urban area he should definitely look for a major hospital since he may need to undergo several diagnostic procedures that requre high-tech equipment.

In any case, thank you for educating me on the different levels of epileptic seizures.

Heh, there are so many different terms for all these different levels and their combinations, so you don't want to hear them. Currently I'm invloved in a study of two groups of EP patients, where one group has JME, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy with general spread over the entire brain, and one group has partial epilepsy, arising from the temporal lobe.

[Hill-Shatar]

Sorry if my responses have been a bit short and grammatically incorrect... I am in the process of trying to repair my favorite micro-pippetter.

[QUOTE=C Elegans]Sigh, to me as a Swede it seems totally absurd that the access to specialist health care should in any way be dependent on parents' insurances and such. We'll see where Steven lives, but if he lives in an urban area he should definitely look for a major hospital since he may need to undergo several diagnostic procedures that require high-tech equipment. [/QUOTE]

I have access to many different medical specialists within several minutes of where I live in the Rocky View hospital, one of the nicest, cleanest and most beautiful (The place is like a garden of shady trees and flowers) medical centers in Alberta, if not Canada. I recently went there to talk to an Optometrist and a Retinologist, and I know that they have an extremely active Neurology department.

The states is one of the few places where this may cost him, and that is why I myself brought it up, among other people. I have free care up here. Steven does not.

[QUOTE=C Elegans]Heh, there are so many different terms for all these different levels and their combinations, so you don't want to hear them. Currently I'm involved in a study of two groups of EP patients, where one group has JME, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy with general spread over the entire brain, and one group has partial epilepsy, arising from the temporal lobe.[/QUOTE]

I don't think any researcher has a dire need to learn about other fields specific requirements and facts, as our own all give each of us a headache by themselves.

Could you imagine CE trying to figure out what Lambda is equal to from my notes, and trying to keep track of patient records while I am attempting to memorize specifics of multiple levels of psychological diseases? I certainly can't.

[Steven00009]

The only reason I wanted an "educated guess," is because many people on here are very 'educated' on subjects such as this one, such as C elegans.
I have not really ruled out that it could be an inner ear problem, which can cause dizziness, and seizure like symtoms. Going to a neurologist for what an ENT(ear, nose, throat) should do makes as much sense as calling a plumber for pizza. So, i am going to go see a general care physician first, and get his oppinion.

[Fiona]

That's good. Let us know how you get on

[Hill-Shatar]

Hope it is nothing too bad, steven.