I need advice concerning a seizure

Usually, mine are I'm doing something, then suddenly, 10 seconds or so had passed, and I'm a little disorientated, but bounce right back.

Today... not so much.

I was riding in the car, watching a car come towards us, when, like a badly cut film- it suddenly went right past the same 2 cars again. it was accompanied by a weird 'snapping' sound- like plastic being broken, and enough disorientation that I had to close my eyes and try not to get sick. I had a small headache a bit later.

I shall be seeing the doctor Tuesday, and had an MRI. Still waiting on results. If I am told nothing is wrong, what do I do then? Second- is this a normal seizure?

I'm sorry, but asking for medical advice on ATS is like hiring the Captain of the Titanic to head up your water safety program.

a reply to: wylekat

I think your best bet at this point is to do your own research based on your knowledge of your symptoms to get a better understanding of your condition/issues, and prepare questions for when you see your doctor. I am not at all familiar with seizures and their underlying causes, so I'm not much help there. But you might start by Googling "types of seizures and symptoms," and see where that takes you. Compare your symptoms with symptoms listed. The Mayo Clinic website and the Cleveland Clinic website are pretty good for all around general information about many things. If you can narrow your symptoms down, perhaps it will point you in the right direction for more information about your specific symptoms/seizure type.

Perhaps also research nutritional supplements that are helpful, or foods that heal or foods to avoid, and perhaps other contraindications... for example, something like sunlight aggravating the condition, or heat or cold or some other external factor(s). You might also find a vitamin or mineral deficiency associated with the condition that could be tested for when you see the doctor.

If you find something that seems pertinent or helpful, you can look for clinical studies on the subject at PubMed.

Knowledge is power... whatever information you can gather before seeing the doctors allows you to better focus your attention and questions on your specific symptoms and condition when you do see the doctor.

I wish I could be more help. Good luck and brightest blessings!

Ask about Gabapentin with your Doctor.

a reply to: wylekat

Ask a doctor not a conspiracy website these questions.

There's quite the variety with seizures and how they manifest.

Definitely continue to get those tests, go to the doctors, etc. but try to look into it on your own too.

In some cases, like my own, the seizures are precipitated by something. For me, it was extreme pain leading to days without sleep. Controlling it from that side of things has been significantly more effective than meds that target the seizures specifically. But, every case is different.. sometimes substantially.

If you get precursors (I don't), TAKE NOTE of them. Whenever you feel it coming on, stop what you are doing. If you are driving, pull over, that type of thing. It may save someones life, including your own.

I have had quite a few mild seizures in the past. many of mine have sounds to them. Ten seconds isn't so bad for a partial seizure. I have not had one for many years now, I control mine with diet, the meds I took for the epilepsy for five years, five different types, had bad side effects for me. I actually got more seizures off of one type than I usually had. It isn't simple controlling epilepsy with diet, it is an inconvenience. But since I am intollerant to the five classes of meds they tried, I have no choice.

Sounds like you have possibly temporal lobe epilepsy but it could be another type. Partial seizures can cause problems, when I start to do physical work I release lots of muscle sugar into my system and I usually have problems.

If you are on meds for this, talk to your doctor, maybe the meds are making it worse...yet different, as it was in my case.

Someone mentioned gabapentin, that was the only anti-seizure med my neurologist did not give, it can have some bad side effects for some people. Somehow she did not want to give the Neurontin, something was noticed in some of the tests I took, probably in the blood or urine tests. Gabapentin is similar to taurine in how it works. The taurine needs sulfite oxydase to work correctly, that is an enzyme that uses MOCO enzymes to properly work. Taurine is a conditional amino acid, it can be made by our bodies if you have enough B6, magnesium, manganese, and molybdenum in your diet and it also needs sulfite oxidase to work properly. I do not think Gabapentin needs anything to work but there are some side effects that can be problematic with a gaba analog.

How did the seizures start? Are you sure you weren't experiencing a low sugar event or a reactive hypoglycemia event? Did you consume some juice or high sugar foods within an hour or two before this happened?

There are lots of different things that can cause seizures, some temporary like low taurine levels or low magnesium levels or some more permanent like low enzymes or a tramatic brain injury.

Yours do not seem to be the grand Mal seizures, that is good. I only had one of those years ago. A reaction to the meds I was taking at the time. Sometimes the sounds almost sound like voices or horns, that is one of the things I use to adjust my special diet with, if I ignore that then I wind up with a higher risk of an event.

This is something that should be discussed with your doctor, most people respond well to anti-seizure meds, I just happen to have some weird genetics and I can't take hardly any med long term. I can take meds for a few weeks, I acan't even take a regular multi-vitamin pill for over a couple of weeks, I learned that twenty five years ago already, it messes with something in my body. I can only take one multi-vitamin a week , but I can take a multimineral every day. The side effect of the multivitamin is not seizure related, I retain way to much water. I bloat up everywhere and it gets hard to breathe. That's life, just another inconvenience.

Let us know what they find out. Talk to the doctor if you start taking meds and your teeth push out and feet turn all black. Don't listen to them when they try telling you that you need special socks.

a reply to: wylekat

Did you have any tunnel vision associated with that ? Did you have the impression your vision was dark but you could still hear sound?

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: wylekat

Did you have any tunnel vision associated with that ? Did you have the impression your vision was dark but you could still hear sound?

Hey, I get some of that tunnel vision stuff. I really didn't equate that with seizures though, I usually get a change in pitch of sound with those. It gets lower pitch then sometimes an oinggg sound. The sound I figured was seizure, but not the tunnel vision part.

originally posted by: wylekat
I was riding in the car, watching a car come towards us, when, like a badly cut film- it suddenly went right past the same 2 cars again

What do you mean here? Are you saying you passed the cars and then time seemed to rewind and you passed them again?
This could be something like deja vu. Some people who have epilectic seizures report having those feelings right before their seizures. If it was strong enough, you may have been convinced you'd already passed the cars.

originally posted by: wylekatis this a normal seizure?

No seizure is "normal", especially when followed by headaches and nausea.

Thanks "rickymouse" that was me.I have been taking Gabapenton for a couple months now, for arthritis pain and neuropothy. It was effective in both, more so the neuropothy. It is usad for Epelepsy and seizures..... but YES there are Side Effects. Memory function. That is to say, a numbing in your ability to articulate verbiage. (speak) You will wander occasionally in conversation. I found driving was ok with no mistakes or issues. But I quit it two weeks ago and there are withdrawls to be had if doing so. None problematic, rather more annoying in scope. I have de-saturated now and am back to normal, my sharpness returned.

""Someone mentioned gabapentin, that was the only anti-seizure med my neurologist did not give, it can have some bad side effects for some people. Somehow she did not want to give the Neurontin, something was noticed in some of the tests I took, probably in the blood or urine tests. Gabapentin is similar to taurine in how it works. The taurine needs sulfite oxydase to work correctly, that is an enzyme that uses MOCO enzymes to properly work. Taurine is a conditional amino acid, it can be made by our bodies if you have enough B6, magnesium, manganese, and molybdenum in your diet and it also needs sulfite oxidase to work properly. I do not think Gabapentin needs anything to work but there are some side effects that can be problematic with a gaba analog.""

originally posted by: rickymouse

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: wylekat

Did you have any tunnel vision associated with that ? Did you have the impression your vision was dark but you could still hear sound?

Hey, I get some of that tunnel vision stuff. I really didn't equate that with seizures though, I usually get a change in pitch of sound with those. It gets lower pitch then sometimes an oinggg sound.

The sound I figured was seizure, but not the tunnel vision part.

That was clear as mud.

The reason I asked OP, my mom had heart arrhythmia, Atrial Fibrillation. Would experience periods of slow loss of consciousness. First to go is vision, then hearing, then consciousness. The tunnel vision is shrinking vision surrounded by black, like when a fighter pilot experiences hi G-load and suffers "blackout' .

This is due to depriving the brain of oxygen, pilots and those with Atrial Fib experience similar symptoms.

If a pilot unloads the stick, senses return when blood returns to the brain. Episodes of Atrial Fib end after some duration, restoring blood to the brain as well.

Depending on the individual, arrhythmia in the heart varies, causing different consequences. Might begin as a noticeable lub dub or thudding in the chest as the heart 'misfires'.

a reply to: intrptr

I have tachychardia so the tunnel vision may be part of that. I get orthostatic hypotension occasionally, I still haven't identified all the triggers, nitrates from green veggies is the worst. I love veggies but I always had problems with them. The Oinggg is new though, that started after the accident when the partial seizures started.

Your mothers is probably a hupotension to the brain too, low blood volume also triggers that, when I feel as if my head is going to spin, I just drink a glass of water and it does not get bad. Still light headed but no spin or headache.

So I know what you mean. I had AFIB attacks multiple times in my life, Starting back when I was a teenager. My problem is hereditary tachychardia, not a change like some people get when they get older. But my low blood volume does seem to be something that is getting worse when I get old. Oh wait, I am not old yet, I got twenty more years till I get old, old is over eighty something.

originally posted by: schuyler
I'm sorry, but asking for medical advice on ATS is like hiring the Captain of the Titanic to head up your water safety program.

True... But so far, asking a *doctor* for medical advice has been no help, either. I'm getting a 1 note song about 'diabetes', and being given tests that I never hear the results about. And before anything's said, this is the hospital's doctor we're talking about.

My medical insurance is absolute bottom of the line, so I expect the same type of treatment where ever I go at this point.

originally posted by: wylekat
Usually, mine are I'm doing something, then suddenly, 10 seconds or so had passed, and I'm a little disorientated, but bounce right back.

Today... not so much.

I was riding in the car, watching a car come towards us, when, like a badly cut film- it suddenly went right past the same 2 cars again. it was accompanied by a weird 'snapping' sound- like plastic being broken, and enough disorientation that I had to close my eyes and try not to get sick. I had a small headache a bit later.

I shall be seeing the doctor Tuesday, and had an MRI. Still waiting on results. If I am told nothing is wrong, what do I do then? Second- is this a normal seizure?

Popping sound could be minor blood vessels blocking or unblocking close to auditory canal. Only a doctor could determine the cause; high blood pressure, low blood pressure, viral infection. Either way, you had a temporary loss of oxygen to a particular brain region, giving you a headache and nausea.

symptomchecker.webmd.com...

a reply to: rickymouse

First, I need to see what, if anything the doctor says. What I SHOULD be hearing is "well, we found (this or that thing)". I'm sure something is wrong- being told I'm just fine means my insurance kicked in.

How did the seizures start? Are you sure you weren't experiencing a low sugar event or a reactive hypoglycemia event? Did you consume some juice or high sugar foods within an hour or two before this happened?

It just... happened. One instant, I'm watching a biker go by, followed by the car, the next- goodbye reality. I had some hot dogs , took metformin, had a soda beforehand. Nothing mind shattering or truly weird, but I knew I had to take my pill soon, or face an upset stomach if I did it with no food in there. Oddly enough, my food intake doesn't seem to affect my blood sugar like it *should*. It goes all over the place, seemingly at random. Talked to the doc about it. I may as well have been reading Jabberwocky to them. :/
I did have to yell before we all got in the car- There was some frustration I wasn't going to put up with. I wonder about my stress handling mechanisms- or the fact they are pretty much gone....

There's no such thing as a normal seizure. If you're having seizures something not normal is happening somewhere.

Definitely follow up on this with a decent neurologist. If it's happened once the chances are it will keep happening.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: wylekat

Did you have any tunnel vision associated with that ? Did you have the impression your vision was dark but you could still hear sound?

Nope- just the car went by one car, and then, did it again. The BEST way I can describe it is the scene from Kung Pow, except it was a whole lot quicker, and not at all as fun:

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: wylekat

Get a thorough look over by your doctor;but don't let them throw drugs at you-see a specialist.

Doctors are not brain surgeons-there are specialists for that. I have had brain scans and so forth, just make sure you get the right referral, I have CAP (a hearing/brain disorder-hard to explain) and I was sent to a speech therapist. A speech therapist for my hearing?

Are you on anti anxiety tablets? they can have that effect.

originally posted by: trollz

originally posted by: wylekat
I was riding in the car, watching a car come towards us, when, like a badly cut film- it suddenly went right past the same 2 cars again

What do you mean here? Are you saying you passed the cars and then time seemed to rewind and you passed them again?
This could be something like deja vu. Some people who have epilectic seizures report having those feelings right before their seizures. If it was strong enough, you may have been convinced you'd already passed the cars.

originally posted by: wylekatis this a normal seizure?

No seizure is "normal", especially when followed by headaches and nausea.

The car went past a certain car, and then, again. Like this www.youtube.com...
Except it was a whole lot faster, like maybe a second's worth. It was accompanied by what I can only describe as mental hell.