[OliversTwisted94]

So, yesterday morning, I had an EEG done.
Since the end of August, I have been having these... I don't know what to call them.... episodes, several times a week- during which I "check-out" per say- and a few things happen along with it. First off, my senses- which are usually eerily keen- become so dull that I can't keep up with conversation or anything. Secondly, I have a really hard time talking; it's like my thoughts are a little slow, but I still know what I want to say.... but I can only spit out very simple answers to questions I can write answers out that are a little more complex, but not by much. I guess during these times, I do talk a little when they first set in; at one point, I know my mom asked me to repeat something I said just moments earlier, but for the life of me, I couldn't recall what I said.... and that was the last thing I really remember.... I know I was kind of fading in-and-out, but not losing consciousness. I stay this was for around four or five hours. My mom said she notices my eyes fixed to right, either wide-open and unblinking; or blinking very rapidly. I just remember some feelings.... I know that I was, like, really lost and disoriented- which I know scared me or made me anxious or something. Mom said that the look on my face was really strange sometimes. Like I said, this has been happening a few times a week since the end of August; the first being on August 31, the next being on labor day, and after that, they started happening so frequently, that I lost track.
So, I went to see a neurologist after my therapist expressed concern that they may be seizures (she says they sound like seizures, and she has a seizure issue, so she kinda knew about them). Anyway, the Neurologist ordered an EEG, to check my brain waves and make sure it's not epilepsy. Anyone that has had an EEG, knows that they make sure you're very sleep deprived, and towards the end of the test, they flash a strobe light in front of your eyes. I was done with the EEG at 10:30 am.
WELL, after my test was done, I felt kinda spacey for a few hours. I went home right away, but had to stay awake for an in-home counseling session, from 1:30-2:45 pm. Still feeling kinda spacey after the session, I thought maybe I just needed to eat something and/or get some sleep. So, I ate lunch, and then I fell asleep at around 3:00 pm, and slept until almost seven. I woke up, because my mom called me for dinner. I ate supper, and all was fine..... until about 8:00 pm. That is when THE MOST HORRENDOUS headache of my life hit. It really came outta nowhere, and it felt like someone took a pick-axe from INSIDE my head, and was driving it outward..... just..... OUCH!!! So, I spend the next three hours in bed, with a cold pack around my head and neck. I feel a little better, and take my evening meds; after which I felt pretty OK. I thought, "oh what a relief.... I thought I was having a migraine or something (which I've never had before, so I wasn't sure)".
But then, this morning (okay, afternoon ) I got up, and it was like BAM!!! The horrible headache from hell was back. So I just really took it easy.... I was starting to get used to the pain, but then at around 7:00 pm tonight, I got one of those weird episodes. I was in the middle of nothing really; I had just sat down on the edge of my bed, and was calling my mom- she's at work- to ask her when she would be home. In the middle of the phone ringing, that feeling- the "episode"- hit me really hard. I almost forgot what I was doing until my mom picked up. So, I just asked her when she would be done, we made small talk- but I CANNOT recall nearly anything I said, except telling her I was feeling "spacey".

So now I am dealing with the headache from hell, and this in-and-out "spacey feeling" episode. As I am writing, I keep taking really long pauses... I know, because I started writing this at eight... then, next time I "came to", it was 8:13; and then 8:28; and then 8:39, and so fourth. (I don't know how accurate the timing and spacing is, so sorry if it doesn't make sense to anyone )

Any advice- ANY AT ALL- would be helpful, because I won't hear back from my neurologist until AT LEAST Monday; if not later. I don't know if I should be seeking help or what... I tried taking some Valium, which is a regular evening med for me (I started it because earlier in the year- around late March/early April- I was having these strange tics/body jerking movements. My pdoc said they were probably "tension tics" or "stress related tics" of some kind, and stuck me on some Valium (5 mg at night). That seemed to help my tics go away; and then I remember reading somewhere that Valium is sometimes used to help seizure patients. I don't know if these are seizures at all, but I know that I need some actual advice, not just "oh, wait for the test to come back" or comments like "oh, those don't sound like regular seizures". Don't these doctors (pdoc, neurologist and GP) know that these episodes are greatly disrupting my daily life and causing me trouble... and are even potentially dangerous, if I fell or "spaced out" while doing something??? Again, ANY HELP AT ALL would be nice.

(additional info- now my vision is going blurry and my heart is thumping/ racing. But I don't know if the latter is just nervousness or something..... can't tell)

[tigerlily84]

I've never had an EEG so I don't know what the side effects may be. These symptoms are alarming though. Go to urgent care. You have insurance, that's what it's for. Walk in and get seen.

It could be partial-complex seizures. (I have a mild form of epilepsy and am familiar with its symptoms.) Ticks / body jerking are a sign of epilepsy, as is feeling weak after a strobe test. You should also have a head scan for a possible tumor or aneurysm.

Call your neurologist today; don't wait until Monday. Let them know what is going on.

[OliversTwisted94]

Oi, I wish I could call the neurologist; at least he's an expert in this field. But it's already so late in the day.... I think his office closes at 6:00 pm.

But I might just end up calling the hospital where I had this done, and asking them if I need to come in to be checked on. They may have heard of this happening before. Either way, a (basically) two-day long headache and another episode *is* a decent reason to call. Although I'm happy to say that with turning the lights and TV off, and lying down with my CPAP machine on (I have sleep apnea, so I can't breath well when I lay down; and the CPAP machine helps me breathe) seemed to have helped "bring me back" from the "episode", the killer headache still is lingering.
(But at least the other good news is, I think that the blurry vision and fast heartbeat were just anxiety/panic more than anything else.)

Thanks for your advice, you guys

[-jimi-]

I think a brain scan is in order to rule out a more urgent thing.

As for the tics they are not tics. I know there is a lot of confusion, but if they are so involuntary they just come, like hiccups do, it is a jerk, and maybe a myoclonic jerk.

If they cannot find anything after doing the most urgent tests, you might have the effects of a lingering infection. I had both spacing out (not as bad as yours) and myoclonus for a year after strep throat.

[Anika.]

After reading your first post the first thing I thought was you shoukd be seen imeadiatly to rule out an aneurysm. My suffered through two. It's pretty serious stuff. The one thing that they will always say about brain aneurysms is this " worst headache in your life", which is what you had said. It isnt something that should be put off at all. Not trying to scare you but my dadbput it off the first time, and nearly died as it ruptered that night. He is lucky he lived at all since that was 1984, and tretment wasnt good.

I had my own scare with what they thought was two separate aneurysms. A cat scan cannot detect a brain aneurysm very well unless it has ruptured usually. It can pick up on some abnormalities. A cerebral angiogram gives them a much closer look. This is what I had done after a cat scan showed some issues with the arteries.

I would get this checked asap. Better to be safe than sorry. I realize you have other issues going on health wise as well. Just want you to be safe!

Originally Posted by wiltedrose2394

Oi, I wish I could call the neurologist; at least he's an expert in this field. But it's already so late in the day.... I think his office closes at 6:00 pm.

But I might just end up calling the hospital where I had this done, and asking them if I need to come in to be checked on. They may have heard of this happening before. Either way, a (basically) two-day long headache and another episode *is* a decent reason to call. Although I'm happy to say that with turning the lights and TV off, and lying down with my CPAP machine on (I have sleep apnea, so I can't breath well when I lay down; and the CPAP machine helps me breathe) seemed to have helped "bring me back" from the "episode", the killer headache still is lingering.
(But at least the other good news is, I think that the blurry vision and fast heartbeat were just anxiety/panic more than anything else.)

Thanks for your advice, you guys

MDs have 24/7 answering services. It's part of their job to reply to patient emergencies. Aneurysms are VERY serious. Seizures are VERY serious as they can cause brain damage. Call your MD asap or go to a hospital emergency room immediately.

[Fresia]

(((((((Wiltedrose2394))))))))))))
How are you doing now? Were you able to get a hold of someone or go in to the ER?
I hope you are doing ok, please let us know if you have a chance.

[OliversTwisted94]

I haven't gotten in touch with anyone yet. This is in part because- after a brief nap and a dose of Valium night- the "episode" thingy went away. The headache hung around until about two in the morning, and then I fell asleep.
I woke up today feeling pretty good; my mom took this as a sign that I was doing better, and so we went to this Halloween festival. I was doing okay there; we got there at around five, looked around a lot..... and then we went and got in line for a "haunting tram ride". We got in line at around six, and then I started to go into another episode thingy...... and OMG, this one is BAD. It may be the worst I've ever had!!! So, we left for home at around seven, and after about 20 minutes in the car, the killer headache came back. We got home about 30 minutes ago (about 9:00 pm); and then, I took a dose of Valium, which seemed to have helped last night a little bit. So, we're giving it until 10:00 pm to take affect. It seems to have gotten a little better; my mind is a little more clear (well, clear enough to type this anyway). But it's still really difficult to talk out loud, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna call- even if I DO feel more "grounded". For me to have two episodes in a one-week span isn't unusual; but to have two in a two DAY span..... that is just weird and I know something is wrong.

But like I said, it is still hard for me to talk and understand conversation is VERY difficult.... and my head is still killing me. The problem lies in the fact that my mom doesn't like to go to the doctor or anything, until she is, like, DYING. (Seriously, she walked around for THREE WEEKS with a spiral fracture in her foot before she sought out medical attention because she couldn't walk anymore!) UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, this reflects on her getting me help; she says "oh, we can call the doctor, but they're going to want to talk to you." And, it's like "WELL DUH!!! I CAN"T really talk right now!!!" I even wrote out a VERY, VERY detailed list for her to pass on to the nurses, and she still acts like it's "not gonna work" if I don't talk to the nurses/doctors directly. So, explaining this is gonna be fun. But she's just gonna to get over this and help me this time

I'll be sure to let you guys know what the Nurses and/or doctor says. Wish me luck.

[OliversTwisted94]

Well, so much for the neurologist being there to help
I called the ER. They said that they could transfer me to the neurology department, who would in turn page my doctor, who just happened to be on-call tonight. They transfer us to neurology; the neurology nurses tell us that "they don't do it that way anymore", and that we would have to go through the clinic. They gave us the number, and instructed us to call the 24-hour line for the clinic where my doctor works. We do that, and they told us that they would send my doctor the page. Yeah...... that was about two and a half hours ago. Either my doctor is really busy, or he completely forgot us.
Ironically, though.... the headache is really not all that bad now. Watch though.... he'll call my mom's number after she finally gets to sleep. (lol)

Please call your neurologist again. I had a neighbor who was under 30 and was in great physical condition. He started having very bad headaches. A neighbor took him to the emergency room one day it was so bad. He was waiting to see an MD and just fell flat on his face and died when an aneurysm he had burst. Aside from the really bad headache, there was no warning. Please call your neurologist again. I am shocked the hospital did not do an x-ray to determine if you have an aneurysm.

[tigerlily84]

I'm also shocked the the hospital didn't do an x-ray. That's the least that they could do! Have you heard back from your doctor yet?

[shezbut]

Wiltedrose,

Usually, before doing an EEG, doctors do a CT scan and/or an MRI, to make sure that there isn't a very serious cause of your symptoms before going forward to doing the sleep-deprived EEG.

Your experience does sound like a complex partial seizure to me, at least you are mindful of the common auras anyway. If you aren't losing awareness and ability to communicate in someway after the auras, then that is good that it isn't progressing into a semi-conscious state of mind.

Regardless, more serious causes of seizures are always recommended to be investigated immediately in case you have a blood clot bursting or some other very dangerous cause. In my personal experience with epilepsy, major headaches come with the territory. They do for me anyway.

You're welcome to come check out my chatsite on Psych Central to find more support and information. Links to various sites are on there. It's called Brain Injury and Emotional Disorders. The last page has a few graphics that explain the brain pretty well. Very best wishes to you!!

[OliversTwisted94]

Oi.... well, at least the headache is pretty much gone now. I know that the neurologist has YET to call me back. I actually didn't go into the ER for this; I just called them and asked them if I should be concerned. I should be hearing back from my neurologist by the end of this week- that's how long he told me it would take to get the results back before I even had the EEG done.
As for the MRI, I had one done in November of 2011. I thought it was odd that they didn't do another one, being as that was almost a year ago already.... but they didn't. I can't really do anything but wait and see what the results of the EEG are.