Seizure Disorder

You might be getting migraines. .

It sounds like some of my manifestations of my temporal lobe epilepsy. Your best bet is to go to an Epilepsy Center. Even better would be to find a doctors certified in in both neurology and psychiatry. There usually is at least one at each academic Epilepsy Center. NYU Langone has one.

No joke, I'm having a flashback here: My mother described **very similar** episodes 43 years ago. Weeks later, we found out she had a glioblastoma multiforme which killed her.

Seriously, go to a doctor ASAP.

Agree with R2.

Migraine or temporal lobe seizure

You need to see a neurologist (not a primary care doctor), get an EEG, and probably a MRI of the brain to rule out something more pernicious.

Thank you DL...I will pursue this beyond my PCP. I’ve had the symptoms for so long, and so infrequently, that I’ve just sort of come to expect then ignore. It does seem like something I could find out more about, with the right doctor.

R3...sorry for your experience with your mother. That’s heartbreaking.

Thanks r6. She was a good mother. Dead @ 55.

R2 is right, but you know that. Please let us know the outcome. and R2 Im so sorry about your mom.

OP, I started getting classic migraines with an aura about ten yrs ago. it was so scary. I thought I had a tumor and of course was going to die. Now I get them frequently. The aura starts in what seems to be my left eye, lasts for about 15 mixtures then I either get the headache or it just ends.

I did have a brain scan a few months ago. I was in the ER for other reasons where they were going to do a cat on my lower body. I mentioned I fell and hit my head so they scanned my head, too. All was OK

Déjà vu a couple of times per year is perfectly normal and something every person experiences, healthy or otherwise.

As for those feelings of dread... I had those exact same episodes as well for about a decade after I tried pot for the first time. It was pretty terrifying and thank god it went away eventually. Doubt it's a seizure, it might just be a chemical imbalance. Closer to a panic attack than a seizure.

I'd ignore it if I were you. Only seek out a specialist if it gets worse / happens more often, and starts seriously interfering with your everyday life. Otherwise, you're just wasting everyone's time.

OP your symptoms sound similar to a friend of mine who has a form of epilepsy called "complex partial epilepsy:". When she has a seizure she suddenly becomes very spacey and almost as if she's going into a trance. If she's speaking to someone she suddenly starts stammering and usually she starts smacking her lips a lot. These seizures usually last no more than a minute and then she starts to come back to reality.

R2 here. My diagnosis took several years because the epilepsy got out of control and over time made me so sleep-deprived that I appeared to have dementia. I, too, have been diagnosed with complex partial seizures, but have more manifestations than those you described. I also have sensory episodes, where I smell things that don't exist. Sometimes there are terrifying emotions with the smells. I also have absence seizures. A combination of Lamictal and Trileptal brought my seizures under complete control, with no noticeable side effects, within 4 weeks. I was back at my desk after going out on disability 6 weeks to the day I left. I no longer need medication and do not have any seizures as long as I get adequate sleep. As you explore treatment, you will find that a lot of epileptic specialist have also become sleep specialists. One warning--the academic centers focus on what is considered sexy and cutting-edge, which nowadays are the various surgical interventions, which will not apply to you. Someone with my symptoms was actually on Mystery Diagnosis and diagnosed by the head of the NYU epilepsy center. I don't suggest letting this go, because sometimes untreated epilepsy can spiral into more and more episodes.

Thank you R2/12. What a road you took to diagnosis and treatment!

I've had three episodes (!) in total today alone; I've hardly ever had three in one year before. Based on your first post earlier today, I've identified the accredited epilepsy centers in my state. I'm fortunate to have many to choose from, so that's my next step.

[quote] The aura starts in what seems to be my left eye, lasts for about 15 mixtures ...

Yeah right, it's MIGRAINES you're getting.