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déjà vu with smell, epilepsy or not?

Tue, 10/06/2015 - 22:16

Please let me know your thoughts.....My husband has been having déjà vu and during these episode he smells something, but can't put his finger on what. 2 weeks ago he had what looks to be an unprovoked but definitely a tonic clonic seizure. My research on this site and others would lead me to believe he has TLE.

His MRI, CT, and EEG were all normal (which appears to be common even for those with epilepsy) my concern comes from our nurologist, who has ordered a 48hr ambulatory EEG and told us that if it comes back normal, she will take him off Keppra the medication he is on. My fear is that it appears to me that he definitely has some sort of epilepsy, just based on the "auras",short term memory loss & now tonic clonic seizure. I'm afraid if she takes him off, we will just be waiting for him to have another.

Any thoughts??? Could he have these déjà vu episodes with a smell. Have them twice the day he had the tonic clonic, and NOT have epilepsy? Is this even possible?     Thank you, for any response.

 

 

Comments

I had 20-25 different EEG's

Submitted by just_joe on Wed, 2015-10-07 - 15:24
I had 20-25 different EEG's all came back normal. A ambulatory EEG is longer and will capture the electrical impulses during his sleep. The only EEG;s that showed my impulses is one in which I fell asleep in. So that EEG might pick up what the neurologist wants. The deja vu many people think are warning of stronger seizures. Well they are to some but they are also seizures in themselves. You posted he had what looked like a tonic clonic. With the deja vu and now having a tonic clonic the neurologist does not need to stop the medications.Could he have these déjà vu episodes with a smell <<<<Yes. Some people smell things others see things. Each persons seizure is different. Just like each person is different.Have y0u ever thought he was day dreaming? If you have those too might be seizures.Absence seizures look like the person is in a daydream. As do some focal seizures. Been there done that.The longer he doesn't have treatment the faster the seizures will come. They will also be stronger.Just so you'll know the neurologist is trying to find out where the electrical impulses that start the seizure are coming from. The EEG shows that.  I had what was an MRI done and it looked normal. I had gone thru a battery of tests during the week in the hospital. The last test was the EEG I fell asleep in. In it they found abnormalities. Knowing where they came from the neurologists then went back to the MRI and looked closer in that area. BINGO they found something. That something was scared brain tissue. The scar tissue is what causes the electrical impulses to go off wrong.As for keppra. I has become the go to medication for seizure control.  It not only reduced the number of seizures I was having. It also shortened the time in them. If he takes meds 2 times a dauntless the neurologists says differently those times need to be 12 hours apart.If you can and have seen him in his seizures or seen him look like he is daydreaming then go to a visit with him and that way you can talk to the neurologist and ask questions. The more questions you ask the better you will understand what is happening. He is your husband so the neurologist shouldn't keep you from going in. He may ask your husband but your husband shouldn't stop you.Joe

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