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I'm new here - Lots of Complex Partials and deja vu several times per week...
Fri, 11/12/2010 - 05:22Topic: My Epilepsy Diary
About Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy & Me
Based on my investigations and studies, I can say with almost 100% certainty that I’m suffering from Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and have been now for around 12 years. I’m on 2000mg of Sodium Valproate and 50mg of Lamotragine perday. I think it’s controlling my gran mal seizures but nothing else.Déjà Vu
Before I go any further with this, I will be mentioning the words “déjà vu” many times throughout this piece and I’ll do my best to try and describe the initial feeling of it that I get...Simple Partial Seizures
I can relate to many aspects & symptoms of simple partial seizure when relative to MTLE. Mainly mnestic linked like:Complex Partial Seizures
Apparently these types of seizures impair consciousness to some extent, meaning altering the persons ability to interact with their surroundings. They usually begin with a simple partial seizure and then basically the simple partial seizure spreads to a larger portion of the temporal lobe. Apparently, signs may include, motionless staring, altered ability to respond, unusual speech or behaviours.Secondary Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures
These seizures are ones which begin in the temporal lobe and then spread to the whole brain. These generally begin with a simple partial or complex partial seizure but then the arms, legs etc stiffen in a flexed or extended position. This is followed by coarse jerking etc.Comments
Lots of Complex Partials and deja vu several times per week...
Submitted by zealot on Sat, 2010-12-04 - 14:22
Jay,
I hope it helps to know you're not alone. I was a "face presentation" baby and was dragged out with foreceps. My head was deformed and I had bright read square markes that took days to fade. That is head trauma number one of which I am aware.
Many more followed. I have been having seizures and migraines for as long as can remember and my first "confirmed" memory is at six months old.
It is know that brain injuries can cause epilepsy. It sounds like you need a med that is good for Temporal Lobe Seizures. Trileptal is a good one. Make sure you get the brand name and take it Q8 hours instead of twice a day. Zibenix or Zebenix or Eslicarbazepine, when it is approved, will probably help. Low dose Keppra XR brand name only might help too.
You sound like me. Poorly defined focii and lots of different seizure types. I am on so much medication people think I'm drunk. I'm on 2000mg Keppra and 3mg Klonopin a day and I am a 45 Kilo female. I'm so weak I can hardly walk. I'm still having nocturnal TCs. I'm having weird SPs and CPs during the day, which I've been staving off with tiny doses of Lorazepam, but I'm running out of it and don't see my doc for two more weeks.
I just don't want to die. I used to be called a genius. Now people call me a crazy drunk and a dimwit. Huh.
Baruch Hashem. Hoshia na.
Devorah Zealot Soodak http://psychout.typepad.com/ the zealot needs help!
I just added this quickie post. It explains the Hebrew that I use before I sign my name.
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Re: Lots of Complex Partials and deja vu per week
Submitted by pgd on Sat, 2010-12-04 - 11:14
jayemzs posted (in part): About Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy & Me - Based on my investigations and studies, I can say with almost 100% certainty that I’m suffering from Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and have been now for around 12 years. I’m on 2000mg of Sodium Valproate and 50mg of Lamotragine perday. I think it’s controlling my gran mal seizures but nothing else. MTLE in many cases presents itself without typical changes of “Mesial Temporal Sclerosis”, this basically means the brain will appear undamaged and won’t show up any abnormalities. As a result, MRI scans etc will often not pick up on this type of epilepsy. This type of epilepsy that doesn’t present changes has also been termed as Paradoxical Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. I have been suffering from this since around age 15 and as I write this am 27 years old, although, it has came much more to prominence since around age 20. This is interesting as generally this type of epilepsy is known to present it itself initially at a later age. The studies around this that I have read may suggest an early event or problem with the brain or head can lead to this type of epilepsy. I may just be being paranoid but at birth I was the result of a 12+ hour labour, use of forceps to the head, came out a funny blue-ish colour and spent a fair while getting oxygen (or something along those lines – To be honest, I can’t really remember. This is just what my mum told me...). --- My general impression is that your line of thinking is correct. My birth was complicated. It was over three days, part of a multiple birth (identical twins), one or more xrays, delivery by forceps. My twin brother is normal; I have ADHD Inattentive, central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), mild dyspraxia, a tad of hemiparesis (weakness, not paralysis) left side of body and a tad of constructional apraxia. There is a new, growing area called sports concussions which is beginning to look at what subtle concussions/repeated sports concussions can do. Some of the sports concussions appear to cause effects days, weeks, months, or years later which are very similar to complex partials and/or aspects of ADHD Inattentive. Recall reading a book about epilepsy called Nerves In Collision by Walter C. Alvarez, M.D. which addresses many of the concepts which you write about. This whole area of Complex Partials/TLE vs ADHD Inattentive is real, but for some reason, not much talked about at all. For my ADHD Inattentive, I did try a number of epilepsy medicines which, for me, did not work. What worked for me surprisingly (not a cure) was the old weak stimulant/alerting agent medicine, coffee - caffeine compounds. Caffeine works for me noticeably better than Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Adderall - known stronger stimulants. Apparently for those with epilepsy, stimulants can lower the seizure threshold but, for ADHD, the same stimulants can work a little, reducing distractibility a little and increasing attention span a little. Best wishes. - pgd