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Question
Sat, 09/16/2017 - 01:19Topic: My Epilepsy Diary
Hi, my name is diana. I was diagnosed with focal or partial seizure this July. I am 24 years old. I'm new to all this. So my question is, i feel as the medication has worsen my condition before I have taken my meds, is that normal? I am on lamotrigine. And another question, so I am confused with focal seizure and auras. I experience, weakness where my head gets heavy and I have no control, I breathe hard, my hand taps, I cough, and I space out non responsive but aware is that a focal seizure or auras or not related. I am confused. I currently experienced a spell that lasted more than an hour. My body got weak. I was non responsive but aware. I would randomly open my eyes and stare and go back to closing my eyes. At times I had a hard time opening them. Once I could move again not being were and open my eyes with control. The last thing throughout this spell I couldn't talk my mouth was it was shut and heavy couldn't talk but nod my head. Was this a sezuire or not related. As a student that is studying to be a counselor but new to this condition as there is little research. I wonder if it consciously I do it or it is the condition of that makes sense. As if my mind is playing tricks. I am sorry if I offend anyone I new to this and so many questions. And lastly, i noticed I have difficulty put my thoughts or words together is that normal or has nothing to do I am bilingual. I occasional had that problem but it has been reoccurring more. I don't know maybe I am overthinking it. And lastly I promise, on my MRI it showed that I had this condition since birth.
Comments
On your MRI it showed
Submitted by Amy Jo on Sun, 2017-09-17 - 00:09
On your MRI it showed something. You'll want to learn more about what that something is. Lesions on MRI that correlate to a seizure focus are often a reason to get a referral for surgery, so you'll want to understand more and ask helpful questions.MRIs show a lot of incidental but serious sounding things, separating the important from not important is not always a strong point for neurologists. I have more familiarity with my child's issues than the handful of good research neurologists she's seen. I can compare because my child has seen neurosurgery since 2 months old, has had a number of surgeries and the amount of imaging boggles the mind slightly unless I'm talking to other parents of kids with the same condition. What can cause neurology to freeze a parent out can be head scratching for neurosurgery folks but they still share the report and look over the imaging (which is faster than a records request). Imaging is part of the story but it isn't the only important aspect.
lamotrigine takes a long time
Submitted by Amy Jo on Sat, 2017-09-16 - 15:11
lamotrigine takes a long time to get to a therapeutic dose, so it isn't clear it's medication or just seizures getting worse (that happens too). for all your questions, maybe not posting in big paragraphs would make it easier and ask just a few at a time. there is a lot of info about epilepsies online but one must pick up enough framework and vocabulary to make sense of it. start on this site, see under the learn section in the menu above.