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Deja Vu episodes in huge clusters once a month

Sun, 06/09/2019 - 10:26
Hi all. This started a few years ago. I've still done no testing or gotten a diagnosis, but plan too soon. This has mostly been due to financial issues. Once a month, for a period of 2~4 days that usually is somewhere around my period (sometimes before, sometimes after, occasionally both), I have up to 20 of these deja vu 'episodes' in a single day. I have zero episodes outside of this "menstration cluster" as I've come to call it. The episodes are extremely uncomfortable and nothing like the 'normal' deja vu that all people experience now and then. The episodes last anywhere from 5 seconds (mild) to 30 seconds (intense) and I have NO loss of consciousness/awareness. It is such a sickeningly uncomfortable feeling of having encountered that EXACT situation/moment before. At the time of the episode I can usually identify a trigger, but this trigger is usually random and nonsensical. After some time has passed I can no longer remember the trigger. The episodes are accompanied by a hot flash (I can go from feeling kind of chilly to sweating in a matter of seconds). Occasionally, they are also accompanied by nausea/fear/anxiety. If I'm having a ton of them, I start to develop a headache after a while. Sometimes they wake me up at night while I'm sleeping. Sometimes they occur every 30 minutes, every hour, etc. Some months, I don't have quite as many and they subside after just a day or 2, while other months, like these past few days, I have somewhere in the range of 50~60 episodes in the span of 4 long days. They seem to clearly be linked to my period somehow, since I have zero episodes and no neurological symptoms whatsoever at other points of my cycle. The episodes do not however occur at an extremely consistent/specific time each month, but rather just vaguely/randomly any time before or after my period (within a 10 day window). I feel pessimistic about testing since they occur one time and one time only, I feel like it'll be hard to catch on any test. Has anyone else experienced this? I just feel so alone. I've googled so much, but can't find anyone else with this issue. I only find others with deja vu episodes/seizures that occur max 5 times a day. My case seems extreme, which makes me worry that it's not epilepsy but something much more serious. Like I said, I'm going to a neuro soon.

Comments

Hi Kassjd, Thanks for posting

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2019-06-10 - 09:57
Hi Kassjd, Thanks for posting.  It's important that you to follow-up with your healthcare team to express your concerns and further discuss these episodes you describe. https://www.epilepsy.com/sites/core/files/atoms/files/pg2L_HealthCareVisits_09-2018.pdf Please visit,  https://www.epilepsy.com/sites/core/files/atoms/files/discussion_checklist.pdf  ,for additional information and questions to review with your doctor.   Learn more about epilepsy & women here,   https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/women/young-women/menstruation  &    https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/womenFor additional information on seizures and diagnosing epilepsy please visit, https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/about-epilepsy-basics/what-seizure  & https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/diagnosing-epilepsy For help finding a doctor specializing in epilepsy please visit,  www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/find-epilepsy-specialist  , or by visiting the National Association of Epilepsy Centers at,  www.naec-epilepsy.org  &  https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/find-epilepsy-specialist/find-epilepsy-center   For additional questions, please email, contactus@efa.org , or call our 24/7 Helpline at,1-800-332-1000, where a trained information specialist can assist in connecting you to resources, provide referrals and additional support.  https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/247-helpline

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