Mental Health Seizures?

[llama112]

Does anyone have experience with seizures?

I'm 24 and just learned that I've been having partial seizures and absent seizures for my whole life (primarily absent ones that I can remember but partial as well). I found out because one day I had an absent seizure when I was with my partner. I just blanked out for about 10 seconds mid-walk (we were taking a walk). I mentioned it and he got quite concerned. He has a close friend who has epilepsy and he knows a lot about it.

I was looking up symptoms and it's basically exactly what I get. It's very mild - not huge seizures, not all the time. I probably get absent seizures 1-2 times per week. I do remember getting them when I was young and just thought it was normal. I don't know about the partial seizures. Two times lately, I've had them. I start smelling a strong onion smell and even if I leave the area (one was at my work place and one was at a bus station), I walk really far and it's still there. I also get nauseous and I get a headache and then just feel "weird" after.

Of course since I'm on BL, perhaps drug usage may make it more frequent however I have never had one of these while on substances. And I've had them long before I touched drugs.

On top of this, I have anxiety, OCD, and insomnia (diagnosed) and undiagnosed ADD (the way my mind works, it has to be that... I legally medicate myself to help focus at work). I feel like I have a gazillion issues yet I live a fairly normal life (work a 9-5 job, have an amazing partner, dress normally, have pets, etc.) so you'd look at me and think everything is okay. But it seems like there is just too much happening in my brain! It doesn't some thinking and working and ugh.

I don't have a family doctor. I went to a walk-in clinic and they are sending me for an MRI (just waiting for the appointment). Then hopefully a neurologist.

I'm nervous about it all. I mean, I've just learned about it over the past few weeks and I'm realizing how obvious it was before (if I had just known about seizures). And I'm worried that it could get worse because it happens more frequently now than it did when I was younger (maybe once a month when I was younger and once a week now).

I also haven't told anyone except my partner obviously who knows about it and my mom because I asked her about family history (no family history about seizures).

I'm not sure exactly what I'm asking. More if anyone has experience about it. Information about it. Advice for me? Anything.

 

[herbavore]

Is this the same thing as "stress seizures"? My sister-in-law experienced those and they were quite scary.

 

[llama112]

Is this the same thing as "stress seizures"? My sister-in-law experienced those and they were quite scary.

Whoa maybe! This is the first I've heard of stress seizures. I am looking into that right now. It could be...... the ones that I vividly remember are all in extra stressful times. Although I tend to bring stress on myself very easily so like 50% of my life is stressful but that's my doing... the most recent one was when I was preparing for a team meeting at work, starting a new class, and writing an exam the next day, all typical things that get me stressed. I'm doing more research, thanks!!

 

[Kittycat5]

You have quite a few symptoms of multiple seizure types. Absence seizures generally are seen in children although Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy often starts off as absence and progresses years later to myoclonic seizures. Stress and lack of sleep often aggravate this type as well.

Do you remember when this started and can you describe any other symptoms? The smelling onions is worrisome as olfactory auras are less common and can be seen to other, more frightening conditions.

Of course you need to see that neurologist as an EEG needs to be done. Treatment is very good these days, just have to nail down what type you have.

 

[MUSHET]

Yeah, when I was a child I suffered from 'Petit Mal' - I have grown out of it and was on medication, but I can't remember what it was as I was only 12 when they stopped.

I used to call them my 'funny dreams', I'd be doing something or in a conversation and just blank out for seconds. My folks noticed it and I knew when I had one, so ended up going for an EEG scan.

Funnily enough, I have anxiety now, I get migraines too which is apparently rare for a bloke, sometimes I have really super intense de ja vu that leaves me feeling sick and drained - I think all these things might be connected to it; however, I have nothing to really base this theory on, maybe I'm just a basket case.

Just to add, this was back in the 80s, so as Kittycat5 says, treatment will be even better now.

 

[Kittycat5]

Oddly enough, they still use the same medicines for absence seizures you probably had for first line treatment (ethosuximide, brand name Zarontin and valproic acid, brand name Depakene).

 

[llama112]

I wish I had better memory of the absent seizures when I was younger. I just know they happened. I know I've had them for a while as I thought it was normal. Sometimes it happens and I don't really notice it happening. I go back to normal almost instantly. I mostly notice it on the bus as I blank out and then I'm back to normal and I'm in a slightly different spot on the bus route. It's hard to explain it but that's where I notice it the most.

I'm unsure about the onion smelling though. I've been taking note every time I smell it now and it doesn't happen often. But it's also hard to tell when that has happened before too.

Lately I've been confused at when I think I might be having a panic attack vs potential absent or partial seizure. It feels a bit similar. And then anxiety makes it worse and it almost always ends up as a panic attack.

What are the EEG scans like?
@MUSHET - it has to all be related. Anxiety, migraines, de ja vu, seizures... it can't all be individual instances. Obviously it's possible to have any of these things by themselves but if you have multiple, it has to be because of something in your brain.
I'm kind of wondering if / hoping that seizure meds could help anxiety. The two that Kittycat mentioned are the ones I've seen online. I don't know if it could help but you never know.