Are these seizures? Please help, undiagnosed.

[Ali242]

Hi everyone,

So I am a 35 year old female from Ontario with some concerning questions. Some history - when I was maybe 10 years old, I had my first episode of whatever this 'thing' was. I was in the gym jump rope skipping with some friends, when in mid conversation, just snapped into a dream like state. This was a terrifying experience and I can remember just feeling like there was a black haze around me and I could hear what was going on around me, but was either unable or too terrified to respond. I could see as well, but it seemed like everything was in slow motion. Over the years, this happened again several times, my main triggers were if I did not sleep well, or if I was in a crowd, such as a fair. I had a massive episode happen in grade 9, where I thought I was upstairs at school but was actually downstairs, and that somehow triggered the event which I thought I was completely in a dream, and was terrified when I realized that I wasn't. Just so strange. I never told a doctor about this until two years ago, as I thought they were panic attacks.

So two years ago, I went to see a neurologist about dizziness and neck pain - I am a registered nurse so I figured it was work related. And I just casually mentioned these episodes that I had experienced as a child...he said nonchalantly 'oh yeah simple partial seizures'. But literally did not say anything else about it. I didn't really ask questions about it, because I had not experienced it in so long. He did an MRI which came back negative, except for a 4mm choroid plexus cyst in lateral ventricle trigone area of lateral horn, which he said was probably a choroid plexus cyst and to forget about it. He sent me on my way as I am normal and goodbye. I did have a repeat MRI in 2015 which was also the same.

So this past week, I hit my head in the shower - hard, but not too hard - I did not lose consciousness, and the next day, I was walking around a busy Toronto street that I did not recognize, and I had another one of these episodes - the first one in years - where I just snapped into this dreamlike state. I usually have to pinch myself because I feel so light and airy, like I am not real. I should also mention that I tend to have dreams that come true, and sometimes feel that I am psychic. So naturally I am terrified and trying to determine if maybe I have had epilepsy my whole life??? Could this neurologist have missed something? Is it a tumor? Did hitting my head do anything?? Please any insight would be so helpful - nobody understands me ever so it is so nice to have all of you!

[Coryhohn17]

I'm not a doctor so I have advice for you. But your symptoms sound so familiar to me. When I was in school I had hit my head with an ROTC rifle and had a concussion. However ever since I've had these weird shaking movements in my eyes. They last anywhere from 10 to 45 seconds, and I feel like I'm floating in a black Haze where I can feel pain oh, but I feel like I'm not there. It was usually worse in the morning and now it can happen at any point during the day. I have been referred to go see a neurologist and to have an MRI done. But I've never met anybody else who has explained that feeling.