Aa
Could this be some kind of seizure?
Hi all,
Immediate problem: About an hour ago, I started to feel slightly disoriented, suddenly weak, dizzy, and numb-ish, mostly on the left side of my body (most pronounced in my head). I feel vaguely nauseated and can't concentrate as well as usual, along with a strong urge to take a nap. This has happened before on several instances, during or after a couple of which I've fallen unconscious for 2-6 hours at a time and awaken exhausted. I've also had three severe vertigo episodes with nausea, vomiting and tinnitus, and this was subsequently diagnosed as Meniere's disease (but see below for more info). Could this be some kind of atypical seizure? I feel like there's painless pressure on the left side of my neck and head, but I took my BP in both wrists and it's 107/70 and my heart rate is 70, so probably not some kind of stroke incident? I'm male, age 38 as of yesterday.
Background: I have a long recent history of anomalous medical problems with an almost limitless number of symptoms. Throughout my 20s, after having weird incidents that doctors couldn't find any cause for, I came to the conclusion that I must have a mild case of hypochondria. Then the symptoms became too severe to ignore and I ended up back at all kinds of specialists. Long story short, about six years ago doctors thought it was probably MS but none of the tests supported that. Then the symptoms, which ranged from cluster headaches, peripheral neuropathy, a temporarily paralyzed leg, double vision, hearing loss and more, also became arthritic, with significantly inflamed joints and extreme joint pain, and severe fatigue. I also get fasciculations/twitches all over my body at odd locations and random intervals, as well as hand and arm tremors that have caused me to unexpectedly throw my phone, pens, etc., and occasionally to dump over drinks, plates of food, etc. Ultimately, I was re-diagnosed in Feb 2015 with Lyme (originally diagnosed and treated in 1997), as well as bartonella and babesia. After antibiotic treatment, I'm much, much better...but I still have occasional episodes that are usually less severe than what I was having for years.
The supposedly incurable hearing loss from Meniere's disease improved almost totally after about six months on antibiotics for Lyme and I haven't had any further severe vertigo attacks. During the investigations for MS or ALS years ago, I had multiple MRIs of my brain and spine, two EMGs, a year apart, EEGs, visual and auditory evoked potentials, and I've had annual EKGs, including two immediately following vertigo attacks. I started seeing a psychiatrist six years ago in part because after all the neuro exams, one neurologist suggested that all this could be due to anxiety; after many years, my psychiatrist determined that the cause is definitely physiological, and before the Meniere's and Lyme diagnoses, she suspected I might be having mild seizures--but there was no lab-based evidence for this after all the neuro tests.
While there was no evidence of brain or spinal damage, there were a few unusual neuro findings years back: I have abnormally brisk knee-jerk reflexes--4/5+ with clonus is what the neurologist wrote, along with a "concerning" (his term) blurry optic disc margin in my right eye. The neuro-opthalmologist who checked me out for two years said that the optic nerve damage had not changed and so he concluded that it must be congenital. He also noted mild cataracts in both eyes, which he said also are congenital given my age (33/34 at the time).
Final thing: I've "zoned out" for seconds at a time all my life and never thought much of it, but I was told by someone I just met about "absence seizures" that she has, in addition to grand-mal seizures, due to epilepsy. I also frequently had "phantom smells," usually the odor of iron or like some kind of wet metal, throughout my childhood. I have them very rarely nowadays, but I mentioned an incident on Facebook and my father's epileptic cousin said it was an olfactory seizure, which I had never heard of previously.
So much for "long story short." I've come to accept that I'm just a living accumulation of bizarre health problems, but I am curious about whether any of these incidents might fall onto some kind of seizure spectrum. I'm going to have to take a nap now because I feel like my brain is sort of going numb, if that makes any sense. (I realize it probably doesn't.)
Immediate problem: About an hour ago, I started to feel slightly disoriented, suddenly weak, dizzy, and numb-ish, mostly on the left side of my body (most pronounced in my head). I feel vaguely nauseated and can't concentrate as well as usual, along with a strong urge to take a nap. This has happened before on several instances, during or after a couple of which I've fallen unconscious for 2-6 hours at a time and awaken exhausted. I've also had three severe vertigo episodes with nausea, vomiting and tinnitus, and this was subsequently diagnosed as Meniere's disease (but see below for more info). Could this be some kind of atypical seizure? I feel like there's painless pressure on the left side of my neck and head, but I took my BP in both wrists and it's 107/70 and my heart rate is 70, so probably not some kind of stroke incident? I'm male, age 38 as of yesterday.
Background: I have a long recent history of anomalous medical problems with an almost limitless number of symptoms. Throughout my 20s, after having weird incidents that doctors couldn't find any cause for, I came to the conclusion that I must have a mild case of hypochondria. Then the symptoms became too severe to ignore and I ended up back at all kinds of specialists. Long story short, about six years ago doctors thought it was probably MS but none of the tests supported that. Then the symptoms, which ranged from cluster headaches, peripheral neuropathy, a temporarily paralyzed leg, double vision, hearing loss and more, also became arthritic, with significantly inflamed joints and extreme joint pain, and severe fatigue. I also get fasciculations/twitches all over my body at odd locations and random intervals, as well as hand and arm tremors that have caused me to unexpectedly throw my phone, pens, etc., and occasionally to dump over drinks, plates of food, etc. Ultimately, I was re-diagnosed in Feb 2015 with Lyme (originally diagnosed and treated in 1997), as well as bartonella and babesia. After antibiotic treatment, I'm much, much better...but I still have occasional episodes that are usually less severe than what I was having for years.
The supposedly incurable hearing loss from Meniere's disease improved almost totally after about six months on antibiotics for Lyme and I haven't had any further severe vertigo attacks. During the investigations for MS or ALS years ago, I had multiple MRIs of my brain and spine, two EMGs, a year apart, EEGs, visual and auditory evoked potentials, and I've had annual EKGs, including two immediately following vertigo attacks. I started seeing a psychiatrist six years ago in part because after all the neuro exams, one neurologist suggested that all this could be due to anxiety; after many years, my psychiatrist determined that the cause is definitely physiological, and before the Meniere's and Lyme diagnoses, she suspected I might be having mild seizures--but there was no lab-based evidence for this after all the neuro tests.
While there was no evidence of brain or spinal damage, there were a few unusual neuro findings years back: I have abnormally brisk knee-jerk reflexes--4/5+ with clonus is what the neurologist wrote, along with a "concerning" (his term) blurry optic disc margin in my right eye. The neuro-opthalmologist who checked me out for two years said that the optic nerve damage had not changed and so he concluded that it must be congenital. He also noted mild cataracts in both eyes, which he said also are congenital given my age (33/34 at the time).
Final thing: I've "zoned out" for seconds at a time all my life and never thought much of it, but I was told by someone I just met about "absence seizures" that she has, in addition to grand-mal seizures, due to epilepsy. I also frequently had "phantom smells," usually the odor of iron or like some kind of wet metal, throughout my childhood. I have them very rarely nowadays, but I mentioned an incident on Facebook and my father's epileptic cousin said it was an olfactory seizure, which I had never heard of previously.
So much for "long story short." I've come to accept that I'm just a living accumulation of bizarre health problems, but I am curious about whether any of these incidents might fall onto some kind of seizure spectrum. I'm going to have to take a nap now because I feel like my brain is sort of going numb, if that makes any sense. (I realize it probably doesn't.)
Do you notice any physical changes about yourself? Particularly your face, extremities etc? Any muscle wasting etc?
The cataracts and optic disc problems, hearing loss, grip issues (throwing pens etc is usually due to a weak grip or myotonia) are huge red flags. More so the cataracts.
Have you considered mitochondrial disease or neuromuscular diseases? What is your family history like?
The cataracts and optic disc problems, hearing loss, grip issues (throwing pens etc is usually due to a weak grip or myotonia) are huge red flags. More so the cataracts.
Have you considered mitochondrial disease or neuromuscular diseases? What is your family history like?
1 Comments
No, I've never considered a mitochondrial disease...I don't know anything about that and no doctor has ever mentioned anything about it. As far as I can tell, there's no muscle wasting other than obviously having lost muscle from a formerly active workout routine to relative stagnation nowadays.
When I first presented to doctors, from my general practitioner to both neurologists, all of them did the standard neuro exams that included testing for muscle wasting. (I think--they had me pull against and press against their hands with my hands, feet, arms and legs, etc.) That was normal, and I remember at least two saying that was good because it suggested I probably don't have ALS. The EMGs confirmed that my peripheral nerve conduction was normal.
I don't know of any family history of mitochondrial disease. I've never even heard of it before now, to be honest.
When I first presented to doctors, from my general practitioner to both neurologists, all of them did the standard neuro exams that included testing for muscle wasting. (I think--they had me pull against and press against their hands with my hands, feet, arms and legs, etc.) That was normal, and I remember at least two saying that was good because it suggested I probably don't have ALS. The EMGs confirmed that my peripheral nerve conduction was normal.
I don't know of any family history of mitochondrial disease. I've never even heard of it before now, to be honest.
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