Is my uncle having seizures

[tnmom30]

My uncle is having spells were he goes into a blank stare and can not respond to you for 1 to 2 minutes at a time.  If he is standing he might suddenly fall when this happens.  He usually feels weak, confused and nausea afterwards.  He head usually draws to one side.  He is fully aware of everything that went on and what you said to him while these spells happen.  He has a history of mild type 2 diabetes that is controled by diet.  He had one doctor tell him he was having seizures and put him on meds.  the doctor had to leave town for a few weeks and the meds didn't agree with my uncle so he changed doctors.  That doctor told him that you always loose time with siezures  but i have read other wise.  I have not acctually read any of his many test results from the first or the second doctor.  I do know he had a negative tilt table test.  He also has some messed up disc in his neck.  So you think he is having siezures like the first doctor said and if so what kind?

[tnmom30]

Thank you for the response.  He has been to 2 neurologist.  When this first started happening he ended up going to the emergency room.  He spent 3 or 4 days in the hospital and was assigned a neuro doctor.  He had that I know of a catscan with no tumors seen.  He had a brain MRI, an EEG, and a special heart monitor hooked up that recorded everything his heart did.  When all was said and done they told him he was having seizures sent him home on a seizure medication and made him an appointment at the  office.  The doctor went out of town for several weeks and after starting the meds my uncle started having trouble with his hands being cold and the skin peeling bad.  The spells continued also.  He decided to make an appointment with another neuro doctor in another town.  This doctor imediately told him after talking with him in the office that you always lose time(consciousness) with seizures.  He ordered to the best of my knowledge a carotid ultrasound to check for blockage in his neck, another brain MRI, a tilt table test, and plain neck films.  He also had my aunt to check his sugar during spells thinking it might be a fast drop in his sugar that then returned to normal has he came out of the spell.  His sugar checked in the normal range and except one time it was low but not extremely.  He told him that he had no blockages, a negative tilt table test and that is neck had some disc problems.  My uncle told him that he bent over in church and had a spell and his neck hurt.  The doctor then jumped on this as the cause and ordered a neck MRI.  After the neck MRI he went to the neuro doctor and carried the neck MRI disc. The neuro doctor then tells him that is neck is stable enough it doesn't need surgery and to take some muscle relaxer he gave him and that he could start back driving and if work would put him on lite duty he could work.  He said that straining his neck was causing the spell.  I have witnessed these spells when my uncle was laying in the bed not moving.  He tried to explain that he did only have spells when he strains himself but it didn't sink in with the doctor.  I presonally think the doctor decided he didn't know what was wrong.  My uncle will not drive because his doesn't want to hurt anyone and there is no lite duty at work.  Now he thinks his neck is the problem so he taking the neck MRI to a neck surgeon for an opinion.  From what I have found on the internet I was thinking that he his possibly having a simple partial seizure of some type.  My problem is that I don't know if the first doctor found something on the tests to acctually indicate seizures or if he just took that course of treatment because the symptoms pointed in that direction and he coundn't find anything else wrong.  I am sorry I am long winded but if my uncle doesn't find out what is wrong soon and treat it correctly he could lose his job.  Any help you can give is appreciated.

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

There is a condition called "absence" seizures (pronounced as absanz) where the person just stares blankly into space.  However, this is more common in children and usually the person does not remember the things that went through during the spell.  I suggest taking your uncle to a neurologist and have an EEG or an MRI done.  This can point out if there is indeed a seizure focus that should be treated.  On a background of diabetes, you may also want to have his sugar checked since high sugar levels may also affect consciousness (though not so much the kind that your uncle is having).

Hope this helps.  Regards.