Aa
is it epilepsy?
I just lose consciousness when I have an epileptic attack. Sometimes my head feels cloudy or my tongue feel numb before I pass out. Usually I regain consciousness when I hit the ground. If I try to get up, sometimes I will pass out again. This attack often happens if I have a fever or I sleep little. Is it possible for me having a ‘vasovagle’ attack instead of an epileptic attack?There was a mild epileptic disturbance in only one of my EGG. Is it possible for a healthy person to have an abnormal EEG?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.
Without the ability to obtain a history from you and examine you, I can not comment on the exact cause of your symptoms. However, I will try to provide you with some information regarding this matter.
The episodes you describe could in general be termed drop attacks. As you mention, the episodes you describe could be seizures or syncope (fainting), of which there are many causes including vasovagal but also abnormalities of cardiac rhythm (arrhythmias) and other causes such as vertebrobasilar insufficiency, basically when certain parts of your brain do not receive enough blood because of narrowing of the arteries in the brain, autonomic dysfunction (abnormalities of heart rate and blood pressure due to a problem with the nerves that make up the autonomic nervous system) and many other causes etc.
The fact that your episodes recur after you stand up may suggest that these are not epileptic. To confirm for sure whether or not your attacks are epileptic, an EEG would need to be done during an actual attack. EEGs can show abnormalities in people without epilepsy, and people with epilepsy can also have normal EEGs. Seizures can be precipitated by lack of sleep and fever as you mention above, or these triggers may be coincidental.
Your episodes definitely need further work-up that could potentially include (depending ony prolonged video-EEG to try to capture an attack, an ECG, a holter monitor (which monitors the heart rhythm over several hours), an echocardiogram of your heart, and depending on your symptoms possibly imaging of the vessels to the brain.
I recommend you follow-up with both your neurologist and a cardiologist to ensure that the exact nature of these episodes are determined.
Thank you for using the forum, I hope you fine the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Without the ability to obtain a history from you and examine you, I can not comment on the exact cause of your symptoms. However, I will try to provide you with some information regarding this matter.
The episodes you describe could in general be termed drop attacks. As you mention, the episodes you describe could be seizures or syncope (fainting), of which there are many causes including vasovagal but also abnormalities of cardiac rhythm (arrhythmias) and other causes such as vertebrobasilar insufficiency, basically when certain parts of your brain do not receive enough blood because of narrowing of the arteries in the brain, autonomic dysfunction (abnormalities of heart rate and blood pressure due to a problem with the nerves that make up the autonomic nervous system) and many other causes etc.
The fact that your episodes recur after you stand up may suggest that these are not epileptic. To confirm for sure whether or not your attacks are epileptic, an EEG would need to be done during an actual attack. EEGs can show abnormalities in people without epilepsy, and people with epilepsy can also have normal EEGs. Seizures can be precipitated by lack of sleep and fever as you mention above, or these triggers may be coincidental.
Your episodes definitely need further work-up that could potentially include (depending ony prolonged video-EEG to try to capture an attack, an ECG, a holter monitor (which monitors the heart rhythm over several hours), an echocardiogram of your heart, and depending on your symptoms possibly imaging of the vessels to the brain.
I recommend you follow-up with both your neurologist and a cardiologist to ensure that the exact nature of these episodes are determined.
Thank you for using the forum, I hope you fine the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Thank you very much for answering my question as it takes a long time to see a public specialist and costs a lot to see a private specialist in my home country. Due to overwheling workload, my public neurologist doesn't have much time to answer my questions, so I really appricate your advices.
By the way, when my EEG was abnormal, I was conscious and I felt that my head was much larger than what it should be. Was that an epileptic attack? Occasionally my pupils will dilate for a while after the drop attack, why does that happen? My echocardiogram shows that I have a mitral valve prolapse without regurgitation. My private cardiologist has ruled out arrhythmias and I don’t see him anymore. My public neurologist had arranged most of the tests you suggested except tests for vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Since I had a mild epileptic disturbance in my EEG , he prescribed antiepileptic drugs and stopped further investigation. The antiepileptic drugs seem to help except when I have a fever or sleep depreciation.
If the drop attack is vasovagal, is there anything I can do besides lying down as it is quite embarrassing to do that in public. Can eliciting pain help? Occasionally it helps for me and if I don’t lose consciousness, my heart will palpitate for a few minutes afterwards. Is that vasovagal attack or vertebrobasilar insufficiency? If I have vertebrobasilar insufficiency, is there any way to prevent drop attack? Sometimes my tongue feels numb for a few minutes, why is that? Somtimes I experience double vision which can last for a few minutes to half an hour, why is that?
Thank you for your time and kindness
By the way, when my EEG was abnormal, I was conscious and I felt that my head was much larger than what it should be. Was that an epileptic attack? Occasionally my pupils will dilate for a while after the drop attack, why does that happen? My echocardiogram shows that I have a mitral valve prolapse without regurgitation. My private cardiologist has ruled out arrhythmias and I don’t see him anymore. My public neurologist had arranged most of the tests you suggested except tests for vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Since I had a mild epileptic disturbance in my EEG , he prescribed antiepileptic drugs and stopped further investigation. The antiepileptic drugs seem to help except when I have a fever or sleep depreciation.
If the drop attack is vasovagal, is there anything I can do besides lying down as it is quite embarrassing to do that in public. Can eliciting pain help? Occasionally it helps for me and if I don’t lose consciousness, my heart will palpitate for a few minutes afterwards. Is that vasovagal attack or vertebrobasilar insufficiency? If I have vertebrobasilar insufficiency, is there any way to prevent drop attack? Sometimes my tongue feels numb for a few minutes, why is that? Somtimes I experience double vision which can last for a few minutes to half an hour, why is that?
Thank you for your time and kindness
You are reading content posted in the Neurology Forum
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
