Is It Epilepsy? Is Talking a "trigger"????? Posted: 11-03-04 05:51am
Hi, I have recently been diagnosed with
epilepsy and started treatment
(carbamazepine) after numerous tests (mri,
ct etc.) which showed nothing
conclusive.
During my seizures which are about every 2
weeks I do not loose consciousness but am
unable to respond to the people around me.
Just prior to the onset I have the
fleeting sensation of palpitations.
Since starting treatment the seizures
haven't stopped but have changed in so
much as when coming around I sob
uncontrollably for a few minutes.
The thing that concerns me is that these
seizures never occur when I am alone and
appear to be only when I am having a
lengthy converation although not when on
the telephone.
I have mentioned this to my consultant who
didn't even acknowledge that I had said
anything.
Does anyone else have anything like this
or know if talking can be some sort of
"trigger". I have never heard of
anything like this and am begining to feel
I don't have epilepsy but some sort of
psychiatric problem!
Anyone have any ideas please?
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kayakmom
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 252 Location: Conn
Thanks: 2
Thanked:0
Posted: 11-03-04 10:36am
I am so sorry that the doctor ignored this
question!! Have you had an eeg? What did
it show....It is not unusual for some meds
to change the way seizures come, it is
often from trying the wrong meds first.
(if diagnosis is not clear and they med is
the wrong type for the seizure you have.
It can also aggravate another kind that
you have a potential for)
i have not heard that talking is a
trigger, but that does not mean much.
Epilepsy seems so individual that nothing
would surprise me. Since you have doubts,
how about trying a psychologist and seeing
if he feels there is an anxiety or some
other thing that may trigger
something....
I wonder if it just happens when you are
with others in that you may be more
stressed(a trigger), more tired
(another)< dehydrated or hungry....Just
a thought.....
Hang in there. I hope the doctors can
find better answers, will listen to you
and help!
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Ellalouise
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 12 Nov 2004 Posts: 2 Location: Uk
Narcolepsy Posted: 11-12-04 09:10am
I cannot say if you have narcolepsy but
you must be aware that;
talking, laughter, extreem feelings are
triggers for a condition called
narcolepsy.
Collapsing and paralysis are the signature
traits.
It is often misdianosed as epilepsy.
The collapsing in narcolepsy is due to rem
and sleep disorder.
Suffers sleep the same hours but suffer
from sleep attacks where they retain
conciousness but are paralysed for lenths
of time up to an hour.
Other symptoms are;
daytimesleepyness
automatic behaviour(auto pilot)
memory loss
feeling of being sick before falling
slurred speech
blurred eyesight
hallucinations
confusion
it can take up to 14 years for a sufferer
to be diagnosee because of the amount of
doctors that are unaware of the illness.
I hope you can ask your gp about this
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sami_1982
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Dec 2003 Posts: 200 Location: Australia
Hello Portzy Posted: 11-13-04 09:13am
Cabramazapine...Or tegretol... What mg
are you on. I am currently on 800mg of it
thr controled release tablets.
I suffer from alot of different types of
seizures, but the most common are grand
mal, simple complex, partial complex and
some automatisms.
I have more cluster type seizures..I also
take sodium valproate I take 2000mg of
that the extended controlled type.
Portzy... Talking for me has been a
trigger... It is like an automatism
seizure...Its like you forget to breathe,
and you say an entire sentance flat out,
your aware, you just cant stop, you think
that you are talking normal but it comes
out sounding in another language, like you
are talking in tongues or something.
It happens to me quite frequently..Ive now
been taking tegretol for 1 yr.
Hope that helps.
I like you have no known cause for my
epilepsy either.
Anyother questions just ask me ok take
care. Sami
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portzy
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 2 Location: U.K
Is Talking a Trigger? Posted: 11-14-04 08:45am
Hi,
thanks for replies and support.
Sami, it made me feel better to know that
someone else has experienced talking as a
possible trigger.
Saw consultant last week who said it was
"an interesting observation" but of course
unless I stop talking does not change the
management.
At present I am taking tegretol retard
300mg in morning 200mg at night and will
be increasing by 100mg fortnightly until
on 400mg twice a day.
I haven't had a seizure for just over 2
weeks which is longest yet so hopefully
this is going in the right direction.
I have now read more on epilepsy and feel
better about things and also understand
these other 'funny sensations' I have been
getting which again the consultant seemed
to ignore.
Thanks again - portzy
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DarkAngel202
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Pittsburgh
Talking a Trigger For Me Too Posted: 02-01-06 01:29am
Hi I am new here. I have had epilepsy for
35 years. I am also add, and have
fibromyalgia and a list of other female
health problems. My mother use to always
tell me when they first learned I was
epileptic that I would start to talk non
stop before a seizure. She always knew I
was about to have one by my conversation.
So I believe it is a trigger also.
I also have a feeling like I am goin to
pass out, sometimes it gets blurry, and I
feel like i'm gonna die. I have a lot of
my seizures in my sleep. For the most
part I have been seizure free for a long
time. I have a few a year compared to
having about 10 to 20 a day for a while
before getting on tegrotol.
I would love to hear what other triggers
are out there.
