Anxiety About Brain Scan

[PandaBear12212]

Hello all, if some of you have read my previous posts, my doctors believe I am experiencing partial complex seizures due to a combo of stress, malnutrition, and sleep deprivation. I know a brain scan would be best to confirm the diagnosis. However I have really bad anxiety about getting a brain scan.

Even though multiple doctors have diagnosed me with PTSD, and I experience all the symptoms of PTSD, I'm scared that for some reason it wont show up during the brain scan (research has found that certain parts of the brain activity is changed in PTSD patients). I guess it comes from a fear of being invalidated. I know it's quite an irrational fear since I have been officially diagnosed and experience all the symptoms (flashbacks, amnesia, panic attacks, hyper arousal, etc.).

I don't know I just had to get it out there.

 

[Pencil]

If the doc referred you for a brain scan, it is not to confirm the ptsd diagnosis, it is to rule out other possible factors and causes for the seizures.

 

[Justmehere]

An EEG is what is done for seizures - it's non-painful electrodes glued to your head. No pain. It will pick up ok what's going on for the docs to read and treat.

If it's an MRI - it will show structure of the brain to rule out rumors that would cause abnormalities on the EEG.

If they are skipping right to the brain scan, sounds like they are taking it quite seriously.

They are both painless but will tell a lot of info. It will help your doctors treat it the best so that hopefully one day maybe the seizures will be under enough control you might be able to drive again (since legally you can't drive with uncontrolled seizures like you have) - and really hope all the testing goes well and that they confirm the seizures are not due to tumors but an easy to treat problem from the EEG.

PTSD can cause a form of dissociative based seizure like activity - and the doctors can tell that apart from other brain electrical abnormalities on an EEG. It's easy to tell there and should help give you piece if mind and encourage the docs to treat your seizures better.

PTSD won't affect the outcome of an MRI or CT scan of the brain.

The only kinds of brain scans that show activity are PET and functional MRI and those are extremely rare and massively expensive and almost never covered by insurance - and the typical EEG test for seizure activity (and that's not a brain scan per say but more like a measuring of electrical activity in the brain and even then PTSD can't mask seizures)

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I agree with @Pencil. Very few facilities actually do brain scans specifically for PTSD, and very few doctors know how to read a brain scan in order to see if the brain has in fact been impacted by PTSD. A scan that shows PTSD would do nothing in terms of your other symptoms. That is, Pencil is correct in that the doctor is looking for other abnormalities in your brain.

 

[Pencil]

An EEG is what is done for seizures ....

Good grief, you are knowledgeable! I'm impressed.

 

[Justmehere]

Good grief, you are knowledgeable! I'm impressed.

I only know because I used to have seizures. But thankfully not anymore!
:oops::)

 

[Pencil]

because I used to have seizures

:( Sorry about that. But even if I had to go through all of that I would not be able to give such a comprehensive overview.

 

[PandaBear12212]

I went to the doctor today and I told him all of my symptoms. He did basic physical neurological tests (like touching your finger to your nose). So that didn't help. He scheduled me an appointment with the psychiatrist for an evaluation to see if the blackouts are because of PTSD (dissociation, he said that people with my kind of abuse can actually forget large blocks of memory, not just related to the abuser) on Monday, otherwise he'll refer me for more neurological tests (actual scans). Ugh I just want to get it all over with I want it to get fixed because it's getting worse.

In other news, I found out I hit my goal weight today, gained the weight that I needed to.

 

[Pencil]

I want it to get fixed

Oh boy, you're going to have to be patient. But the right medication might make a huge difference.

Congratulations on the weight!

 

[Justmehere]

Basic neurologic tests are the first step. They have to do that to begin the diagnostic process. I'm glad the doctor got the ball rolling on getting more evaluation and testing done to see if the blackouts are caused by seizures or PTSD. If it is seizures, there are many medications that can be prescribed. They are not side effect free and can cause a lot of weight issues. If you have a seizure disorder and choose not to take medications, that will almost guarantee you of a lifetime of difficulty like not being able to ever drive, until you have a clear EEG with no abnormalities. If it is PTSD related, then a proper diagnosis of the blackouts being PTSD related can really help the professionals find the right treatment for them to keep the blackout symptoms under control.

Hang in there!

Congrats on reaching your goal weight! That's great! Keep up the good fight to get better!