Non-Eplieptic Seizures With PTSD?

[pcengland1]

This sounds weird but, I've experienced something that was like a seizure before? I had a really bad episode while I was with my boyfriend and I really can't explain what happened, like, I had a bad flashback and I had really bad dissociation? Has anyone else gone through this? Should I be telling my doctor this?

 

[EveHarrington]

What do you mean by “like a seizure”?

 

[bellbird]

Should I be telling my doctor this?

Yep -- always.

The thing with psychogenic/non-epileptic/pseudo- seizures (if that's what you had), is that they present exactly like epileptic seizures; it's only their cause that is different.

Your GP may want to run some tests to rule out epilepsy as the cause, as epilepsy -can- develop later in life.

Additionally, a lot of psych meds have the potential to cause body jerks/spasms.

Has anyone else gone through this?

Yes. Around the time of my worst trauma anniversary, last year.
I'd wake up from nightmares, and then my body would start to feel very very uncomfortable, and then after that I'd only have snapshot memories of different body parts flailing violently.

Very very distressing and unsettling, so I do understand what you might have experienced.

You said your boyfriend was with you? That's a good thing -- ask him for his recount of the event. The more information you can give your doc about this, the better they'll be able to work out what happened and how to lessen the chance of it happening again.

In my case, I had been steady on all my meds for some time before the seizures happened. And their clustered timing around my trauma anniversary also gave weight to them being psychogenic in nature. I've also since had an EEG, which found no evidence electrical disruptions in my brain that would be indicative of epilepsy, so my psychiatrist and T (clinical psychologist) both feel that they were psychogenic seizures.

So now we know to be prepared that they might happen again around that same trauma anniversary this year. But only because we've been able to rule out other possible causes that would have required very different treatment plans.

All the best :)

 

[Abstract]

Always best to discuss these things. Maybe @shimmerz will pop in with a word if she gets the opportunity. I never had seizures but have collapsed in various ways, done "sleep" episodes where I collapse but in a cataplexy type state etc.

Do you have any other conversion type symptoms?

 

[shimmerz]

Has anyone else gone through this? Should I be telling my doctor this?

Yes, and Yes. Not sure where you are located, but here where I am the doctors didn't believe it to be true, although it was happening to me every day sometimes for days at a time (extreme freeze state) or as things improved, many, many times a day. For me it was catatonia. I was aware what was happening to me (freeze) but could not control my body at all.

Other times I would be terrified of being 'inside' (a house) and run outside, find a small space to curl up in and go catatonic. No idea how I lived through any of it.

There were a few terms that my psychologist at the time threw around. Conversion Disorder, Somatic responses. These are things you may want to look up.

It would be helpful if you were able to give more details. Were you conscious while this was happening? Able to move your body? Making sounds? Shivering? Shaking? Were hurt in the process? Continued flashbacks? How long did it last? Is this the only time it has happened?

My sympathies. Any change in conscious state is terrifying.

Thanks for tagging me @Abstract. I hope you are doing well.

 

[Abstract]

(((( @shimmerz )))) If OK.

 

[pcengland1]

What do you mean by “like a seizure”?

It was like I'd completely frozen.

Yep -- always.

The thing with psychogenic/non-epileptic/pseudo- seizures (if that's what you had), is that they present exactly like epileptic seizures; it's only their cause that is different.

Your GP may want to run some tests to rule out epilepsy as the cause, as epilepsy -can- develop later in life.

Additionally, a lot of psych meds have the potential to cause body jerks/spasms.


Yes. Around the time of my worst trauma anniversary, last year.
I'd wake up from nightmares, and then my body would start to feel very very uncomfortable, and then after that I'd only have snapshot memories of different body parts flailing violently.

Very very distressing and unsettling, so I do understand what you might have experienced.

You said your boyfriend was with you? That's a good thing -- ask him for his recount of the event. The more information you can give your doc about this, the better they'll be able to work out what happened and how to lessen the chance of it happening again.

In my case, I had been steady on all my meds for some time before the seizures happened. And their clustered timing around my trauma anniversary also gave weight to them being psychogenic in nature. I've also since had an EEG, which found no evidence electrical disruptions in my brain that would be indicative of epilepsy, so my psychiatrist and T (clinical psychologist) both feel that they were psychogenic seizures.

So now we know to be prepared that they might happen again around that same trauma anniversary this year. But only because we've been able to rule out other possible causes that would have required very different treatment plans.

All the best :)

Thank you so much for the advice! I'm going to ask him tonight and I'm going to make an appointment with my GP ASAP.

Always best to discuss these things. Maybe @shimmerz will pop in with a word if she gets the opportunity. I never had seizures but have collapsed in various ways, done "sleep" episodes where I collapse but in a cataplexy type state etc.

Do you have any other conversion type symptoms?

I completley freeze, when a flashback comes up, it's like I can't move at all.

Yes, and Yes. Not sure where you are located, but here where I am the doctors didn't believe it to be true, although it was happening to me every day sometimes for days at a time (extreme freeze state) or as things improved, many, many times a day. For me it was catatonia. I was aware what was happening to me (freeze) but could not control my body at all.

Other times I would be terrified of being 'inside' (a house) and run outside, find a small space to curl up in and go catatonic. No idea how I lived through any of it.

There were a few terms that my psychologist at the time threw around. Conversion Disorder, Somatic responses. These are things you may want to look up.

It would be helpful if you were able to give more details. Were you conscious while this was happening? Able to move your body? Making sounds? Shivering? Shaking? Were hurt in the process? Continued flashbacks? How long did it last? Is this the only time it has happened?

My sympathies. Any change in conscious state is terrifying.

Thanks for tagging me @Abstract. I hope you are doing well.

I was totally concious, I was shivering a lot and it's like I'm trying to gasp for breath but can't. The "seizure" lasted for around a minute or so, it's happened quite a few times and it's embarrassing for me too, when I get out of it I feel really achy and exhausted.

 

[EveHarrington]

That’s not exactly “like a seizure”, and nothing like an epileptic seizure. Have you ever seen someone have an actual seizure?

What you describe is more along the lines of freezing in fight/flight/fawn/freeze.

 

[Friday]

1. Should you tell your doctor? Yes. Always. Especially as “freeze” type seizures are often early warning signs of much bigger (clonic or tonic-clonic) seizures coming.

2. If you haven’t seen you’re doctor, why are you calling it a non-epileptic seizure?

3. What you’re describing could easily be an absence seizure (petit mal) or focal aware / focal onset aware seizure (partial seizure, complex partial seizure). Both of which are epileptic seizures, can happen to anyone at any age, and having had a head injury in your trauma history would make you far more likely to develop seizures at some point in your life. Types of Seizures

They both often come with “flashbacks” as pieces of your memory are activated by the electrical impulses of the seizure as if they’re happening at present (reliving), or hallucinations as dream states get activated as you’re awake, or filters stop functioning as they ought to (like on an acid trip, where you’re brain isn’t filtering out all the audio/visual “noise” it usually does).

4. What you’re describing could also easily be disassociation, or disassociation paired with an adrenaline spike or panic attack.

5. AND it could also be one of several other things; from a TIA, to infection, to medication reaction, malnutrition, hormone imbalance, etc. etc. etc. You don’t have to diagnose yourself before seeing your doc. That’s their job to ask questions, run tests, and diagnose.

The only way to know is to see your doctor, do a basic rule out & be referred on to an neurologist / seizure center / epilepsy center.

Call your doc. Make an appointment.

If you’re embarrassed, throw your boyfriend under the bus and blame him for your making an appointment: “My boyfriend is worried that I had a seizure the other night”. ;) It’s true, after all.

 

[Deleted member 48082]

I can really relate to this I have had strange symptoms where I would collapse and thrash around on the ground tell your doctor I haven't found a way to prevent this yet mine often come with flashbacks and sometimes seeing myself being beaten by three people I would also mention I am not on meds so if my symptoms are similar there is a chance it isn't a medication side effect but freezing it seems like a fight or flight response but make an appointment with a professional and find out

 

[gemberie]

I was just reading an article that said most people with developmental trauma have temporal lobe seizures. They are what Friday was talking about above - focal aware seizures located in the temporal lobe. The article is called “Neurofeedback: Changing Patterns in the Traumatized Brain”.

From Wikipedia on temporal lobe epilepsy:
“Focal aware seizures
Focal aware means that the level of consciousness is not altered during the seizure.[2] In temporal lobe epilepsy, a focal seizure usually causes abnormal sensations only.
These may be:

• Sensations such as déjà vu (a feeling of familiarity), jamais vu (a feeling of unfamiliarity)
• Amnesia; or a single memory or set of memories
• A sudden sense of unprovoked fear and anxiety
• Nausea
• Auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, or tactile hallucinations.
• Visual distortions such as macropsia and micropsia
• Dissociation or derealisation
• Synesthesia (stimulation of one sense experienced in a second sense) may transpire.
• Dysphoric or euphoric feelings, fear, anger, and other emotions may also occur. Often, the patient cannot describe the sensations.