Posted by niss on May 18, 2001, at 21:36:26
In reply to Temporal Lobe Epilepsy-anyone out there?, posted by Mitch on May 18, 2001, at 11:46:40
I just finished reading an excellent book called "Healing ADD". It describes the 6 types of ADD, Temporal Lobe included. It goes into great detail and actually shows brain imaging for the differnt types of ADD. Additionally,it discusses epilepsy in that area. It actually discusses, again in great detail, the proper medications for each area. Anticonvulsants appear to be the most effective for the temporal lobe area. I looked into the brain imaging and found that it costs $1000 for each image and you pay first and then submit to your insurance. Although, often it is not needed. It also discusses head injuries and ADD or problems that result from these injuries.
I purchased the book off of amazon.com. Really good!
You may be able to get information on the website:
www.amenclinic.comI hope this helps!
niss
> Does anyone out there have a *confirmed* diagnosis of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy or know someone that does? I want some input, please! If anybody knows a neuro could you show this to them and get their response? I went through a TLE checklist and went to the ADD checklist site and came up with an ADD diagnosis with "temporal lobe problems" response. I started thinking about some of my symptoms and am reconsidering getting that 24-hour ambulatory EEG (just got a new MasterCard maybe that will cover what the insurance won't pay!) Anyway here are some of the symptoms I experience and have experienced with various medications:
>
> 1) Occasional explosive temper with a lot of autonomic arousal followed by panic anxiety and depression.
> 2)Constant gastrointestinal problems that seem to worsen and coexist with the mental phenomena.
> 3)I like to write a lot (as you can see). I am a technical writer where I work and can type 115 wpm.
> 4) I don't get deja vu, I just found out the experience I rarely get is *jamais vu*. An unusual feeling of strangeness in a familiar place.
> 5) Rare mystical experiences-specifically brief intense feelings that God is right there with me (not talking to me or anything-just the *feeling* of presence).
> 6) Feelings of changes of scale around me. Everything seeming "bigger" or "smaller". Kind of like getting new eyeglasses. Usually when I change or add a med.
> 7) Changes in perception of color intensity with different meds. For some reason Prozac and especially Effexor made colors very very vivid-red almost glowed!
> 8) All SSRI's seem to intensify my ability to hear music in my head (carry a tune around). I can *wakeup* with music playing! I could play music sometimes on Prozac and hear *other* music playing with it that was not there!
> 9)When I was taking Prozac, and someone handed me a report to read at work and I knew the author (talked with them knew their voice and mannerisms), I could read it and "hear" *their* voice reading it in my head-just like THEY were reading it to ME.
> 10)When I was taking Effexor I was frequently smelling things that weren't there. I would be at work and smell something and mention it and noone else could smell it.
> 11) All SSRI's also have this tendency to produce a knee-jerk laughter response to all sorts of stuff. I was off of all AD's for a while and was taking Adderall
> and that STOPPED and my head was very "quiet"-my mood cycling also stopped.
> 12) Whenever I get tremor from a medication it is *always* on my left side-never the right. And it is usually in my hand/fingers and face/eyelids. Also esp. on SSRI's I have a "tingling patch" on my shoulder just to the left of my spinal column.
> 13)I recently added a low dose of Lithium to my meds and I experienced a couple of episodes where I noticed what looked like a "black hole" in my peripheral vision and it shrank and dissappeared suddenly, very odd.
> 14)I took a single 37.5mg dose of Effexor one time and experienced a full-blown manic episode about an hour after taking it, but it just lasted for an hour or two.
> 15)I have had people tell me that my facial expressions seem to change a lot-and I am not really aware of it.
> 16) When I was a teenager (and now at times) I had a big problem with echolalia (I would repeat out-loud and sometimes unknowingly the last word of every sentence that someone was speaking to me).
> 17) My mother had generalized nocturnal seizures and my sister had severe dyslexia and temper problems. My dad was temperamental and both his eyes would get to "jiggling" especially when he was upset-to the point where he couldn't hardly drive.
> 18) I take low-dose Neurontin, but when I was on higher dosages I could wake up in the morning and it was like my entire visual field was "cleaned" or "windexed". I could close my eyes and it would be black-no "snow" or "noise" in there-very weird.
>
> Sorry for the long post-I am going to get my pdoc to do a referral to a neuro-I feel like I just have to know now one way or the other.
poster:niss
thread:63474
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63548.html