Posted by Zo on July 27, 2001, at 23:27:42
In reply to Questions about TLE (Zo?), posted by MM on July 26, 2001, at 23:54:13
The one thing I've come across most often in my reading on the web from people with TLE is how frequently it does not show up on an EEG -- mine didn't either, despite the fact that I'd stayed up all night and was "seeing snow" by morning. Now, if they'd exposed me to flickering lights. . . but photosensitivity is relatively uncommon. And my experience of neuros, backed up by my pdoc, is that the variable and subtle symptoms of a temporal lobe seizure are likely to get you laughed out of the office.
I diagnosed my own by the backwards method of being given Neurontin for pain. . .and watching some distinct lifelong "funny spells," which pretty regularly occurred towards 5:00 pm, disappear. . .and as they disappeared, I was able to describe them more clearly to my pdoc. That and some reading. . .Got ahold of the book Seized, which is out of print, but recc. highly on the Mass Gen Neuro board, and that clinched it.
One way I know if I am "seizurey" is if my eyes slip out of focus. . .it was thought I had lazy eye when I was little. Who would ever connect that with seizure? Except I knew it happened when I watched fire, or other flickering or disappearing light - like Flash animation (!)
My pdoc, being a specialist in meds, is way qualified to help me with the TLE part of my dx. Not surprisingly, I am also BP II and have migraine. To my knowledge, Neurontin is good with TLE -- and really beniign compared to the older anticonvulsants.
Hope this helps,
Zo
poster:Zo
thread:71994
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010725/msgs/72168.html