Temporal Lobe Seizures:

[jread]

I had a string of these over the course of a few months about 2 1/2 years ago, but have not had one since until tonight. It was the same thing as last time: overwhelming sense of deja vu, numbness and tingling running from the side of my head, all the way down my back, half-way into subconsciousness (it's like being in my dreams because it's all familiar, but nothing to do with reality), not being able to talk or move for a few seconds, etc. It lasts about 30-seconds then slowly fades away and I go back into consciousness. I usually remember having an episode but I don't really remember what happens or what I think about. My wife says that I just kind of hold my head and freeze, not really responding when she tries to talk to me and that I kind of make a moaning sound. Needless to say, it freaked her out that it was happening again.

So, I'm trying to figure out what in the hell is causing this. Last time I went to a neurologist, had all the scans, etc. and they found absolutely nothing wrong with me (no brain injury, no abnormal electrical activity, etc.) The only common thing is that I was training in boxing/kickboxing during the first episodes and have recently started training again. The difference is that the last time I was sparring a lot and taking a lot of shots to the head. My neurologist blamed the sparring as the cause and told me to stop sparring or quit altogether. Well, now I'm training but not sparring yet.. just trying to get back in good shape first.

Now, I do have two other theories as to what might be happening:

1. First, I did a lot of acid from when I was 18 until about 20-years-old.... I mean A LOT. I'm not proud of it.. I was young, depressed and didn't care about my life, and it was my escape. Very stupid now that I look back. Anyway, I know that the drug never leaves your system (stored in the spinal chord... I think) and you can be prone to "flash backs", even years and years later. I wonder if the movements in kickboxing (lots of twisting to kick, duck, impacts, etc.) are causing a reaction with the leftover drug and these seizures are actually triggered as part of a flashback phenomena. I didn't think of this until a friend mentioned it.

2. Second, I was taking anti-depressants for awhile before it started and am still taking them. Started with Effexor and now take Zoloft. I've seen a few studies that since these drugs alter brain chemistry, they could make you succeptible to seizures (and can also cause the flashbacks mentioned above).


I don't know.... I'm all out of ideas as they found nothing wrong with me the first time, yet this is happening again. Maybe someone on here with experience in these areas could shed some light on the subject.

Thanks!

 

[Kalmah]

I had similar experiences several years ago that lasted for several years. It was caused from a head-injury I got when I was 12. A pickup truck hit me when I was riding a bike. After that I had those on a daily bases.. then slowly over time it became more infrequent. Hasn't happened for over 2 years now.


I'm no expert, but I would consider the acid a very probable cause. (I have a friend that that was taking 6 hits a day for about a year and never seen anything like that happen to him though)

I'm guessing it could possibly be a mild stroke as well?


I would try some more doctors.. even though the ones you've tried havn't found anything.. it could be something potentially life threatening. Or it could be something as simple as lacking a vitamin, for instance.


I'm just throwing stuff out here of course.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: jread
I had a string of these over the course of a few months about 2 1/2 years ago, but have not had one since until tonight. It was the same thing as last time: overwhelming sense of deja vu, numbness and tingling running from the side of my head, all the way down my back, half-way into subconsciousness (it's like being in my dreams because it's all familiar, but nothing to do with reality), not being able to talk or move for a few seconds, etc. It lasts about 30-seconds then slowly fades away and I go back into consciousness. I usually remember having an episode but I don't really remember what happens or what I think about. My wife says that I just kind of hold my head and freeze, not really responding when she tries to talk to me and that I kind of make a moaning sound. Needless to say, it freaked her out that it was happening again.

So, I'm trying to figure out what in the hell is causing this. Last time I went to a neurologist, had all the scans, etc. and they found absolutely nothing wrong with me (no brain injury, no abnormal electrical activity, etc.) The only common thing is that I was training in boxing/kickboxing during the first episodes and have recently started training again. The difference is that the last time I was sparring a lot and taking a lot of shots to the head. My neurologist blamed the sparring as the cause and told me to stop sparring or quit altogether. Well, now I'm training but not sparring yet.. just trying to get back in good shape first.

Now, I do have two other theories as to what might be happening:

1. First, I did a lot of acid from when I was 18 until about 20-years-old.... I mean A LOT. I'm not proud of it.. I was young, depressed and didn't care about my life, and it was my escape. Very stupid now that I look back. Anyway, I know that the drug never leaves your system (stored in the spinal chord... I think) and you can be prone to "flash backs", even years and years later. I wonder if the movements in kickboxing (lots of twisting to kick, duck, impacts, etc.) are causing a reaction with the leftover drug and these seizures are actually triggered as part of a flashback phenomena. I didn't think of this until a friend mentioned it.

2. Second, I was taking anti-depressants for awhile before it started and am still taking them. Started with Effexor and now take Zoloft. I've seen a few studies that since these drugs alter brain chemistry, they could make you succeptible to seizures (and can also cause the flashbacks mentioned above).


I don't know.... I'm all out of ideas as they found nothing wrong with me the first time, yet this is happening again. Maybe someone on here with experience in these areas could shed some light on the subject.

Thanks!

I think you are wrong about acid. my "friend" did alot of it too, probably more than you, and my "friend" did a lot of research about the side effects. my "friend" discovered that it passes through your system relatively quickly. only long term side effects are pyschological ones, memories that could be tramautic because how you felt while you were on it.. no different than seeing someone murdered by a chainsaw, and having flashbacks when you see a chainsaw. if you trip out while you are on acid and have a bad experience, anything that links you to that bad experience could cause a flashback.

I'd lean more towards the anti-depressants if anything. Other than that, You need to go to a clinic and hope they can capture one of your episodes while being monitored.

 

[TechBoyJK]

how long does acid stay in your system?

linky

 

[jjones]

I can guarantee I've done much more acid than you have and I find it impossible to believe that is the cause.

 

[moshquerade]

another vote for the antidepressants as the cause. docs prescribe them like candy, but they are some serious shiat.

ask yourself, do i really need to be on these pills? did you seek counseling before you went on medication? above all, never go off antidepressants cold turkey. i have heard horror stories about people who have.

 

[jread]

Thanks for the info about LSD not remaining in the body, I was not aware of that.

I will try to do more research on the anti-depressants.

 

[eLiu]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
another vote for the antidepressants as the cause. docs prescribe them like candy, but they are some serious shiat.

ask yourself, do i really need to be on these pills? did you seek counseling before you went on medication? above all, never go off antidepressants cold turkey. i have heard horror stories about people who have.

That's somewhat strange to me. Doctors have told me that depression and seizures are closely linked in that some large percentage of people who experience seizures are also diagnosed with clinical depression (and on an unrelated note, many are ADD too). My neurologist has tried to prescribe me lexapro (anti-depressant) on several occasions and I've refused him every time. Don't want more crap flowing through my body.

I take Lamictal for the seizures (temporal lobe) and Lorazepam sparringly (sp) to help deal with potentially related anxiety attacks.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: jread
I had a string of these over the course of a few months about 2 1/2 years ago, but have not had one since until tonight. It was the same thing as last time: overwhelming sense of deja vu, numbness and tingling running from the side of my head, all the way down my back, half-way into subconsciousness (it's like being in my dreams because it's all familiar, but nothing to do with reality), not being able to talk or move for a few seconds, etc. It lasts about 30-seconds then slowly fades away and I go back into consciousness. I usually remember having an episode but I don't really remember what happens or what I think about. My wife says that I just kind of hold my head and freeze, not really responding when she tries to talk to me and that I kind of make a moaning sound. Needless to say, it freaked her out that it was happening again.

So, I'm trying to figure out what in the hell is causing this. Last time I went to a neurologist, had all the scans, etc. and they found absolutely nothing wrong with me (no brain injury, no abnormal electrical activity, etc.) The only common thing is that I was training in boxing/kickboxing during the first episodes and have recently started training again. The difference is that the last time I was sparring a lot and taking a lot of shots to the head. My neurologist blamed the sparring as the cause and told me to stop sparring or quit altogether. Well, now I'm training but not sparring yet.. just trying to get back in good shape first.

Now, I do have two other theories as to what might be happening:

1. First, I did a lot of acid from when I was 18 until about 20-years-old.... I mean A LOT. I'm not proud of it.. I was young, depressed and didn't care about my life, and it was my escape. Very stupid now that I look back. Anyway, I know that the drug never leaves your system (stored in the spinal chord... I think) and you can be prone to "flash backs", even years and years later. I wonder if the movements in kickboxing (lots of twisting to kick, duck, impacts, etc.) are causing a reaction with the leftover drug and these seizures are actually triggered as part of a flashback phenomena. I didn't think of this until a friend mentioned it.

2. Second, I was taking anti-depressants for awhile before it started and am still taking them. Started with Effexor and now take Zoloft. I've seen a few studies that since these drugs alter brain chemistry, they could make you succeptible to seizures (and can also cause the flashbacks mentioned above).


I don't know.... I'm all out of ideas as they found nothing wrong with me the first time, yet this is happening again. Maybe someone on here with experience in these areas could shed some light on the subject.

Thanks!

I think you are wrong about acid. my "friend" did alot of it too, probably more than you, and my "friend" did a lot of research about the side effects. my "friend" discovered that it passes through your system relatively quickly. only long term side effects are pyschological ones, memories that could be tramautic because how you felt while you were on it.. no different than seeing someone murdered by a chainsaw, and having flashbacks when you see a chainsaw. if you trip out while you are on acid and have a bad experience, anything that links you to that bad experience could cause a flashback.

I'd lean more towards the anti-depressants if anything. Other than that, You need to go to a clinic and hope they can capture one of your episodes while being monitored.

Actually, LSD gets stored in your fat....but I do not think that is the cause of his problems.

 

[PepePeru]

i have some friends who have tripped *way* more than i have and they swear flashbacks have been induced by someone patting them on the back, slapping their back.
I dunno if i necessarily believe that, but then again, they estimate >100 hits.

 

[MrWizzard]

Originally posted by: jread
I had a string of these over the course of a few months about 2 1/2 years ago, but have not had one since until tonight. It was the same thing as last time: overwhelming sense of deja vu, numbness and tingling running from the side of my head, all the way down my back, half-way into subconsciousness (it's like being in my dreams because it's all familiar, but nothing to do with reality), not being able to talk or move for a few seconds, etc. It lasts about 30-seconds then slowly fades away and I go back into consciousness. I usually remember having an episode but I don't really remember what happens or what I think about. My wife says that I just kind of hold my head and freeze, not really responding when she tries to talk to me and that I kind of make a moaning sound. Needless to say, it freaked her out that it was happening again.

So, I'm trying to figure out what in the hell is causing this. Last time I went to a neurologist, had all the scans, etc. and they found absolutely nothing wrong with me (no brain injury, no abnormal electrical activity, etc.) The only common thing is that I was training in boxing/kickboxing during the first episodes and have recently started training again. The difference is that the last time I was sparring a lot and taking a lot of shots to the head. My neurologist blamed the sparring as the cause and told me to stop sparring or quit altogether. Well, now I'm training but not sparring yet.. just trying to get back in good shape first.
Now, I do have two other theories as to what might be happening:

1. First, I did a lot of acid from when I was 18 until about 20-years-old.... I mean A LOT. I'm not proud of it.. I was young, depressed and didn't care about my life, and it was my escape. Very stupid now that I look back. Anyway, I know that the drug never leaves your system (stored in the spinal chord... I think) and you can be prone to "flash backs", even years and years later. I wonder if the movements in kickboxing (lots of twisting to kick, duck, impacts, etc.) are causing a reaction with the leftover drug and these seizures are actually triggered as part of a flashback phenomena. I didn't think of this until a friend mentioned it.

2. Second, I was taking anti-depressants for awhile before it started and am still taking them. Started with Effexor and now take Zoloft. I've seen a few studies that since these drugs alter brain chemistry, they could make you succeptible to seizures (and can also cause the flashbacks mentioned above).


I don't know.... I'm all out of ideas as they found nothing wrong with me the first time, yet this is happening again. Maybe someone on here with experience in these areas could shed some light on the subject.

Thanks!

Dude DING DING DING!

I did a bunch of research once for a friend that had seizures for a couple years after he hit his head hard. It's your brain resetting itself the electrical patters get out of sink so it's gotta reset to get back into sink. At some point you probably were hit hard and it will probably be with you the rest of your life. Some people are more prone than others.

Anyway after 5 years he finally stopped having them.

I am sure the LSD did not help. Drugs do damage people but I don?t think the seizures are related, directly at least indirectly maybe. Like the long term effects of the drugs cause you when you move your head violently to be different on your body than people who didn?t do LSD. But that?s in the past and there is nothing you can do about it.

You seem to have diagnosed your own problem, stop training for another year or two and see what happens. Pick up a different physical activity that does not have your head moving around like kickboxing does.

Anyway that?s my 2 cents. I could be wrong. But it was true in the case of my friend.

 

[Jeff7]

Effexor
Zoloft

Both mention seizure as a possible side effect.

Zoloft
"Seizures are a rare side effect of Zoloft® (sertraline hydrochloride). Seizures have occurred in up to 0.2 percent of people taking Zoloft."

Effexor
"Side effects can occur during treatment with Effexor® (venlafaxine hydrochloride), and seizures are a rare but possible side effect. In previous studies, seizures occurred in 0.26 percent of people taking the medicine."

So apparently, either one can cause seizures. Probably not a good thing.


I was on Wellbutrin for a week before I had a grand-mal style seizure that lasted a few minutes, so I'm told. I wasn't conscious for any of it, but I'm told I lurched out of my chair and was convulsing on the floor for a few minutes. Wellbutrin's chance of seizure is about 4 in 1000. Link.