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EEGs and MRIs and .mood stablizers.... John X

Posted by 2sense on April 11, 2002, at 6:46:23

John,

Thank you for caring. I had a bout of optic neuritis 3 years ago to the month and had an MRI for 1 1/2 hours and it was completely clear. I had had the undiagnosed Hashimoto's for nearly 4 years and it finally was treated in 09/98, then 3 months later I felt human again and both hands (arms) became cripple from carpel tunnel syndrome. The hand surgeon (who was excellent) gave me a shot of cortisone in each wrist to see me through the holidays (my youngest was 3 and it was cookie making time :-)). It was weird though, the shots immediately made me functionally (before I was totally a cripple) and the last 4-6 weeks. At 5 weeks or so in like 30 minutes I was back to being a "pumpkin" again (so to speak). Then I had one surgery in 02/99 and on in 03/99 and then the end of 03/99 the family all got the flu (like this year, save me) like dominoes (one on a Mon., the next on Wed., etc. and to the ER for x-rays for pneumonia I would go) by the end of 8 days (just before Easter that year) I was so sleep deprived it wasn't funny (which is a predisposing factor for seizures, I just found out). I then got what I thought were cluster migraines (hormone related) and I do get migraines but not usually clusters. Within 5 days my right eye (where there was pain, the pupil was smaller than the left) and it was as if someone was slowly turning the lights off. My vision went to 20/40 (which I have 20/12 so it was scary). I saw the top person for ophthalmology two weeks after and my sight was back (and in PA 20/40 is LEGAL to drive!) and he said although optic neuritis can be the 1st presenting sign of MS, go home and have a good life. A year later I had a horrible dizzy spell, but I am plague w/ a deviated septum and live in a very allergic area (for instance CO where I lived on and off for 8 years was very dry and not as bad), and I was taken a very high dose of antibiotics for a sinus infection (the d. s. is from delivery at birth, my own). Then I was on the Klonopin and passed around like a football with all the psychiatrists (I've stayed because the eating disorder therapist is excellent) and they kept upping the Klonopin dose (which oddly enough I've not seen written explicitly grand mal seizures can result if one is on it long enough and at a high enough dose (and 4 mg. evidently is high enough -- I started 11/00 on 0.5 mg. as I've mentioned). I just went cold turkey, I do not know why I did this, I never do things like that -- but it was not until AFTER that I ferreted the information out about seizures being a side effect of cold turkey. I wrote one on-line psychiatrist who has a site and answers patients meds questions (i.e., FAQ) and he never wrote this -- even the PDR if you do not go specifically to the "anti-convulsant" section you would not know about it either. This doctor told me I had a good point, but he didn't want to scare patients, so he usually just wrote NOT to do it and consult your doctor (as many of the FAQ Rx pages state -- understandably). So they EEG and the MRI were done by my 'regular' doctor due to the grand mal seizure (have never had one before, in fact until I moved to W. PA never was ill or depressed in my life). The EEG showed a seizure focus in the left temporal (which doesn't sound good) and 2 lesions (I don't know if the my doctor, an internist (I am going to go to a neurologist of course) one newer than the other. The psychiatrist (who doesn't know the results yet) told me last week (he found time in his schedule after the seizure) that seizures are/can be related to bipolar. I re-contacted all the psychiatrists (I've seen several due to the 4 bouts w/ the anorexia and working for the government they go over you with a fine tooth comb -- the most recent being less than a year ago) and all are adamant that I am not bipolar. At this point who cares. I guess they are going to deal with the indications (there isn't a definitive diagnosis yet, but whose kidding who -- I'm not a pessimist but a realist) of MS -- I will get a spinal tap, probably evoked potentials and then probably another MRI at least. I am closterphobic to the extent that closed MRI's for 1 1/2 hours for me is like being buried alive -- I take elevators (my husband used to work on the 20th floor) and they were small elevators packed like sardines. In grad school I was 'trapped' in a very small one for 2 hours, just did my studies. Have you ever heard of the connection of seizures and a psychological coupling? I realize that MS has depression as a tertiary symptom. I don't have any other symptoms and wouldn't have known any of this had they not done the MRI. I wonder if I hadn't stopped taking the Klonopin if I would have had the seizure. It was not a psycho-seizure (my psychiatrist wishes it would that would back his bipolar -- I do not know what it is with him) who cares as you've pointed out. I know they use Depakote for seizure control and the Klonopin is addicting and the dose goes up. Can you tell me in more detail about your experience with the 'T' drug you wrote of? Would it be easier or would you be inclined to write e-mail to e-mail about this?

Thanks for you kinds words and all of your kind ears and patience.

Sue ... 2sense feels numb right now ...

PS I also have to go get an electrophysiology study done as I have the electrical re-entry problem which will involve an ablation of the offending node, I pray they find nothing else.


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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:2sense thread:102723
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020408/msgs/102723.html