The best way to get an answer is to see a neurologist and get an EEG!

But I can't see a neurologist without a referral and I can't get a referral unless I can present enough info to my doctor that he thinks it necessary.

I'll give you my story:
I have in the past had seizures (3 to be exact) but it was determined I was not epileptic. I never had any diagnostic tests done, even though at one point I was taken to the ER. The last 'big' one was about 7 years ago.

I had a baby back in January, and shortly after she was born, I started having these episodes that would wake me up in the middle of the night. Being a new mom dealing with medical issues (both mine and my daughter's) I never paid much attention to them.

Until they started happening again. When they come on, my heart starts racing, and I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach (it feels like the adrenaline rush you get when someone scares you except more intense). Based on that my dr determined it was panic attacks. But there's more...

I don't feel scared or anxious, in fact, I feel calm and intrigued. I zone out. I don't lose consciousness, I am completely awake and alert except I get all these thoughts. They feel like memories with a very strong sense of deja vu. When the episode is over, I can never remember what these memories were about, and I feel very disconnected and have to reorientate myself to my surroundings. These episodes never last more than 30 seconds.

Does anyone experience anything similar?

Wow! What a run around you're getting! The "deja vu" is extremely common with us epilepstics. When I have a petitmal, I get that deja vu sensation- it sweeps over me and I sometimes make a curious uncontrolled chewing motion. You're right- the deja vu makes me I feel as if memories are surfacing, but after, I cannot remember what those memories are. I sometimes (not very often, thank goodness) have grandmals, and they start with the same deja vu. I also have Partial Complex Motor Seizures, which are uncontrolled muscle movements- like my eyes flicking back & forth when I read or things like my leg twitching and lifting off the bed and pulling the covers off my hubby. My neuro diagnosed me with Catamenial Epilepsy (my seizures come in between ovulation and the first 2 days of my period), and it is caused by insufficient Progesterone. I am on Trileptal, as well as Progesterone Replacement Therapy. You mentioned you gave birth recently, and seizures started. When in your menstrual cycle do your seizures come, or are the seizures random? You'll eventually get some great responses from the terrific people in this group, and I bet before long you'll be able to put some hard evidence together for your doctor. Please keep me posted!

I forgot to add that my seizures originate in my Left Temporal Lobe...

I never paid that much attention to determine whether they were related to menstruation because I never realized the two could be connected. But I don't think they are.

It seems they come in spurts. I can't really give much info on the frequency of the ones right after my daughter was born, because I didn't pay much attention. I know they were not present for sure by her 4 month birthday, but I can't recall how long they had been gone for.

When they started again, it almost seemed that they were triggered by stress (I know I know...consistent with anxiety attacks *rolls eyes* lol). And they would come as often as 3 times a day either every day or every second day. I think they continued on for a month to a month and a half.

They are gone now, and have been for about a month, but I recently heard about TLS and wondered if this could be whats going on. I'm sure they'll be back.

I did mention that the last 'set' seemed to be triggered by stress, but I want to add that they stopped about a week before a very stressful event in my life. At this point I had started taking a herbal supplement that among other things is to reduce stress. I have wondered if the supplement and the disappearance of these episodes could be related.

You might consider going in the
hospital for a seizure study. If you are
on any medicines, they will take you
off of them, so you will have these
episodes.You would be hooked up to
an EEG Monitor, which can detect the
activity going on in your brain,
especially seizures.

BRAVE

I have temporal lobe seizures for 15 years now. They started with deja vu, and then went to complex partial where I go totally unconscious in a staring spell, and when i'm out of it, I'm 100%confused and half the time I hallucinate people have told me. I twitch, but I don't have lip smacking; But I know of many that do. One person I know if they have it in their sleep they bit their cheeks to death, and wake up in total pain. Because of the lip smacking and other movements during the seizure it's also called a psycho-motor seizure, and known as the absence seizure. If you ever need to chat I'm here.

Thanks for all your help and input everyone. I have decided that since I am not having any at this point, I am just gonna relax about it a bit. If and when they start coming on again, I will head down to my doc and present him with all my info. I hope it works, and I'll keep you posted.

P.S. I'm not going to leave this group yet...you are all way to cool ;)

Your describing what very much sounds like temporal lobe seizures. I had several doctors tell me mine were panic attacks and my EEG was normal. It took 3 years for a neurologist to correctly find out that they were seizures. Temporal lobe seizure often don't show up on scalp EEGs. I had in-depth electrodes and they found the focus in my right temporal lobe. I had surgery in 1991. Keep searching. There are doctors out there who will listen. You know what is going on with your body. Trust yourself.

to to the er and tell them you have slurred speach, but make sure the hospital has a neuro staff, and you have a sudden sever headach and don't know why, they will put you a$$ in the hospital so fast it will make your head spin and run all kinds of tests. eeg being one of them, I just got out of the hospital, I thought my med levels were off, told them that my speech got slurred and I got a little confussed and a terrible headach, and wham they check me in right away, my blood pressure was also 138/53 and they ran a few other test before they admitted me, I have not got all the results back yet, they said I had a "mini stroke", my husband told me the second I said I had slurred speach it was over, they was going to admit me, good luck

Thanks for the advice Teri. It's hard when you don't really know what's going on, and everywhere you look people are telling you you're digging too deep into it. I appreciate all the advice you've all given me, I'm more comfortable now with the idea these are probably seizures, and I'm sure that's going to give me a fighting chance against my doctor.

PSTokley: I'm really sorry you went through such an ordeal, but I can't justify making up a story to get myself checked out. I'm willing to wait it out and 'doctor hop' until I find someone who will take the time to help me figure this out.

Please do not accept a diagnosis of panic attacks. I spent over 10 years going from dr to dr, diagnosed with oanic attacks that turned out to be seizures. See a neurologist and have the appropriate tests!

Geez! You have all gone through so much just to get answers! It's things like that that make me lose faith in doctors. Mine diagnosed me with depression almost 8 years ago, and that seems to be his answer for everything that's wrong with me...your depressed...here's your prozac. I wish I could tell him exactly where I would like to stick that bottle ;)

NEVER give up! I lost count of the number of doctors I consulted, not to mention the amount of money I spent. It is simply overwhelming. It took 10 years but I finally found a doctor who actually listened. He wasn't a neurologist but just a decent person who left no stone unturned. I never thought I would be thankful for a diagnosis of epilepsy but it was a relief to learn that there was a cause for my symptons. GOOD LUCK!

2 years ago I went to the Dr with what I thought were "dizzy disorienting spells" just as you are describing. I had a few tests done and was referred to a neuro who even ran an EEG that came back normal. It turns out I DO have EP and it got worse and worse before I finally had a Grand Mal and was diagnosed with COmplex Partial Seizure Disorder. It can start out simple and get worse--seizures change as you progress and are not diagnosed--most people are not diagnosed right away for exactly the reason you are facing.

If you feel you are not getting what you want change Drs. Your health is more important than what a Dr thinks.

YOU, not your Dr, are your best advocate. YOU know what you are feeling. YOU know when something isn't right.