AboutSophia, R.N., M.S. Expertise Almost any questions pertaining to epilepsy, seizures, pseudo-seizures, testing for epilepsy, medications, surgery. Self-care, appropriate emergency measures, medication side-effects, drug interactions etc.
Experience Working as an epilepsy nurse clinican in a large comprehensive epilepsy center for 15 years. Previous employment with a major pharmaceutical company working in pharmaceutical research. Before that - varied experience in nursing.
Question QUESTION: Hi my name is rachel and i recently had 2 EEGs done. both came back abnormal with the result being non existent alpha waves. I have had a lot of brain damage so to speak from being in the army. Two years ago i was in my job training in the army and i blacked out. What happened was that i was moving sandbags and my chest started hurting. so i was told to sit down. That was when i blacked out. I remember after a few minutes that my drill sargeant was with me and two other soldiers were carrying me up to my cot. Then just this past march i was driving down the road and in mid sentence talking to my friend, i just stopped and stared blankly forward and all my motor movements stopped. My eyes were open and i looked awake but she had to startle me to wake me up out of it. After that day i started getting more dizzy spells, the one where my brain feels like it is spinning and then i feel like i am going to pass out. The doctors did the MRI and CT scan and all came back normal. My doctor believes that i have low blood pressure and that i might be orthostatic cause the dizziness spells are pretty much every 1 to 5 minutes anymore. I just started seeing a neurologist and well he seems stumped. However, like i said, i had one half hour EEG and it came back abnormal with no alpha wave activity when they made me flutter my eyes and all that. THen i just had a sleep deprived one here the other day and it did the same thing. I also had no response to the flashing lights. Should i be worried??
ANSWER: Hi Rachel,
The "blacking out" could have been from orthostatic hypotension, but the episode of staring and suspension of motor movements doesn't sound at all like low blood pressure.
It is good that your MRI and CT same back normal. That means that you don't have brain injury or tumors.
What I would do at this time is to have an extended EEG. This can be done at home with a portable monitor and no video, or, if you take medication for these events, if would be best done in a hospital while they withdraw the medication. If you do not take any meds for this condition, it can be done perfectly well at home. The test usually runs from 2-5 days and it is read by an epileptologist. There will be a much better diagnosis after the testing is completed.
Good luck.
Feel free to write if you have further questions.
Sophia
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QUESTION: i just found out today that they believe me to have orthostatic hypotension however they also found out that i have an abnormal heart rate and pulse. They are referring me to a cardiologist. My ekgs were showing i had a right bundle branch block and i guess we will go from there. They believe that my heart my be failing and not pumping right so they are in a rushed state to do more tests. thanks for the answer to my question.
Answer Hi Rachel,
It is very anxiety provoking to discover a problem with the heart. The heart is the very core of our being and finding out that there is a problem can send us spinning with fear.
Just take a deep breath. All the testing may reveal is that you need to take some daily medication to regulate your heart and you will be ok.
Hang in there. Do something wonderful for yourself. Keep yourself busy at this time to help you get through until the diagnosis.
Regards,
Sophia
