Hi Sasha and welcome to the group!

Those symptoms can both come with epilepsy/seizures.

Which meds are you taking?

In my case, I went to psychiatrists because they are MD's and doctors of the
head, as opposed to the rest of the body. They never diagnosed me for seizures!
I was seeing the wrong type of doctor. You need to see a neurologist!

If it was a Complex Partial Seizure, you would not remember the period while you
were having them, by definition. There would be a time-gap in your memory. It
sounds like seizures, but perhaps a variation on type of Simple Partial
Seizures.

There are EEG tests that can be run overnight in the hospital or with a portable
monitor. There are a number of ways that an EEG can be done so as to detect
epileptic-spike waves. See a neurologist!

Bob

Yeah, I've heard and read that too; the thing about trouble diagnosing correctly
or getting misdiagnosed as a psych problem.  I had problems getting diagnosed or
referred initially.  Eight years later, the seizures were very bad and I went to
another doctor, but it took three months of testing before they came up with an
answer, which was epilepsy.  By the way, one of the first tests neurology will
run is a psych test (at least with this kind of suspected seizure disorder;
i.e., simple partial and complex partial seizures).

Depression is very common with the type of seizures we're talking about.  There
are several studies that cite statistics on this, and I've seen percentages
anywhere from a third to 60 percent having depression with epilepsy (it probably
depends on what part of the brain is involved with the seizure activity).

I have complex partial seizures (started with simple partial seizures), and
everyone is different as far as symptoms go.  I haven't noticed any correlation
between emotions causing seizures although the negative emotions are more
intense during a seizure.   The inside the head symptoms sound familiar to me
and I don't know how to describe them really.  I've never had heightened
physical energy although my brain can race.  I'm usually bone tired after a
seizure, played out, spent; it's not the same kind of tired like when you are
ready to retire for the night.  Yeah, seizures make me feel horrible although
there is no physical pain involved.  I really hate having them.

You know, it's funny you mentioning the fact that the whole body is involved
although you know it's coming from the brain.  That is my sense too.

The MRI is looking for structural changes/abnormalities and most of us are okay
that way.  The EEG is the most important test for us although a person has to be
exhibiting some kind of abnormal brain wave activity at the time of the test for
the EEG to record the abnormal brain waves.  I can specifically recall having
three EEGs; two were normal, one was abnormal.  The first EEG, which turned out
normal, was taken when I was having a lot of problems with pretty much constant
seizure symptoms, but that EEG showed nothing, and it was a deprived sleep EEG
too.  In my opinion, that first EEG should have showed something, but it didn't.

I was really happy to get the diagnosis of epilepsy because it had been going on
so long and I'd gotten negativism from most doctors.  I really had thought I was
bonkers, totally bonkers.  It was finally over and now we could get on to
resolving this problem.  I'm telling ya, life is so much better now because I've
had excellent control of my seizures with medications.

Barb

I've had epilepsy for the last 32yrs. Admittedly, I had caused brain
damage by attempting suicide 4yrs before the first fit so I've obviously
had a tendency to neurosis all my life. However, my epilepsy has never
been completely controlled and this has meant that after 11yrs with
employers were quite ahppy to accept that I had fits now and again, I have
not been able to get a paid job for the last 20yrs.

       I always had PMT but when clobazam was prescribed for my epilepsy
it was continual rather than periodic as it is prescribed for girls with
PMT. When I reached my menopause about 3yrs ago the associated effects on
my memory began to limit a lot of my other activities and I became more
and more depressed. I was sent to a psychiatrist but he just saw me once
every six months and left me with supposed counselling from a Community
Psychiatric Nurse. He was little use because when I said I couldn't even
remember routines I'd had for everyday functions he said 'change your
routines'. He couldn't understand that if I couldn't remember things that
I'd been doing for years, I'd hardly be able to learn anything new !

       This often led me to being in a downward spiral or worrying,
forgetting, worying about forgetting and worrying even more. About a year
ago, I came across an article in the UK Epilepsy Action megazine with lote
of details about the effect of epilepsy on memory. Roundabout the same
time I downloaded a web page about epilepsy sometimes having similar signs
to schizophrenia. It suggested that over-prescibing anti-convulsant drugs
can lead to these symptoms.

       I thought educating professional advisers about these 2 factors
would help them help me but they tokk no notice. It wasn't until I'd
attempted suicide more than once and my husband and I did some research on
bi-polar disorder (manic depression) and realised that I might have the
rapid cycling type and actually suggested prescribing an anti-depressant
that my psychiatrist summoned up the courage to ask my neurologist if she
thpught it was safe to prescribe one that he agreed.

       All of this took a year and my husband nearly broke down several
times (without telling me). Now at last, I'm on an anti-depressant as well
as 3 anti-convulsants. Before benzodiazepines were recognised as
addictive, I was allowed to keep a supply of 2mg diazepam tablets for use
before a day when it was particularly important for me not to have a fit.
Their effect may have been placebo like and the anti-depressant may also
be but if it works, so what.

       The reason the psychaitrist was unwilling to prescribe
anti-depressants was because they are known to reduce the effects of
anticonvulsants but I kept telling him that I suffered far more from my
depression than my epilepsy and didn't mind having a few more fits.

       I've only gone into all these details to show you that there is
sometimes light the end of the tunnel even if the tunnel is too bent to
see it at present ! It's only over the last month or so that I've been
able to think positively and tackle tasks I'd been frightened to try for
years.

All the best,

Chris L.

Para 2 is as close as identical to my bad days as anyone
will ever get.
Did you lose your job, or someother life changing experience
because of epilepsy? That can cause psychiatric disorders
sometimes leaving a confusing mess between what is psych &
what is epilepsy. The question is do you know the difference
enough to describe it to the appropriate doctor.
If you don't, saying that you'll just tell the doctors
everything & let them work it out doesn't work. Unless
you've got a 100% memory recall or keep a notebook in your
pocket recording everything that goes on in your day, that
approach doesn't work.
Take someone with you to your medical appointments who cares
enough about you to tell the doctors everything, even if it
pisses you off.

you described me to a tee. anxiety triggers, terror. destructive anger.
screaming... mostly for help. i have a brain tumour though... so it is a
physical abnormality that causes this sh.t, but i really think that my
stress levels lower my seizure threshold, and then boom, complex partial.  i
used to have grand mal seizures but those are controlled by meds, but
nothing seems to controld these smaller ones... that's why they are pumping
me full of anti-depressants to get rid of the anxiety and ocd, etc.

fun.

-phil