Did I have a seizure or something weird?

[Simaril]

Question for you sim.  Is it possible I had a TIA stroke, and that caused the siezure?

-BigBOBCH

Pretty unlikely. As a college age kid, strokes don't happen that often. When they do, they are usually found in people who have abnormal blood vessels from birth and are not related to hardened arteries.

A TIA is a brief (under 20 minutes) neurologic symptom that is caused by a blocked artery. It resolves when the clot blocking the artery dissolves itself.  On the other hand, brief neurologic symptoms can be caused by seizures, and in that situation the symptom resolves because the seizure moves on - there never was a risk of permanent symptoms when seizure causes it.

[greens]

hope all goes well at your appt <S> 

[redman555]

Sim--See for last few years I've been getting this really weird thing.  It's totally random, sometimes once a week, other times every few days. It's real weird.   When I touch something it feels like the texture is going through my body and then I have to stand up and not touch stuff, I know it sounds weird but that is the feeling I had before this happened last night.  Never has it ended up like this before though.  Normally only lasts like 1-2 minutes.


-BigBOBCH

[eagl]

Of course I hope you are well and ok redman, but I hope you aren't planning on being a pilot or joining the military...  Seizures or episodes like that are pretty much disqualifying from flight duties.  There are occasional instances of waivers being granted, but those are usually for people who already have their wings.

I think you ought to figure out what caused it and make darn sure that if it is based on external stimulus, you avoid that sort of thing for good.  Also, avoid drugs/alcohol like the plague because that stuff will just make it worse and could ruin your life if it contributes to more episodes.  Avoid stimulants as well, including caffeine.  Anything that alters your body's basic metabolism could contribute.

[warhed]

Feel free not to answer this Bob, but do you have a past history of trauma or abuse, in or out of the family?

[Reschke]

I get a really intense form of vertigo when I attempt to play certain FPS games regardless of the console. I first noticed it when Castle Wolfenstein and Duke Nukem came out way back in the old days. I might be able to make it through 15-30 minutes before I got intense nausea and dizziness. Flight sims, sports games, puzzle, those types of computer or console games don't cause me any problems; however if I try to play most shooters with indoor type maps and levels I can't do it. I have been able to make it through MW2, COD Medal of Honor and others lately with little to no vertigo feelings but its not always the case.

[Simaril]

Another (less likely) thought - migraines can cause transient neurologic symptoms that can be, well, just about anything. Most commonly - nausea, vomiting, visual flashes without there being any reason for those other than the migraine. However, in some cases the migraine can cause more significant and focused neurologic findings, up to and including coma. (Read a research paper about a family in Australia that ends up on ventilators when they get bad migraines, because they get such deep neurologic suppression.)

The diagnosis can be easy to miss, because many folks get the mistaken idea that in order to count as a migraine it HAS to be an awful headache. While some migraines really are killers, others are mild enough that they are mistaken for sinus or tension headaches.

Something to think about if you had even the slightest headache with these spells, especially if the headache was on one side.

__________


And a point with seizures - it can help docs to decide if really seizure or not if you tell them whether there was either A) loss of control of bowel or bladder with the event; and B) if after the spell there was a period of time where you were particularly tired or foggy.

[Simaril]

I get a really intense form of vertigo when I attempt to play certain FPS games regardless of the console. I first noticed it when Castle Wolfenstein and Duke Nukem came out way back in the old days. I might be able to make it through 15-30 minutes before I got intense nausea and dizziness. Flight sims, sports games, puzzle, those types of computer or console games don't cause me any problems; however if I try to play most shooters with indoor type maps and levels I can't do it. I have been able to make it through MW2, COD Medal of Honor and others lately with little to no vertigo feelings but its not always the case.

'


PRetty common phenomenon. Tends to happen when the brain is getting confusing information about head and body position from various sensor systems. So, when the eyes say "head just turned rapidly right" and the balance centers in the ears say "dude, nothing's moving" the brain responds with vertigo. You'll see it more as the peripheral vision is filled with the moving image (the IMAX theater effect) and, well, as the body ages.

[redman555]

Feel free not to answer this Bob, but do you have a past history of trauma or abuse, in or out of the family?

Negative sir, my family has a quite of bit health problems though, mainly high blood pressure and other heart problems.

And sim, I get migraines once in awhile but never had one when this happens.


-BigBOBCH

[cooldued]

Now that I think of it I have a friend that was riding a bicycle, hit a bump and his chain fell off. He flipped over the handle bar head first... I think you know where this is going. I wasent there but I heard from someone who was there, it sounded bad to me.

so have you had any problems since you got home that night?

[redman555]

Nope, got home, walked upstairs and got on PS3.  30 min later it happened.


-BigBOBCH

[fbWldcat]

It could be something to do with your heart. That would explain the tingling you get every so often. It might also explain the weakness in your body when said episodes occur. I'm no doctor so I'll have to get Sim to back me up... If I'm correct/plausible, that is.

[Reschke]

PRetty common phenomenon. Tends to happen when the brain is getting confusing information about head and body position from various sensor systems. So, when the eyes say "head just turned rapidly right" and the balance centers in the ears say "dude, nothing's moving" the brain responds with vertigo. You'll see it more as the peripheral vision is filled with the moving image (the IMAX theater effect) and, well, as the body ages.

Yep I think the first time I ever remember getting anything like that was in an panorama movie theater at Disney Epcot back when I was about 15-16. They were showing something like flying over a glacier (IIRC) and I literally threw up in the theater right in front of where I was standing. My dad took me outside and the Disney medical staff met me at the door to check me out. Apparently that happened quite a bit with that place.

As a side note I don't have a problem flying in real life in any weather in a big plane or little planes as a passenger. Been in all kinds of bad stuff in all types of aircraft with no trouble.

[smoe]

Not very likely, but do consider any food that may have been consumed before this happened. I went to the doctors 3 times about a skin allergy reaction. The doctors had no clue, they gave me the usual crap about stress. I finally figured out I have a reaction to red peppers usually found in hot food. The person who finally gave me the idea that hot food was causing itchy red blisters was a stripper, go figure, lol.

[bagrat]

just throwin it out there, maybe ur diabetic and had low blood sugar...did they ever give u oral glucose or did u just completely regain consciousness on your own?