Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

This may seem a bit vague, but it's the best I can do to describe what's going on, just wondering if anyone has any ideas what may be wrong.

Recently I haven't been too well, had a stomach bug(I believe) which meant I couldn't keep anythin down/in for days. I gave up eating for a good few days, not just because I couldn't face it, but I didn't see the point anyway, as I couldn't keep any fluids in, so it would have been a waste of food anyway. Long story short, after a good while of this I had a funny turn amd ended up in hospital.

I can't really explain what went on, as I have no memory. One minute I was outside my house, the next I came too (to my knowledge) in the house. The other half described it as a fit of some sort, said I was jolting about, foaming at the mouth etc. and I managed to slice my tongue open. Now I can't remember a thing, only that earlier in the day I felt a bit twitchy at times but seemed to settle. Hospital seem to think it could have been just down to being dehydrated and run down due to my bug.

I'd be tempted to agree, only this is now the 4th time I know of that something like this has happened to me. I have the least memory of this most recent one, but some previous, I remember more of. The one before this, I can only equate to having a twitchy feeling similar to when (I think) adreniline pumps, and you twitch, but very intense to the point of shaking back and forwards on my feet, a bit like fitting, standing up (or being electrocuted), then I must have fallen, and I don't remember anything til coming to on the floor, with my other half beside me, making sure I was ok(he came down as he heard a loud bang, think I hit my self on the cooker as that is what he found me close to). He described that one in the same way as the above time. I recall this on other occassions to(to the point of jolting about on my feet), the same and I don't know whether I keep knocking myself out when it happens, or it's whatever is happening responsible for the memory loss.

It may be nothing and the doctor seems unsure, but I must admit I am getting a bit worried, now that it has happened a few times.

Any advice appreciated.

wayne9t9

I`ve known two people suffer with epilepsy, sounds exactly the same to me. Your doctor seems unsure?

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Yip, seem to think it is too infrequent to be that.

It's just frightening when something is happening, however frequent, and you don't know what it is, plus I don't really have any warning it is going to happen.

wayne9t9

I worked with the one guy, he would just keel over and go into spasms. It would last a few minutes so we just made sure he didn`t hit anything. Sometimes he`d make whimpering noises at the same time. Then when he came around he wouldn`t have any memory of it and just act like nothing happened.

Spooky Mulder

Hi Lisa,

I am not offering medical advice however I can share some experience of the impact of dehydration. I am involved in supporting some very intense multi-day seminars where the days may be 16-18 hours of very engaged work and these can run from 4-6 days.

The issue we need to look out for is dehydration and the impact of dehydration can be very odd indeed.

People can simply pass out however others can act in a very strange way, aggressive or delirious. It can sometimes take hours to rehydrate and rest them, in the worst cases people may have to go to hospital.

One example is actually one of our own support people got very dehydrated without realising it and rushed the stage and attacked the facilitator in front of ten thousand people. It took three security guards to get him under control.

The common theme, no matter what occurs, is that people simply have no memory of what happened.

The symptoms that you described are very similar to what I have seen and the majority of doctors are not typically experienced in it. I have simply been exposed to it through some rather unique circumstances.

So I would concur with the view that what you suffered is the same as the symptoms as dehydration and the context makes it very likely. However I cannot rule anything else out, I am merely confirming the common theme.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

I must admit, when these 'attacks' have happened, once I come round I feel a little out of it and dazed for a while, but there is absolutely no memory of what has actually happened.

I try to force myself to remember somthing, but there is just nothing, it's like losing a little bit of time completely. Dows sound similar though, as I'm sure my other half said this went on for a few minutes.

It was quite scary when I had blood coming from my mouth though, until I realsied that I had really bit my tongue badly.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Spooky Mulder, thanks for that, certainly opens your eyes to how serious it can be.

It may well just have been that, and hopefully it was. I think what has got me to the point of worry (as I usually don't really worry too much about myself), is that this would account for the recent time, but I don't think I was dehydrated the other times, though I couldn't rule it out.

Like I say, I guess it's just frightening when you're not sure what is going on.

Thank you both for you comments.

Spooky Mulder

Yes, fitting and memory loss are not uncommon with dehydration - what you need to work out is why this has happened four times. It still may be as simple as salt imbalance, or it may be something else completely different.

One thing you can do is ensure you are well hydrated - make sure you have 6-8 decent glasses of water per day (and beer doesn't count, even on Scoonynet )

David Lock

Sorry to hear this.

To state the bleeding obvious get your doctor to refer you to a hospital consultant who may know what he/she is talking about. Don't take no for an answer. david

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

That's alot of water. I don't know I could manage that much.. would tea count aswell, or does it have to be water on it's own?

rallycol

iTrader: (4)

Seek specialist medical advice, this is too serious for a guess on a forum, even if you have to pay for a private consultation to be seen sooner,take care Colin

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Colin, I couldn't afford private, but I have asked medics about this and they seem to be drawing a blank. I don't want to seem like a hypocondriac(sp), but maybe I do need to ask the doctors again. I don't think they are taking note that this has happened more than once.

Mind, the nice doctor I have seen more than once does seem concerned more than others, and she did say it could be like fainting when the body is run down or under stress by some illness.

I only asked here as I know there are doctors about, plus, if someone/people had experience of similar it may give me insight and somthing to ask the doctor at my next appointment.

Thank you for the concern

Turbohot

^ What he said.

Sorry to hear about your health, Lisa. Please stress to your GP on sending you for further tests e.g. blood, EEG, MRI etc. even to eliminate you from the doubt. If you don't succeed with this, I would go for private consultation. Good luck with everything.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Thank you David.

I have an appointment to get a date for with a rhumatologist(yes I know that's the wrong spelling, by a mile), because I have had some dodgy blood test results. She (doctor) wants me to have this appoinment first before looking into anything else.

rallycol

iTrader: (4)

Press the doctor a little bit more ,if it does happen again and you end up in hospital dont leave with questions unanswered,if you dont feel up to it get a friend or relative to put a bit of pressure on them( in a nice way),as will all know how busy they are, I had a work fiend who had very similar and it took a bit of time to diagnose it pm me if you want thanks Colin

Turbohot

Some doctors seem to trust their diagnosis without paying enough attention to history and detail, Lisa. There are examples and examples where doctors have walked past the sure signs and ample history of serious illnesses, thinking they were not as bad as they looked/ were described. You should rightfuly emphasise on the fact that you would like to go through tests. You don't have to be forced to go for expensive private consultation IMO.

Not my experience, but someone I know suffered from mild fits of similar kind. it was simply taken as fatigue and dehydration. One day, he had a bad one, followed by severe headache. He was rushed into hospital, and a blood clot was spotted in his brain. he was treated, and he is now perfecty fine and dandy. But frankly speaking, lack of correct diagnosis at early stages could have cost him his life. So, I would ask the doctor for further tests, in all honesty.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Swati, thank goodness it was caught in time for your friend.

I don't want to be a pain to the doctors, but maybe I should push my concerns a bit more.

njkmrs

This sounds very similar to one of the lads at work .Although his circumstances may be very different to yours and his lifestyle very different to yours .
This lad was a very big drinker ,who would drink in the morning when he got up even ,strong Lager etc .
He was about 8 stone wet through and looked very thin as he was quite a tall lad .Anyway because of his drinking he tended to not look after himself and did not eat .I often saw him pick at his food in the Canteen at work and then throw it in the bin.

He began to have these types of fit that you describe and often banged his head when falling often at work .He was eventually told by his doctor/hospital that he had a form of Epilepsy and was given tablets to keep it under control .He was told not to drink as this was leading to the fits,along with the neglect of his body .On a positive note he is doing a lot better now and has really reduced his drinking .( i think it was emotional problems at the time that led to his drinking problem )

Anyway ,the similarity with yourself is maybe your run down or not eating properly and it is leaving your body weak and susceptible to fits,which may or may not be Epileptic .I am in no way suggesting you have a drink problem ,so please dont be offended ,it is merely the fits that sounds very similar .

Do you eat well or are you underweight or anything ??
I am in no way medically competant ,I am merely describing someone elses experience .
I hope you insist on getting a thorough consultation and finding out what the issue is .When found Im sure you will be able to treat it to prevent it happening .
Good Luck .
I wish you well .

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

ask to be tested for diabetes.

atb james

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Lisa, sorry to state the ovious, but you sound like you are having fits, I'm an epileptic(not had a fit for 12 years) get to A&E and tell them what has happened they will send you for an ECG, as it is not a one off you say you have had 4 over what period of time? Good luck they are not pleasant
Cheers
Colin

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

colin being an epileptic, does that effect your driving licence?

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Yes, if you have fits whilst awake, you can lose your licence for 12 months, but you must also stay fit free for 12 months also to get your license back, when I started having them it was 5 years, Luckily I found a great G.P. whom got me sorted as I said in my previous post it has been 12 years since my last fit, but I must stress I only ever had mine in my sleep which allowed me to keep my license, I have to take medication twice a day and will have to for the rest of my life.
Cheers
Colin

AndrewP

Almost certainly the dehydration / lack of food will play a part here. There could be several mechanisms which might present the same symptoms. What would be good to know are as you've had a few of the events now what if any common factors are present each time - if lack of food / drink is always a factor that would make the diagnosis easier and much less likely to be epilepsy. Home is worth a look, one or two of the case studies might ring true, certainly look at the blackouts checklist - this may help when you next see the doc. Without lots of background it is really blind guesswork but a couple of facts to bear in mind - almost 50% of the population will suffer from faints / blackouts at some point and fitting is a very common secondary symptom, but only around 1% of the population have epilepsy. Good luck, pm if you have more questions.

Spooky Mulder

BTW - if you have had an unexplained fit or blackout you are supposed to tell the DVLA and you are likely to have your driving license suspended for three months minimum or until a doctor states you are OK.

Leslie

I am very sorry to hear of your problems Lisa, it must be very frightening.

I cannot offer any medical advice-you have already had some valid ponters from other posters and I hope that may help you.

All I can say is that you must be very insistent in your dealings with the doctors to ensure that they get all the tests you require to diagnose the trouble. I think many doctors are so overwhelmed these days that they are tempted to push some people away telling them to come back if the trouble recurs. I believe they are also encouraged in some cases to resist referrring people to a consultant. That happened to me and caused a 6 month delay in the diagnosis of my cancer.

I hope it gets sorted properly soon.

Les

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

When the latest one happened, I went to A&E. They did blood testsurine sample etc. and and ECG (I think). Apparently all were OK. My blood pressure was a little raised though. These are very spaced out, as in probably a year apart, so it is difficult to remember if there were any common factors, but I will try and think back.

James, they did a test for diabetes, and ruled that out, also my last blood test at the doctors came back normal for that.

As for the lifestyle thing, I would never deny I like a drink, but not like the person earlier mentioned on the thread, I'm not that bad. I don't eat well, as I don't have a great appetite, but I'm not underweight. As for drinking water, I doubt I have enough of that, but I do try to get my fluids from other things, tea, juice and such.

Thankfully, I don't drive, so I don't have to worry about that.

Thank you for all the replies. It's helpful to hear of the experiences of others, if only to have an idea what it could be.

Paul3446

Definitely make sure you don't get fobbed off by doctors, if you aren't happy with their diagnosis don't let it drop.

It may also be worth seeing someone who can advise on your diet and fluid intake as well, to make sure it's not something obvious that is triggering it.

Good luck,

Paul.

Clarebabes

You really don't want to be diagnosed with Epilepsy! It stays with you for life and the hassle of giving up your driving licence for a year is not worth thinking about!

David Lock

Hmmmm.

Well I can't see how that is relevant. Do you know if you are actually seeing a consultant or just some turbo nurse with a Diploma in treating Tennis Elbow?

I'd ask your Doctor if that visit is relevant to your condition. Do you have any obvious joint problems? David

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

When I was at the doctors not long ago, about a general feeling of being not so well, blood tests were repeated (from some done earlier in the year) and the same raised levels were there as in the previous blood tests. As a result, the doctor I saw thought it best at the time to send me for this consultation. Tbh, I don't know what the point is either as I wouldn't say I really have any substantial joint problems, just general aches at times, but I think that's because in my job, I spend all day on my feet, so ache a bit when I relax.

When I spoke to the doctor(different one) most recently, she said to still go for this appointment and see what comes of it, but doubts anything will, then she can do further investigation afterwards.

I feel like I'm falling apart at the moment.