My sister recently went into the ER because she was having what appeared to be seizures. Her right hand would start shaking and then her arms and sometimes her entire body would follow. Her legs and her hand would go numb- she could not feel anything.Her eyes would roll back in her hands and then one time it seemed like she would swallow her tongue. This is the first time this has ever happened to her in her life. She is 28 years old.
In the ER they ran tests- labs and a CT head, all came back negative. She was admitted to the hospital because when they got ready to discharge her she passed out while walking in the hallway. While in the hospital, they did a MRI Brain and and EEG, both came back normal. She was seen by a neurologist who told her that he thinks this is stress related, and that she is really not having true seizures. She does have hypertension, and currently is not taking anything for it. When they took her BP in the ER, it was 220 something over 100 something.
Now they have released her from the hospital but she still is having these ‘tremors’, and has to be watched round the clock. The doctor told her not to drive for 6 months. I am just trying to get some answers for her because it seems like this can’t be due to just stress. I want to know why are the tremors happening? What other tests should they run on her? Have you heard of anything like this before? and if so what is your analysis? What are your suggestions or comments? What can we do for her?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
I’m happy that the MRI was normal. A brain tumor would have been bad news, so a normal MRI is definitely good news. It sounds like she has been thoroughly examined by the proper specialists. There is probably not much I can add. Perhaps a video-EEG and sleep-deprived EEG might be considered so that epilepsy might be exhaustively excluded. However, I’m sure the neurologist has done what he deemed necessary. Your sister may have pseudoepilepsy, which means that epileptic seizures happen without the corresponding changes in EEG. There is no specific treatment for that, but a consultation with a psychiatrist might be useful, and there is always the possibility of a trial with an antiepileptic drug, such as valproate or benzodiazepines. Ask your doctor about these possibilities.
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