Hello, my symptoms are very similar to yours. I was put on lamitcal after describing my symptoms. I was hesitant to go on meds as well. I went on the meds, and my seizures stopped. I was still concerned that there was no "proof". Unfortunately, often times the only way for diagnosis is describing symptoms, starting medication and seeing if your seizures stop.
I then was connected to a new friend who was experiencing the same symptoms, and then ended up having a grand mal. That made me realize I did the right thing by going on medicine.
Two weeks ago, I just finished a four day in hospital EEG. A formal diagnosis of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy was given, and I am relieved to have a diagnosis.
I live in Chicago, and my neurologist(s) are wonderful. They are caring and actually listen to me. I have not had any side effects from the lamictal.
I wish you luck with answers.

I started out with just having the deja vu auras on and off for several years, but never thought anything of it...Until I was 28 when I had my first grand mal. It took seeing a couple of different neurologists and after almost 4 years of grand mals and testing they discovered I had cerebral Heterotopia which is the gray matter in my brain didn’t form properly. They don’t know why it took so long to surface. I tried every medicine available and had every side effect possible. I have now had a temporal lobectomy and VNS implant

Yes, it came out of nowhere. My auras got more intense, but I just thought it was a normal feeling of deja vu. I don’t remember if I had an aura warning me right before I had my first grand mal. I woke up that morning, getting daughter ready for basketball game. Next thing I knew was waking up in an ambulance strapped down. It was so scary. We couldn’t figure out if I seized then fell down the stairs or if the fall caused the seizure. Where I lived at the time, the hospital was a joke. So, after several more seizures, we found a neurologist in the city that got the ball rolling on testing. It took awhile, but my neurologist never gave up searching for answers. We have a really strong bond now (she calls me her freak patient), because of the fact that Cerebral Heterotopia should have caused learning disabilities from childbirth. I was in honors and went on to college.

i have complex partial into tonic clonic (focal onset impaired awareness into grand mals). i have auras then small partials then large partials then grand mals. anyway i think you have aura seizures into small to large partials.
every meds have side effects and every person reacts differently. keppra is known for tired, dizzy, and mood swings (keppra rage). i have a lot of meds before keppra and nothing worked. i used to get keppra rage. i take vitamin milk thistle and the rage goes away. (i am a health nut)
drs want you to be healthy and be seizure free. the med helps you be healthy and ultimately seizure free. you also need to trust your gut feeling. if you dont trust the dr, you will be 2nd guessing everything. we (i was young when i had seizures) have hired and fired drs and i have a couple of trusted drs.
i hope that help you.

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member remember, trust your gut and 'the more the better' with drs. i have a couple drs in different hospitals.
and when i was younger (before i was diagnose) i had only my grand mal. after that i had sever partials or the grand mals straight off the bat. but i mostly did the auras then partials then sever partials and sometimes grand mals. after the surgery mt severe and grand mals stopped but my auras and partials went on.

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