Posted by medlib on May 20, 2001, at 3:02:58
In reply to Temporal Lobe Epilepsy-anyone out there?, posted by Mitch on May 18, 2001, at 11:46:40
Mitch--
My son has had TLE since age 14--20 years. His diagnosis is "complex partial seizures, secondarily generalized"--what used to be called "grand mal seizures with auras." (An aura is a complex partial seizure that may, or may not, lead to a generalized one.) He has never had an abnormal EEG. He's taken Tegretol (carbamazepine) nearly all of that time and hasn't had a generalized seizure in 12+ years. (He still has occasional auras when he's forgotten a med dose or gotten too little sleep or too much stress.) Although he's on 1200 mg. Tegretol/day and describes his short-term memory as "Swiss cheese," he's completed grad school with a 4.0, has a responsible job, a good marriage, and is expecting his first child in a few months.
I tell you all this to emphasize that proper med management can enable many epileptics to lead perfectly normal lives. Over the years, I have heard other epileptics describe nearly every symptom you listed--including echolalia. There is a logical connection between ADD and epilepsy. If you think of a brain which has insufficient "brake fluid"-i.e. GABA, one stimulus may trigger an appropriate electrical "firing" in the brain, but that signal doesn't stop normally--it spreads to perhaps adjacent, but unrelated areas. However, if a biological connection between epilepsy and ADD has been clearly established, I'm not aware of it. (Since my son has been stable, I haven't followed the field as closely.)
My son's neurologist specializes in epilepsy, and is on the board of the local Epilepsy Assn. Your nearest chapter might be willing to list such specialists for you or your primary physician may be able to refer you to one. I believe that such a specialist is essential, especially for you.
Good luck on your diagnostic journey. Well wishes---medlib
poster:medlib
thread:63474
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63684.html