Posted by medlib on May 22, 2001, at 0:38:16
In reply to Re: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, posted by Mitch on May 20, 2001, at 14:43:23
Mitch--
Thanks for the feedback! As one who has no insurance, I can understand only too well your reluctance to continue playing medical "musical chairs" when you're always "it." What will help the most in future rounds of the Dx game is to make sure your neuro doc has copies of all relevant med records and diagnostic tests before your appointment and to take in a list of all current meds and supplements (with dosages). (It's worth a call to the new doc's office beforehand to see if everything's arrived--that way, you can demand that previous docs fax what's missing.)
Personally, I see little logic in yet another, probably normal, EEG--unless you think you can reliably induce l or more of the symptoms you described while "hooked up.". However, imaging scans can show abnormalities in brain tissue (called "focal lesions" or scars, tumors, etc.) and some can detect regional abnormalities in brain functioning. What you want to know (besides the cost) is what the test is expected to show and whether results will likely be "diagnostic" or just "indicative." It helps to be frank about costs (financial and emotional), but with tact (neuros have bad reps re bedside manners--many are less than empathetic.) And your "dx of the month" remark is all too close to realistic. It's my hunch that your Sxs (symptoms) are too diverse for it to be likely that a "trigger point" can be identified. (I got a mental image of an electrical pingpong ball or racquetball bouncing randomly when I read your post.) That's definitely NOT a qualified opinion, though--don't take it to the bank (or the neuro).
A Babbler whose posts I always follow (JohnL) has a logical, pragmatic approach to psych meds--trying to identify the most reasonable match between symptomology and drug classifications, then trying several meds from that class to find which works best. He is less interested in *why* a med works than *how well* it works. I like that approach for psych meds, but please don't try it for anticonvulsants (or stimulants). For epileptics, different ACs work better for different types of seizures; the wrong one can actually trigger seizures. Stimulants often are prescribed for ADD, but they can also cause seiures in epileptics. That's why, if you even *suspect* epilepsy, an appropriate neuro is so important.
Well, that's more than enough "mothering" for tonight. Hope you find some answers; if it helps, I think you are asking the right questions.
Well wishes---medlib
poster:medlib
thread:63474
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63883.html