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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Funny turn. AIBU to call it a one-off? Focal Seizure?

52 replies

Chairshame · 27/12/2019 02:51

Name changed. I’m a bit embarrassed.

Big family dinner today, plus massive period plus getting over a rotten cold. All a bit stress but not overly so.
I felt a bit odd, like the floor was coming up towards me so I had a sit down and then powered on. Mentioned to DH the floor felt like it was moving.
I got a visual migraine, jagged flashing lights and no pain. For the absolute life of me I couldn’t work out how many chairs we needed. I knew we needed to seat 9 for dinner and had 9 plates ready but I couldn’t work out that therefore 9 people = 9 chairs. Then I forgot the cutlery. I felt so odd that I asked my mum to carve and plate up the dinners instead of everyone serving themselves, and I sat in the front room and gave myself a talking to.

Then I went back in the kitchen/dining room and DH said that there was lots of hubbub, the kids coming in and out and I’d just stopped in the middle of the room. He asked me a question and said I took ages to answer and the words came out very slow. I knew something was odd but I was busy focussing on everyone else. I also felt incredibly hot and tingly, like when you’ve got into a warm bath. DH said he thought I was having a stroke or something (he has no idea about what that might be, just that something was going on) but then I felt MCUH better and was happy and chatty and had a lovely dinner and played cards with everyone. I am totally knackered now but I can’t sleep.

My friend with a child with epilepsy thinks it’s a focal seizure, DH is a bit rattled but I’m thinking it’s a combo of too much rich food and general Christmas stress that’s given me a mutant migraine. I had no head pain at all.

Do I call it a one off or do as my friend suggested and pester the doc about it?

OP posts:

DramaAlpaca · 27/12/2019 02:55

I don't want to scare you, but surely you know that you absolutely must get this checked out by a doctor?

Original poster

Chairshame · 27/12/2019 02:57

Well does it though? I’ve had ocular migraines for years - they’re a bit annoying but no more than that, and this was like that but with some extra whistles and bells...

OP posts:

MaitlandGirl · 27/12/2019 03:00

Anything that’s a deviation from your normal must be checked out. It could just be a migraine, but it’s not your normal type of migraine so needs investigating.

HappydaysArehere · 27/12/2019 03:00

You are worried so why not ask the doctor. Having 9 people to a sit down meal plus everything else that goes on at this time of the year together with getting over a cold could certainly cause your head to “spin”. Perhaps you have a lot of congestion due to catarrh. That can make you feel odd. However, I would suggest a talk with the doctor if only to put your mind at rest.

DramaAlpaca · 27/12/2019 03:03

Exactly MaitlandGirl. A deviation from your normal needs checking. And I say that as a migraine sufferer. But I have a feeling OP doesn't want to hear that.

Original poster

Chairshame · 27/12/2019 03:04

Thank you. It’s my husband that’s worried really. If I went to the doc what could she say though? Come back if it happens again? I don’t think it warrants a load of excited testing etc

OP posts:

Original poster

Chairshame · 27/12/2019 03:05

DramaAlpaca you’re right!

I am too busy for this!

OP posts:

OccasionalNachos · 27/12/2019 03:07

The doctor will have a much better idea of whether it’s serious or not than a load of Mumsnet randoms, OP.

DramaAlpaca · 27/12/2019 03:08

We are all busy at this time of year, but your health is important. Humour your husband and get checked. I say this as someone who is also too busy to fit in a GP appointment but knows that I have to in January, like it or not

alexdgr8 · 27/12/2019 03:09

if your husband had this episode, what would your reaction be.
go to the doctor, asap.

Original poster

Chairshame · 27/12/2019 03:11

Ok. I’ll book to see my Gp. They only have emergency appointments this week and next so it’ll be a couple of weeks anyway I think. It’s not an emergency. I’m scaring myself a bit with the Deja Vu thing. I get that a LOT before I have the visual disturbance. It’s so weird - I’ve even asked people where I know them from (and been met with blank looks) and only later realised it was the run up to a migraine.

OP posts:

DramaAlpaca · 27/12/2019 03:23

Good, glad we've talked you into seeing your GP.

Migraines are weird, I used to get a really odd, spaced-out feeling before I got the headache. If I took painkillers right then I could fend them off, but I didn't always recognise the feeling for what it was as it could be very vague, didn't take painkillers in time, then I'd suffer for a couple of days with a horrendous one-sided headache. I reckon mine were hormonal because I never had them in pregnancy and since the menopause they've disappeared completely. One of the few advantages

ispepsiokay · 27/12/2019 04:39

Get to a doctor. I had a few funny turns, the floor felt like it was moving under my feet, my skin on my face kept crawling, then I had weird sensations of deja vu followed by exhaustion. Eventually I had 2 tonic clinic seizures, I was lucky I wasn't driving at the time, I was also lucky that the second was at my desk at work as the position my head dropped into meant that I stopped breathing

tangledyarn · 27/12/2019 04:45

Probably a weird migraine given your history but worth mentioning it to gp as it's new for you. My migraine symptoms can be so strange, I feel like I am in am alternate reality, cant talk properly, feel like I'm falling. All very bizarre!

CreaturesVeiledByNight · 27/12/2019 04:56

Glad you’re going to see your GP but I would push for an emergency appointment to be honest. It might have been a weird migraine thing but there’s a chance that it could have been a TIA and it needs checking out.

GlamGiraffe · 27/12/2019 05:07

Migraine without pain is not that uncommon. It is a known phenomenon is sufferers.

How do you normally feel after a migraine?

A seizure would normally leave you wiped out but it's more common to sleep rather than be tired but awake. Uou are potentially describing a type of absence with aura. Aura can differ from person to person and be like migraine. Can you describe more specifically what you were reported as doing during your funny turn?

I agree a gp visit is appropriate with referral to a neurologist for an EEG. Tiredness and being unwell can trigger seizures, what are your migraine triggers?

Dita73 · 27/12/2019 05:49

You’ve had a bad migraine. I’ve had migraine since I was 15 then about 8 years ago they took a turn for the worse. Out of the blue one day I got the migraine aura,zigzags,flashing lights,etc but nothing majorly odd. After about 20 minutes as my vision returned but I was left with the scariest symptoms. I couldn’t speak (say what I wanted to say), I couldn’t remember simple things,I had severe numbness and tingling in my throat and my arm felt numb too. I was absolutely petrified and certain I’d had a stroke. I felt extremely confused and my whole head seemed to be in a muddle. Saw the doctor the next day who examined me and confirmed that it was migraine and my symptoms were not that unusual. After that every time I got a migraine very similar things would happen. When it happens now I realise what it is and don’t worry as much. It is still however completely terrifying because in your mind you still think this one could be a stroke or something. If you go on YouTube there is a clip of a news reporter who this happened to live on tv. It often appears as “reporter has stroke on live tv” but it’s not what happened at all. It was just migraine. I would see a doctor to get it confirmed but I wouldn’t be too worried. I hope you feel better soon

yorkshireteaspoonie · 27/12/2019 06:34

What GlamGiraffe said ^^

I have simple partial seizures or 'focal seizures' and I'm totally wiped out after and have to sleep, there's no option to carry on as I was. I get a warning 'smell' (that doesn't exist it's in my head) and then I know I'm going. I'm aware I'm 'in it' and just have to wait for it to pass. If my other half is with me and talking to me I have no recollection of any conversation of talking to him at all.

I'd be wary of classing this as a seizure if you already have migraines....and as this happened during the day when you were awake ... classing it as a seizure, the doctor may query your ability to drive/ hold a licence

Obligatorync · 27/12/2019 06:37

Could be hormonal/migraine/anxiety but also could be something more serious.
You need to see a GP to be sure.
A few years ago I went through a phase where occasionally I could tell that I knew someone but couldn't place who it was. I'm talking close friends.
I had investigations which found nothing and was reassured. It doesn't happen anymore.

NearlyGranny · 27/12/2019 06:38

Definitely must be checked out! Possibly a new aspect of your existing migraine. I used to get non-painful ones with just the visual disturbances and occasionally very frightening ones where I lost my vocabulary and could neither speak coherently nor process what was being said around me. In that state I could focus on individual letters but not read words.

What is the use of a concerned, frightened husband who thinks you might be having a stroke but nonetheless lets you carry on catering to guests?!?!?! Why didn't he get help for you? What if it had been a life-and-death situation?

He needs a good shaking and you need a good test!

Savingshoes · 27/12/2019 07:12

Feel a bit odd, couldn't work out how many chairs, a bit of stress... sounds like stroke.
Like one of those small warning sign strokes that people get before a massive stroke that they never regain their mobility/speech/continence etc.
You would need bloods and scans etc to check this. A GP apt hasn't got the equipment and they could refer you but I would go sit down A&E.

bretonleopard · 27/12/2019 07:46

There is a type of migraine that has the same symptoms as a stroke (hemiplegic). I have had this - think all of the FAST symptoms - arm literally so numb and heavy I couldn’t move it, slurred speech, one side of face dropped . I was blue lighted to hospital and had all of the tests for stroke (or mini stroke) but could not see any signs. However, I was told if I have those symptoms again, to go to hospital to have it checked.

Migraine is much more than headache or flashing lights. It is not unusual for me to experience strange smells, feel like my eyes are cross eyed when they’re not, legs turn to jelly and falling over, forgetting words,
Vertigo. In fact, I rarely have a headache.

NearlyGranny · 27/12/2019 07:54

Rest, not test!

SuperMeerkat · 27/12/2019 07:58

@Chairshame I’ve got epilepsy and have similar types of seizures to those. However, please don’t go self diagnosing as this can have massive implications on your life, loss of drivers licence for example. Doctors appointment ASAP.

sandgrown · 27/12/2019 08:06

My teenage son had a strange episode where it appeared he had passed out . He said he saw flashing lights and had a very bad headache. The walk in centre just prescribed ibuprofen/paracetamol. The following day he realised all his tongue had been cut by his braces. The hospital suspected a seizure and did lots of tests including a head scan
Thankfully all was clear but he has still been referred to see a neurologist. I think you should get it checked OP.

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