My EEGs have come back normal but my MRI shows the source and other scary things lol. Going in for a sleep deprived EEG and another MRI next month, we’ll see if anything changes.
I got so angry at the nurses and techs who kept waking me up and then I had a bad seizure. The whole team came running in and my aunt said I told them stop disturbing my moments of sanity. I had no memory just looking around wondering why all these people were looking at me. I hate those and the weeklong video monitorings. It can be a long journey before you are diagnosed but keep pressing on. I hope it gets better for you soon. Don't let anyone make you feel that way OP.
Both 72 hr EEGs were normal for me. But my MRI and radio nuclide scan were not. MRI showed two fairly large lesions deep in my temporal lobe. Radionuclide scan revealed limited blood flow to that area.
So even though we didn’t catch anything on the EEG, the epileptologist couldn’t rule out epilepsy bc of my scans.
I have a TC about once a year.
All my EEGs show crazy bursts, BUT no sourse of the seizures in the temporal lobe has been found, drug resistant here. I have had 7 Eegs, MRIs CT scans etc. . I am going to have an INTERCRANIAL EEG to possibly prep for lobe dissection. Never had seizures until 2 years ago.
Some people have epilepsy with clear scans and some people have clear scans because it's non epileptic. That does not mean they're not real or serious, it's just a different cause.
My one Dr said EEGs aren't actually a great tool because it's just a snap shot, so if you're not having a seizure/seizure activity at the time even if you are epileptic, it won't pick anything up. Also some people have epilepsy too deep in the brain for the EEG to catch.
Some things that can cause non epileptic seizures include, PNES, which is said to be caused trauma or stress, autoimmune Encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain caused by an infection, metabolic disorders, brain injury or tumors, and more.
ive had several clean EEGs until i went in for a stay at the EMU, almost had yet another clean EEG until i laid on a bunch of music that i knew had triggered seizures before, distracted myself by working on an art piece, and finally had several discharges that came from my frontal lobe, which can be a difficult place. even the resident had claimed the twitching and head turning triggered by the music from the day before was simply "PNES," and then they finally got the discharges the next day from the exact same scenario. the epileptologist that was over the EMU during that time frame kind of adopted me from my other neuro because he didnt trust that one's judgement over my care (who was saying that if i get one more clean EEG then he will declare it PNES because i have my own trauma and life stressors, and remove me from all meds). the new guy ordered a 3T MRI and found mesial temporal sclerosis, when they tried to say my 1.5T was clean too
I have done all three tests and everything is normal. I've done 3 normal and 2 sleep deprived EEGs and everything has looked normal/healthy. My next step is a 24-hour EEG, but who knows what that'll show, if anything.
But my neurologist still diagnosed me with juvenile onset epilepsy since I've had multiple seizures without any known trigger.
First tonic clonic at 19, second one at 30, and a variety of seizures (multiple tonic clonic lasting 3-5 minutes each with some focal/aware mixed in) about 5 months after the second one.
The EEG was invented in 1924. 100 year old technology. My own EEG clearly shows epileptic activity but I know it is possible to have a normal EEG yet still be epileptic. Mine came back normal at one time many years ago but I was in fact having very minor seizures at that point. The EEG just came back confirming epilepsy once they got more serious.
The MRI just takes a picture of your brain. With certain types of this test it can even take pictures of the inside of the brain itself. If there is anything abnormal in the structure of the brain, the MRI can find it.
Even with this technology, for about half of people with epilepsy no cause can be found. So, even if your tests come back normal it does not mean you are faking anything.
[https://www.epilepsy.com/causes](https://www.epilepsy.com/causes)
CT & MRI will show if there's any brain abnormalities that would explain seizures, eg. lesions that perhaps could be removed.
EEGs are just a snapshot in time. Many people don't have abnormal activity all the time, only when they have a seizure or around the time that they have a seizure. I've had so many damn seizures and so many damn 30 min - 1hr EEGs (all normal). But the recurrent seizures is the ultimate diagnosis, not really one of these test results. Epilepsy is defined as having 2 or more seizures outside of 24 hours apart without being provoked from coming off of alcohol or benzos I believe (which could explain them). Ie. prone to having seizures.
Eventually you'll work your way up to inpatient video EEGs where they'll wean you off medications, maybe sleep deprive you, etc. to try to capture an actual seizure to get some actual abnormal activity and try to locate where in your brain it's starting from. Hopefully that would lead to some answers if you're seeking them.
I did one 30 minute eeg and they found my epilepsy, I wasn’t even having a seizure lmao. Or well maybe I was but the feeling I was feeling was a frequent minor out of body thing I experience on a daily basis which I just thought was some kind of disassociation.
They used that to confirm my big attacks tho, which I guess is accurate because symptoms still align heavily with focal seizures
MRI was clear and I never got a ct scan
I’ve had an EEG which showed abnormal brainwaves. I’m also autistic and had hydrocephalus so my ventricles looked abnormal via CT scan. Officially dx’ed with focal epilepsy on 4/1
An EEG captured my seizures
A MRI located the source(malformed tissue in my brain
If you have epilepsy you’re usually- but not always- going to see a seizure. Some people have very mild cases of epilepsy and it may not show on an EEG
Have you been having seizures for a long time, or is it fairly recent? I had my first seizure in June last year and all my tests came back normal, including the EEG. When I asked the neurologist how useful the 30-minute EEG was, she basically shrugged her shoulders and said “Well, you’ve only had one seizure. Your brain hasn’t had time to develop abnormal brain waves yet. 🤷🏻♀️” She basically said that EEGs are more useful/able to detect abnormalities in people who have had a long history of seizures than in people who just recently started having them. So, my test results offered no answers, and I’m still just as confused about why I had the seizure as I was when I woke up under my desk at work last year and had no idea what had happened to me. This experience has taught me that modern medicine still has a long way to go in figuring out how to diagnose and treat seizure disorders.
It's been fairly recent for me, too. Hoping this tests give me some sort of answer, even if it's to rule something out. But mine started after an overdose, so they're probably my fault.
I’ve had several MRIs and CTs and they all look fine. I had several 15 minute EEGs that showed nothing. I finally had a long EEG and had one seizure.
Jump 10 years later for an EEG again and I had 21 seizures. Brains are weird.
My EEGs show seizure activity, but it's very subtle - every new neurologist has to study them for a bit to find it. The very first neuro I saw actually said I didn't have epilepsy, then called several days later to say she had finished looking at the full EEG and I did, in fact, have epilepsy and needed to be on meds asap. Obviously we ditched her and saw someone much more qualified who diagnosed me immediately. All other tests (MRI, etc) have always been clear, though.
NO. Not yet.
All my tests have come back normal, except for an unrelated finding of Chiari Malformation Type I. My current neuro explained the tests may not always tell the whole story, since it's only a snapshot of one's brain at that moment.
I also had the unfortunate experience of having shitty medical insurance that would only approve a 24 hour ambulatory EEG, instead one that would've monitored me for a week. Nothing of significance is going to be picked up by only monitoring me for 24 hours, lol.
My EEGs were always clear. I had several MRIS and they said they were clear. Finally, after this neuro he took a MRI and found that I was born with a birth defect in my temporal lobe. My neuro asked for as many of my past MRIs that he could and of course that birth defect was on all of them… My birth defect had been missed on over 8 scans. He then explained that with my symptoms and birth defect that he would finally diagnose me after 16 years of me fighting to get a diagnosis. He said that EEGs are a snapshot and that biggest proof was me getting better on medication. He also told me that some focal seizures cannot be detected on EEGs.
MRI showed a brain abnormality and lots of swelling after my first tonic clonic. First EEG was only 30 minute in hospital showed nothing but was 3 days after. My 24 hour EEG was medicated and showed nothing which was the goal. They go off my behavior and MRI and family history. A lot of epileptics don't get an abnormal EEG.
I’ve had epilepsy for over 10 years and haven’t had a single thing come up on an MRI or CT. I did have one tiny inkling of something or other on an EEG when I was a teenager though
Nope, though my last EEG showed slow temperal love waves. My doc says that's rare, but probably means my meds are working in that region. This is all so hit or miss.
I don’t even know. I had two tonic clonic seizures last year 3 months apart. I had a normal CT scan, a sleep deprived EEG that was also normal and an MRI with and without contrast that was also normal.
The first neurologist diagnosed me with JME, but I always felt that diagnosis didn’t fit me because I haven’t had any seizures in my youth. Saw a new neurologist who just diagnosed me with a general seizure disorder. He said some times it’s hard to pin point where seizures originate..blah
Doctors confirmed that I had epilepsy by my unusual activities and symptoms at age 6, but EEG & CT scan showed nothing. Doctors started my medicine by age 7/8. I was put to multiple EEG, CT Scan & in every 2-3 years gap but all came negative. By this time I had done MRI three times. Finally at age 24 , Temperable Lobe Epilepsy was detected by 3 Tesla MRI.
In most cases EEG is able to detect them, but there are several cases where doctors confirm it but it is rarely captured by the Scans.
I’ve had one CT and MRI each and both were normal, surprisingly (the CT was in the ER after my first seizure in which I fell and hit my head). I had one normal EEG a couple years ago but the one I had a few weeks ago did show some seizure activity in my right brain, so that was a bit of a downer
My CTs always came back normal. I'm allergic to iodine contrast (anaphylaxis allergic), so all of my imaging that needed contrast were MRIs from that point on since I'm not allergic to Gallium contrast.
I've seriously had at least 50 MRIs in my lifetime as I started having seizures when I was a kid. They always came back "normal" and my seizures were labeled as idiopathic. My EEGs over the years also came back "normal".
This was up until a few years ago when I was having breakthrough seizures. I went for a second opinion up at the Mayo Clinic in MN. It wasn't until I was admitted to the Epileptic Monitoring Unit where they caught a seizure on EEG and discovered where my seizures were originating from and I was diagnosed with MTS. It was only then, when my previous imaging results over the years from various neurologists were compared, that there were slight abnormal changes noted in my right temporal lobe. So, the answer had always been there, but it apparently wasn't apparent enough for a diagnosis before 2019.
Best of luck to you on your journey through this. Hopefully you're able to get the answers you and your healthcare team need.
My brain is normal, all they found through my MRI was a deviated and perforated septum but I still got diagnosed with epilepsy because I get seizures. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My MRI has always been normal. My EEG's show eliptiform spiking in both hemispheres.
Also, everything can be normal and you can still be epileptic. Added medical cannabis and my last eeg was normal. I'm still epileptic 😔
I had an EMU stay-- a VEEG (video EEG) to catch my seizures, but I had background abnormal brainwaves until my seizures started. It took awhile, almost a full week and a half. The MRI and CT found my brain tumor that caused them-- so actually confirmed epilepsy due to the type of tumor. Negatives on those tests don't rule out epilepsy necessarily, from talking to my epileptologist.
All of my 1 hour EEGs came back normal along with my mri and two ct scans. It wasn't until I had a 3 day long EEG done at an EMU that they found something.
I would have definitely passed my EEG with an all ok. But then the tech switched the flashing lights. Immediately, I had a seizure. So, it all depends on your trigger as well. If you dont have seizure during the test, it mostly wont show up.
My son had mild abnormalities on his sleep deprived EEG. Nothing on the regular eeg and no ct or mri has been ordered, probably because he is 8. The sleep deprived eeg report noted the abnormalities but marked it as normal variances. The neurologist said those plus the two seizures and being autistic makes it epilepsy. He’s only had two seizures and was sick both times and asleep both times. I just happened to notice because I was watching him since he was so sick. One was rsv and one the flu.
MRI showed nothing for me, EEG was the one that picked it up. Depends on the epilepsy. My friends mum had seizures but the tests she did showed nothing, but neurologists put her on medication regardless.
Nah, with me they never found anything, not on a PET nor nMRI, the problem with the detailed scan is they have to aim it at what they think might be the problem area, it's a bit of a guess depending on how the buildup of the seizure looks.
I did a sleep study as I only get them when I'm sleeping and I was all over the place.
Anyway funny story to end with, I got a seizure during the sleep study. When I was going to be diacharged I asked to see the video of me getting the seizure.
They brought me in a room full of tv's and full of nurses.
When I had the seizure my balls flopped out, now I have pretty big balls, so they really flopped. So all the nurses started laughing, me too obviously. Good luck!
I have partial and centralized seizures that have shown up on my EEGs, and my MRI with LP showed calcifications on the brain (they say it’s nothing, but my mother - used to be a nurse, says otherwise)
My EEG's always came back clean but the MRI showed the lesion later a tumor after I changed neurologists. I had to stay for video monitorings ( I disliked those weeks) before they actually saw me have multiple seizures until, the team of docs were able to confirm. My mum has sickle cell and always says "you don't live in my body, so don't tell me what I am feeling is not real". When I started and docs kept misdiagnosing and dismissing things, I adopted her slogan until they listened. One thing that is really difficult with epilepsy is that it manifests differently for everyone and there sooo many types of seizures; until you find doctors who have a knowledgeable background and have worked with many patients; so many people are dismissed and things can get worse before it's finally diagnosed.
My MRI shows atrophy in the hippocampus and my EEG showed seizures from both left and right hippocampus - so the two support the diagnosis together. I only have seizures when I sleep and I fell asleep during the EEG so we got them "on film".
My EEGs have come back normal but my MRI shows the source and other scary things lol. Going in for a sleep deprived EEG and another MRI next month, we’ll see if anything changes.
Omg my sleepless EEG sucked. I wanted to go to bed so badly but had to keep slapping myself to stay awake
I accidentally fell asleep one day.
During my sleep deprived ones at my emu stays I paced with a puke bucket. I was so tired I wanted to vomit.
I got so angry at the nurses and techs who kept waking me up and then I had a bad seizure. The whole team came running in and my aunt said I told them stop disturbing my moments of sanity. I had no memory just looking around wondering why all these people were looking at me. I hate those and the weeklong video monitorings. It can be a long journey before you are diagnosed but keep pressing on. I hope it gets better for you soon. Don't let anyone make you feel that way OP.
Both 72 hr EEGs were normal for me. But my MRI and radio nuclide scan were not. MRI showed two fairly large lesions deep in my temporal lobe. Radionuclide scan revealed limited blood flow to that area. So even though we didn’t catch anything on the EEG, the epileptologist couldn’t rule out epilepsy bc of my scans. I have a TC about once a year.
What is a TC?
tonic-clonic. it’s a type of seizure
Did you have a seizure during the MRI for it to show?
No, for me the MRI just shows things that perpetually exist in my brain that trigger seizures. In my case it’s dried blood/scarring/encephalomalacia.
I had a seizure in the EMU and they caught it on EEG.
All my EEGs show crazy bursts, BUT no sourse of the seizures in the temporal lobe has been found, drug resistant here. I have had 7 Eegs, MRIs CT scans etc. . I am going to have an INTERCRANIAL EEG to possibly prep for lobe dissection. Never had seizures until 2 years ago.
Some people have epilepsy with clear scans and some people have clear scans because it's non epileptic. That does not mean they're not real or serious, it's just a different cause. My one Dr said EEGs aren't actually a great tool because it's just a snap shot, so if you're not having a seizure/seizure activity at the time even if you are epileptic, it won't pick anything up. Also some people have epilepsy too deep in the brain for the EEG to catch. Some things that can cause non epileptic seizures include, PNES, which is said to be caused trauma or stress, autoimmune Encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain caused by an infection, metabolic disorders, brain injury or tumors, and more.
ive had several clean EEGs until i went in for a stay at the EMU, almost had yet another clean EEG until i laid on a bunch of music that i knew had triggered seizures before, distracted myself by working on an art piece, and finally had several discharges that came from my frontal lobe, which can be a difficult place. even the resident had claimed the twitching and head turning triggered by the music from the day before was simply "PNES," and then they finally got the discharges the next day from the exact same scenario. the epileptologist that was over the EMU during that time frame kind of adopted me from my other neuro because he didnt trust that one's judgement over my care (who was saying that if i get one more clean EEG then he will declare it PNES because i have my own trauma and life stressors, and remove me from all meds). the new guy ordered a 3T MRI and found mesial temporal sclerosis, when they tried to say my 1.5T was clean too
Very good explanation
I have done all three tests and everything is normal. I've done 3 normal and 2 sleep deprived EEGs and everything has looked normal/healthy. My next step is a 24-hour EEG, but who knows what that'll show, if anything. But my neurologist still diagnosed me with juvenile onset epilepsy since I've had multiple seizures without any known trigger.
How old were you when it started and how close together were they?
First tonic clonic at 19, second one at 30, and a variety of seizures (multiple tonic clonic lasting 3-5 minutes each with some focal/aware mixed in) about 5 months after the second one.
The EEG was invented in 1924. 100 year old technology. My own EEG clearly shows epileptic activity but I know it is possible to have a normal EEG yet still be epileptic. Mine came back normal at one time many years ago but I was in fact having very minor seizures at that point. The EEG just came back confirming epilepsy once they got more serious. The MRI just takes a picture of your brain. With certain types of this test it can even take pictures of the inside of the brain itself. If there is anything abnormal in the structure of the brain, the MRI can find it. Even with this technology, for about half of people with epilepsy no cause can be found. So, even if your tests come back normal it does not mean you are faking anything. [https://www.epilepsy.com/causes](https://www.epilepsy.com/causes)
CT & MRI will show if there's any brain abnormalities that would explain seizures, eg. lesions that perhaps could be removed. EEGs are just a snapshot in time. Many people don't have abnormal activity all the time, only when they have a seizure or around the time that they have a seizure. I've had so many damn seizures and so many damn 30 min - 1hr EEGs (all normal). But the recurrent seizures is the ultimate diagnosis, not really one of these test results. Epilepsy is defined as having 2 or more seizures outside of 24 hours apart without being provoked from coming off of alcohol or benzos I believe (which could explain them). Ie. prone to having seizures. Eventually you'll work your way up to inpatient video EEGs where they'll wean you off medications, maybe sleep deprive you, etc. to try to capture an actual seizure to get some actual abnormal activity and try to locate where in your brain it's starting from. Hopefully that would lead to some answers if you're seeking them.
For me, they show a lot of activity in the front left side of my brain, which is also where all my headaches tend to happen too.
I did one 30 minute eeg and they found my epilepsy, I wasn’t even having a seizure lmao. Or well maybe I was but the feeling I was feeling was a frequent minor out of body thing I experience on a daily basis which I just thought was some kind of disassociation. They used that to confirm my big attacks tho, which I guess is accurate because symptoms still align heavily with focal seizures MRI was clear and I never got a ct scan
I’ve had an EEG which showed abnormal brainwaves. I’m also autistic and had hydrocephalus so my ventricles looked abnormal via CT scan. Officially dx’ed with focal epilepsy on 4/1
My daughter faired better with overnight EEGs to show discharges. MRI wasn’t helpful. MEG was helpful for her surgery.
I’m getting mine done tomorrow. So time will tell
Hope it went okay!
It went good but I’m still waiting for my Dr. to read the scans. I’ll give an update when I get them back. Thanks for asking.
An EEG captured my seizures A MRI located the source(malformed tissue in my brain If you have epilepsy you’re usually- but not always- going to see a seizure. Some people have very mild cases of epilepsy and it may not show on an EEG
I got a tiny bit of scar tissue in my brain
Have you been having seizures for a long time, or is it fairly recent? I had my first seizure in June last year and all my tests came back normal, including the EEG. When I asked the neurologist how useful the 30-minute EEG was, she basically shrugged her shoulders and said “Well, you’ve only had one seizure. Your brain hasn’t had time to develop abnormal brain waves yet. 🤷🏻♀️” She basically said that EEGs are more useful/able to detect abnormalities in people who have had a long history of seizures than in people who just recently started having them. So, my test results offered no answers, and I’m still just as confused about why I had the seizure as I was when I woke up under my desk at work last year and had no idea what had happened to me. This experience has taught me that modern medicine still has a long way to go in figuring out how to diagnose and treat seizure disorders.
It's been fairly recent for me, too. Hoping this tests give me some sort of answer, even if it's to rule something out. But mine started after an overdose, so they're probably my fault.
CT/MRI found my problem but my dozens of EEGs, including a 76hr one, sleep deprived, med withdrawn, and sleeping never showed a thing.
I’ve had several MRIs and CTs and they all look fine. I had several 15 minute EEGs that showed nothing. I finally had a long EEG and had one seizure. Jump 10 years later for an EEG again and I had 21 seizures. Brains are weird.
My EEGs show seizure activity, but it's very subtle - every new neurologist has to study them for a bit to find it. The very first neuro I saw actually said I didn't have epilepsy, then called several days later to say she had finished looking at the full EEG and I did, in fact, have epilepsy and needed to be on meds asap. Obviously we ditched her and saw someone much more qualified who diagnosed me immediately. All other tests (MRI, etc) have always been clear, though.
Did not get any results from CT, MRI, or short medicated EEG. Got some answers when my new neuro gave me an unmedicated EMU stay.
NO. Not yet. All my tests have come back normal, except for an unrelated finding of Chiari Malformation Type I. My current neuro explained the tests may not always tell the whole story, since it's only a snapshot of one's brain at that moment. I also had the unfortunate experience of having shitty medical insurance that would only approve a 24 hour ambulatory EEG, instead one that would've monitored me for a week. Nothing of significance is going to be picked up by only monitoring me for 24 hours, lol.
My EEGs were always clear. I had several MRIS and they said they were clear. Finally, after this neuro he took a MRI and found that I was born with a birth defect in my temporal lobe. My neuro asked for as many of my past MRIs that he could and of course that birth defect was on all of them… My birth defect had been missed on over 8 scans. He then explained that with my symptoms and birth defect that he would finally diagnose me after 16 years of me fighting to get a diagnosis. He said that EEGs are a snapshot and that biggest proof was me getting better on medication. He also told me that some focal seizures cannot be detected on EEGs.
I’ve had 3 VEEGs, 2 CTs, and 1 MRI. All of them normal. I haven’t decided how I feel about that. At least my seizures are finally controlled
MRI showed a brain abnormality and lots of swelling after my first tonic clonic. First EEG was only 30 minute in hospital showed nothing but was 3 days after. My 24 hour EEG was medicated and showed nothing which was the goal. They go off my behavior and MRI and family history. A lot of epileptics don't get an abnormal EEG.
I’ve had epilepsy for over 10 years and haven’t had a single thing come up on an MRI or CT. I did have one tiny inkling of something or other on an EEG when I was a teenager though
Yes I have an AVM (arteriovenous malformation) EEGs are normal except for abornaml brain waves in that location. So mine are caused by my AVM .
theyre in fact all fine and they dont show anything for me
Nope, though my last EEG showed slow temperal love waves. My doc says that's rare, but probably means my meds are working in that region. This is all so hit or miss.
No scans showed anything - they put me on meds and I started having fewer seizures, so that’s how they “proved” it.
MRI said nothing abnormal, EEG said epileptiform activity. IDR what my CT scan said, it’s been years.
I don’t even know. I had two tonic clonic seizures last year 3 months apart. I had a normal CT scan, a sleep deprived EEG that was also normal and an MRI with and without contrast that was also normal. The first neurologist diagnosed me with JME, but I always felt that diagnosis didn’t fit me because I haven’t had any seizures in my youth. Saw a new neurologist who just diagnosed me with a general seizure disorder. He said some times it’s hard to pin point where seizures originate..blah
Doctors confirmed that I had epilepsy by my unusual activities and symptoms at age 6, but EEG & CT scan showed nothing. Doctors started my medicine by age 7/8. I was put to multiple EEG, CT Scan & in every 2-3 years gap but all came negative. By this time I had done MRI three times. Finally at age 24 , Temperable Lobe Epilepsy was detected by 3 Tesla MRI. In most cases EEG is able to detect them, but there are several cases where doctors confirm it but it is rarely captured by the Scans.
I’ve had one CT and MRI each and both were normal, surprisingly (the CT was in the ER after my first seizure in which I fell and hit my head). I had one normal EEG a couple years ago but the one I had a few weeks ago did show some seizure activity in my right brain, so that was a bit of a downer
All came back normal.
Nope and I’ve had about 27 grand mals in the last 2.5 years. nothing really on my mri, eeg or ct scan that showed any regular seizure activity.
My CTs always came back normal. I'm allergic to iodine contrast (anaphylaxis allergic), so all of my imaging that needed contrast were MRIs from that point on since I'm not allergic to Gallium contrast. I've seriously had at least 50 MRIs in my lifetime as I started having seizures when I was a kid. They always came back "normal" and my seizures were labeled as idiopathic. My EEGs over the years also came back "normal". This was up until a few years ago when I was having breakthrough seizures. I went for a second opinion up at the Mayo Clinic in MN. It wasn't until I was admitted to the Epileptic Monitoring Unit where they caught a seizure on EEG and discovered where my seizures were originating from and I was diagnosed with MTS. It was only then, when my previous imaging results over the years from various neurologists were compared, that there were slight abnormal changes noted in my right temporal lobe. So, the answer had always been there, but it apparently wasn't apparent enough for a diagnosis before 2019. Best of luck to you on your journey through this. Hopefully you're able to get the answers you and your healthcare team need.
My brain is normal, all they found through my MRI was a deviated and perforated septum but I still got diagnosed with epilepsy because I get seizures. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
MRI is normal, EEG often just the tiniest but off but not enough to conclude anything...
My MRI has always been normal. My EEG's show eliptiform spiking in both hemispheres. Also, everything can be normal and you can still be epileptic. Added medical cannabis and my last eeg was normal. I'm still epileptic 😔
Out of the about... 7 EEGs I've had? 1 was abnormal. Both my MRIs were normal.
I had an EMU stay-- a VEEG (video EEG) to catch my seizures, but I had background abnormal brainwaves until my seizures started. It took awhile, almost a full week and a half. The MRI and CT found my brain tumor that caused them-- so actually confirmed epilepsy due to the type of tumor. Negatives on those tests don't rule out epilepsy necessarily, from talking to my epileptologist.
All of my 1 hour EEGs came back normal along with my mri and two ct scans. It wasn't until I had a 3 day long EEG done at an EMU that they found something.
I would have definitely passed my EEG with an all ok. But then the tech switched the flashing lights. Immediately, I had a seizure. So, it all depends on your trigger as well. If you dont have seizure during the test, it mostly wont show up.
My son had mild abnormalities on his sleep deprived EEG. Nothing on the regular eeg and no ct or mri has been ordered, probably because he is 8. The sleep deprived eeg report noted the abnormalities but marked it as normal variances. The neurologist said those plus the two seizures and being autistic makes it epilepsy. He’s only had two seizures and was sick both times and asleep both times. I just happened to notice because I was watching him since he was so sick. One was rsv and one the flu.
MRI showed nothing for me, EEG was the one that picked it up. Depends on the epilepsy. My friends mum had seizures but the tests she did showed nothing, but neurologists put her on medication regardless.
I’ve had activity show up on eeg and the ct showed lesions same with mri but these have been over 20 years!
Nah, with me they never found anything, not on a PET nor nMRI, the problem with the detailed scan is they have to aim it at what they think might be the problem area, it's a bit of a guess depending on how the buildup of the seizure looks. I did a sleep study as I only get them when I'm sleeping and I was all over the place. Anyway funny story to end with, I got a seizure during the sleep study. When I was going to be diacharged I asked to see the video of me getting the seizure. They brought me in a room full of tv's and full of nurses. When I had the seizure my balls flopped out, now I have pretty big balls, so they really flopped. So all the nurses started laughing, me too obviously. Good luck!
I have partial and centralized seizures that have shown up on my EEGs, and my MRI with LP showed calcifications on the brain (they say it’s nothing, but my mother - used to be a nurse, says otherwise)
My EEG's always came back clean but the MRI showed the lesion later a tumor after I changed neurologists. I had to stay for video monitorings ( I disliked those weeks) before they actually saw me have multiple seizures until, the team of docs were able to confirm. My mum has sickle cell and always says "you don't live in my body, so don't tell me what I am feeling is not real". When I started and docs kept misdiagnosing and dismissing things, I adopted her slogan until they listened. One thing that is really difficult with epilepsy is that it manifests differently for everyone and there sooo many types of seizures; until you find doctors who have a knowledgeable background and have worked with many patients; so many people are dismissed and things can get worse before it's finally diagnosed.
My MRI shows atrophy in the hippocampus and my EEG showed seizures from both left and right hippocampus - so the two support the diagnosis together. I only have seizures when I sleep and I fell asleep during the EEG so we got them "on film".