Neurologist Questions Seizures

Am I having Seizures?

I am a 16 year old girl with existing heart conditions, just for some past health records, and I always get these weird episodes from adrenaline rushes. Like the right side of my body starts to move weirdly and tense up. It can last from a second, to 45 seconds. And I can't control it or even talk during it, but I'm fully aware of what's going on. And sometimes they're not even caused by adrenaline rushes, they just randomly happen. I've been told they're seizures, and I've been calling them that, but then I've been told they're not. And I just would like answers on what I'm experiencing. Thank you <3

Female | 16 years old
Complaint duration: Since 2018, idk the exact date.
Medications: Enalapril
Conditions: Mitral Valve Leakage, Atrial septul defect, and more that I don't remember. Sorry-

3 Answers

They could be what is called partial seizures. This is when only part of the body is involved and there is no loss of consciousness, incontinence or tongue biting With a brain MRI, and an EEG, a neurologist could tell you for certain whether these are seizures and prescribe medication to control them.
They sound like seizures ( Partial seizures). Have you seen a Neurologist and had an EEG ( seizure test, with all the wires in the head )? If so did it show seizure-like activity or discharges? If so then you have to be treated if not, then you might need further evaluation with an MRI ( Scan of your brain ). Talk to your Neurologist or go see one.
You are having recurring spells of some sort. Since these are recurring, the question is, do you have epilepsy? Are these seizures? As you correctly stated, however, there are some other answers about what can cause these symptoms. There are multiple conditions that cause paroxysmal disorders, conditions that cause episodic spells. Among other possibilities, this might include migraines, sleep disorders, panic attacks, and autonomic nervous system problems. Whether there is a cardiac cause needs to be addressed by your cardiologist.
The serious one is whether these are seizures. If they are seizures, you are at risk of injury, it is dangerous to drive or engage in other activities that would put you or others in danger if you have a period of altered consciousness. Note that any cause of altered consciousness, including sleep attacks and heart rhythm changes, could cause danger as well.
There is no easy way to be sure. It is necessary to try to record or provoke the spells, while doing electroencephalographic (EEG, brain wave) recordings. This may include prolonged ambulatory recording or recording in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. If you have a severe spell and end up in the emergency department, there is a blood test that is sometimes helpful.
If it is not epilepsy, as proven by recordings that show normal brain activity during the spells, then it is still important to consider the other causes, for the reasons listed above.
In short, seeing a qualified specialist and going through an investigation is needed. In order not to put people on medicine for a lifetime, we rarely put people on seizure medicine unless there is a very strong suspicion or proof of seizures. If a patient has epilepsy, they do need medications. Some of the investigations may require referral to more specialized experts (see list above) or an academic center.