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Need help understanding why if all my brain scans and mri come back normal
Help me please

September 26
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A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member. You’re right. The Video EEG would be the only way to prove that.

I’ve heard that they are not alway easy to catch. The person may go without seizures for days,, weeks, months and ect, before the person has another PNES

September 27 (edited)
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member But PNES still presents differently compared to a epileptic seizure. The main way they work out they differences is to do a extended video eeg. If the person does have a PNES seizure the video would pick it up but the eeg remain the same.

September 27
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

It there were no lesions or form of injury on your brain . You may not have Epilepsy.
You might have what’s called NeS or PNES ( psychological Non Epileptic Seizrures ) .
You are having a form of a seizure.
Epilepsy seizure deals with abnormal Brain waves. You Dr. would not find any evidence on the MRI nor EEG.

You may want to ask about PNES or NES .

September 27 (edited)
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

Some times it can just take a while to work out what's going on. The scans may come back normal but the eeg may not or it could be the other way around. Some people have nothing on mri and take a long time to get anything on eeg.

September 27
MyEpilepsyTeam

It's completely understandable to feel confused and worried when you've had two seizures but your tests come back normal. You're definitely not alone in this experience — many people with epilepsy face the same situation.

Here's the key thing to know: normal brain scans and MRIs do not automatically rule out epilepsy. These Show Full Answer

It's completely understandable to feel confused and worried when you've had two seizures but your tests come back normal. You're definitely not alone in this experience — many people with epilepsy face the same situation.

Here's the key thing to know: normal brain scans and MRIs do not automatically rule out epilepsy. These tests are just one piece of the puzzle. Doctors look at the full picture when making a diagnosis, which can include:

- Your symptoms — what you experienced before, during, and after each seizure
- Your medical history — any past illnesses, injuries, or family history of epilepsy
- EEG results — this test measures electrical activity in the brain and can sometimes pick up patterns linked to epilepsy even when scans look normal
- Blood tests — to check things like blood sugar and electrolyte levels

A normal EEG doesn't rule out epilepsy either, since it only captures brain activity during the testing window and may miss unusual activity that happens at other times. The most important next step is to have an open conversation with your doctor about what's causing the seizures and whether further testing or treatment is needed. Don't hesitate to ask questions — you deserve clear answers about what's happening with your health.

September 26

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Stockton, CA