Re: Could I be having partial seizures?

I would not worry about how you call it. Seizures or not, it is a serious problem. Any time there is a neurological problem, it usually means that the infection has reached the brain. What type of infection it is, we can only guess; you, on the other hand, have the most insight into it, and you have the highest chance of "guessing" right. For starters I would do an MRI, nothing to loose there. There is however a syndrome called "suicide headache" which reminds me of what you are describing here: they attack suddenly and last only minutes but are so strong that people consider suicide, hence the name. Doctors have no clue what causes it; I am pretty certain it is an infection.

I hope you will not take the name "suicide headache" seriously; it is for weak people. I know a few people who have commited suicide due to their "impossible" health problems, yet, I found out they could have been cured if they only waited a little more (the cure was not known at the time, but it was there - they just needed to find out about it). They were all seemingly healthy, but could not take the torture of their condition.

Also, those "panic attacks" are most likely your adrenal response to an infection which has reached critical stage. Any time an infection attacks one of the vital organs, body sends a signal that there is a need for more blood there, and adrenals start pumping. Typically this happens when you are relaxed, and can even happen in your sleep, which then wakes you up. It can also happen soon after a meal or when you are really exhausted.

If low sugar diet seems to help, than you can almost certainly ("almost" because with infections one can never be sure) exclude viruses. Bacteria usually produce more agressive and sudden problems; rarely a chronic condition. That leaves parasites and fungi only which mostly cause chronic problems. They both need sugar (glucose) to advance; notice that I said "glucose" - that means that even if you eat low sugar diet they still get glucose from your blood, only less of it. One of the parasites that loves to attack brain is Toxoplasma gondii, but I have never heard of it producing your symptoms; however, one never knows, everything is possible. If you have a cat or had contact with them, that's one of your suspects. Same if you ate improperly cooked meat. Some countries have more of T. gondii, some less. USA typically has a little less of it then the rest of the world, but that's no guarantee - T. gondii infection ended a famous tennis player's career for instance (Navratilova). T. gondii parasite is similar to malaria parasites and is treated with same medications only it takes many months to clear (at least 6 months). It usually causes paranoia and even schizophrenia, which don't seem to be your symptoms. When not in brain, it causes arthritis and myalgias. It is an "either or" infection (either in brain or in body, but not both).

In my case it took years to figure it all out. I also had neurological symptoms, but of different kind. I recommend you do the same - figure it all out for yourself. If you can find a good doctor, even better, but I would not bet on it.

For now eat a good diet as you already tried, but look at that period as just borrowed time. You cannot cure yourself with a dietary change; it takes much more then that, usually a medicine or two (but only after you know exactly which one to take). Also, most infections get used to your dietary change and all symptoms slowly return.

If you do figure it out, or try an antibiotic to see what happens, it is very likely that your symptoms might get worse, and that crazy headache may happen again. In worst cases even serious seizures are possible. That's why it would be best to find a doctor who already has some experience with this kind of stuff; or at least a friendly doctor who doesn't mind taking some direction from you. Those types are worth their weight in gold.

Best of luck and don't give up!

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