muscle weakness, tacycardia, lethargy caused by stress/anger

[groversgal]

My brother is 39 years old and has had what appears to be some type of seizure at times when he is trying to communicate something very important to him to others. Sometimes he is mad, sometimes he is very concerned, or upset. He becomes temporarily lethargic (lasting less than a minute) and has muscle weakness and small spasms. His eyes close and it takes great effort to open them. He also complains of some tacycardia, but that could be because of what is happening at the time. This has gone on for over twenty years. Once, in college, I was reading a med terms book and came across a condition that sounded a lot like what he may have. I really would like to get him some help and so would he. He also has some impulse issues and anger management problems. He is overweight and sleeps and eats a lot. There was also a car accident that happened around the time this started. Back then these episodes were a lot worse, with him collapsing on the ground and seizing while totally conscious. But after about ten years they lessened to what they are now, possible through sheer determination on his part. Please help us.

[John Kenyon, CNA]

What you describe in your brother does sound like some sort of seizure-like activity. This is probably due to some post-trauma injury, especially in light of the former grand mal seizures. Stress and frustration can often trigger partial seizures, which is what these sound like.

Is your brother being followed by a neurologist currently? There could be some metabolic problem either causing this or aggravating it, but over the course of 20 years and having begun after an auto accident, a metabolic problem would likely have progressed long before now.

Your brother definitely needs a neurologic consult to at least establish a baseline record, and probably would benefit from some sort of medication to help relieve the seizure activity.

I hope this is helpful to you. A more definite diagnosis can only be made (and a treatment plan begun) by a neurologist. Please keep us updated.