Seizures or something else? What's the diagnosis?

So, this has happened to me twice now, and honestly, I’m starting to get pretty worried.
Here’s the breakdown:
First, I start struggling to catch my breath, and then everything just goes white—well, except for these black spots, so I can barely see anything at all. I’m shaking too, though I don't actually feel myself trembling while it's happening. I turn pale, and my lips lose all their color and turn kind of beige. It lasts for maybe 2 or 3 minutes, I can't say for sure.
I really need to figure out what the hell is going on with me and why this keeps happening.

Don't go trying to diagnose yourself through an online forum. Your first stop should always be your primary care physician. It might turn out to be nothing at all, or it could be something significant, but either way, you shouldn't be left guessing.

Reach out to your primary care doctor. Ask them for a referral to a neurologist. It could potentially be epilepsy, among other things. While there are at least a dozen different diagnoses that can present themselves this way, you should get some testing done just to be safe.

Best of luck,
Eric Wright29

Look, I'm posting this here because I'd rather talk to people on a forum than deal with a doctor. It's not that I don't trust medical professionals, it's just that I don't want my mom finding out about this for personal reasons. I really need to keep her in the dark.
I know it sounds stupid, but it's a big deal to me.

Olivia King23 said:The reason I'm asking here instead of talking to a doctor is because I don't want to tell my mom, for personal reasons. Basically, I just don't want her to find out.
I know it sounds silly, but it really matters to me.

Honey,

even if we all managed to give you the perfect diagnosis right here on the forum, we can't exactly heal you through telepathy.

So, regardless of what we think, seeing a doctor is still your best bet.

And you can always go to an appointment without your mom ever knowing.

And seriously, please don't brush off those symptoms. Especially if you're on the younger side!

This isn't something to take lightly...

Best of luck!

Olivia King23 said:Look, I'm talking to people on this forum because I don't want to deal with a doctor directly. I don't want to tell my mom, for personal reasons. Basically, I just don't want her to know.
I know it sounds stupid, but it matters to me.

What, you think this is just going to fix itself? And honestly, even if someone on a forum gives you a perfect diagnosis, how does that actually help you? You still have to see a doctor to get any actual medication.

Besides, your mom doesn't need to know you saw a doctor. HIPAA laws exist for a reason—doctors can't go blabbing your business to anyone, including your parents, unless you're a minor.

melloworca6 said:Do you honestly think this is just going to fix itself? And even if someone on this forum gave you a perfect diagnosis, how would that actually help you? You’d still have to go see a doctor to get actual treatment or meds.

And look, your mom doesn't need to know you went to a doctor. Under HIPAA laws, doctors can't just go blabbing about your diagnoses to anyone, including your parents (unless you're a minor).

Yeah, obviously.
And I'm not saying it'll just disappear on its own, it's more that I don't want to stress my mom out over something trivial. I don't want to deal with her getting unnecessarily worked up, because that's the last thing I want.

Look, just go see your primary care doctor and politely ask them to keep things under wraps until you figure out what’s actually going on. I don't know how old you are, but if you're 16 or 17, you aren't exactly a little kid anymore.

And I'm not trying to freak you out, but you shouldn't take these symptoms lightly. It could be anything, so the smartest move is to get checked out by a specialist—in this case, a neurologist.

melloworca6 said exactly what I did. Listen to reason here. You could end up collapsing right in the middle of the street, and if you get hit by a car, you have no idea how much that's going to devastate your mother.

Don't be stubborn. Just follow my advice and go from your primary care doctor straight to a neurologist.

And like I mentioned before, your mom needs to be kept in the loop about this.

Don't rely on internet forums for medical guidance. You'll find all kinds of people online—some who actually know their stuff, and plenty more who just act like they're experts. Don't let yourself end up in a situation where you follow bad advice and things turn out terrible on the
street.

melloworca6 said:Look, just go see a GP and politely ask them not to say anything to your parents until you figure out what’s actually going on. I don't know how old you are, but if you're 16 or 17, you aren't exactly a little kid anymore.

I'm not trying to freak you out, but you shouldn't mess around with these symptoms. It could be anything, so the best move is getting checked by a specialist—in this case, a neurologist.

Whatever. Even if I wanted to, I have to figure out how to actually book an appointment and get there first. It's a huge trek and there isn't even a bus route that goes there, so that's problem number one. Plus, my parents and my family doctor are buddies.
But hey, can I just, like, go to the ER or something? Does that mean I wouldn't be seeing my regular doctor?

Olivia King23, have you noticed any patterns when this happens? Like, is there a specific trigger—maybe exhaustion, certain lighting, or something else?

edit: Honestly, just ask someone to drive you. And since the doctor is actually friends with your parents, I'm pretty sure they'll be understanding and try to work with you. How old are you anyway?

Also, regarding the ER—sure, you could head there, but I'm betting the staff will just call your parents immediately, so it's probably not worth the hassle.

melloworca6 said:Olivia King23, have you actually noticed when this happens? Like, is there any kind of trigger—maybe being tired, certain lighting, stuff like that?

Honestly, I don't know. It’s only happened twice, and there wasn't anything special going on—no weird lights, I wasn't exhausted, nothing. Just a totally normal day in a totally normal room, and then it just starts.
Oh, and I'm 15.

Olivia King23, have you ever experimented with drugs or smoked marijuana? Do you smoke or drink at all? And finally, do you have unprotected sex?

I don't know, Olivia King23, those symptoms you're describing? They don't sit right with me at all.

The fact that it lasts for several minutes and you aren't even conscious of it... that’s not something to mess around with.

Take me, for example. I once had this flashing vision in my right eye and believe me, I was absolutely terrified. It only lasted about 10 or 15 seconds and never happened again, but if something like what you're going through hit me just a couple of times, I'd be heading straight to the doctor immediately.

Olivia King23 said:I've tried weed, I smoke, and I drink.
And no, I haven't had unprotected sex.

That’s quite a lifestyle for a 15-year-old girl.

All of those things could easily trigger your seizure activity.

P.S. You aren't ashamed of smoking weed or drinking at 15, yet you're embarrassed to see a doctor? That’s a strange way to look at things.

P.P.S. Don't worry about the doctor running drug tests (for marijuana, etc.). They don't just start with those during an initial intake.

Take care,
I honestly don't have any more advice for you beyond what I've already shared.

Best,
Eric Wright29

melloworca6 said:I don't know, Olivia King23, those symptoms you're describing actually sound pretty sketchy to me.

The fact that it lasts for several minutes and you aren't even conscious during it? That’s definitely not something to brush off.

Like, I had this thing happen where my right eye started flashing like crazy, and believe me, I absolutely lost my shit. It only lasted maybe 10 or 15 seconds before it stopped for good, but if something like what you're going through happened to me even once or twice, I'd be heading straight to the doctor immediately.

The only thing I'm not aware of is the shaking part. And honestly, I'm not even sure how long it actually lasts. The first time it happened, it felt like it went from the outskirts of Springfield all the way to Times Square—I have no clue how long that drive actually took—but the second time was maybe two or three minutes.
I get that, but I'm just not really the type to go running to doctors, especially since I don't want to worry my parents.

I can’t give you any advice beyond this: go see a doctor.

Look, your mom is going to find out sooner or later, especially if this keeps happening. What happens if you have an episode right in front of her? You never know when it's going to hit.

Are you seriously willing to risk your health—maybe make things even worse—just because you don't want her to know? If you were my kid, I’d want to be in the loop. Trust me, it'll hurt your mom ten times more if she finds out later that this has been going on and you kept it all from her out of fear instead of actually doing something about it.

melloworca6 said:Honestly, there’s no other advice I can give you besides just seeing a doctor.

Look, your mom is going to find out sooner or later anyway, especially if this keeps happening. What happens if you have an episode right in front of her? You never know when it's going to hit you.

And do you really want to risk your health or make things worse just because you don't want her to know? If you were my kid, I’d want to be in the loop about stuff like this. Trust me, it's going to hurt her ten times more if she finds out later that this has been going on for ages and you kept it from her just because you were scared.

Yeah, I get all that, okay, fine—but it's just not that simple. I really don't want to stress her out, because she's already got enough on her plate as it is.
If I absolutely have to go to the doctor, is there any way to keep it low-key? Like, some way to make sure they don't call anyone on my behalf?

Olivia King23 said:Look, I get it, everything's fine, but honestly? I just don't want the extra stress. My head is already crowded enough as it is.
If I really have to see a doctor, is there any way to keep this discreet? I don't want them calling anyone or making a scene.

Just scrape together some $167 and book an appointment with a private neurologist.