Anyone w/seizures experience people talking/reading in riddles?

Hi @crissyh76
First, my best wishes to you for 2026!
It's been a while since we've connected. I hope you've been doing well.
The experience you describe sounds very similar to what I experienced during my auras. As a teenager, when I only had auras, I would tell my mother that I was hearing voices and seeing people. It was like watching a movie I'd already seen before, all happening in a very short time. Today, I know those were déjà vus.
It sounds like you're experiencing these strange feelings of "déjà vu" or "jamais vu," which are typical of auras or focal aware seizures.
Have you been able to see a neurologist for a proper diagnosis of your epilepsy? And are you currently taking any anti-seizure medication?
Chris

Happy new year to you also. And yes taking seizure med twice daily definitely not Daja vu and after I posted it’s like riddle or rhyme sometimes I hear it with 2 people talking or it happens while scrolling and all the pictures do the opposite as people talking. Doesn’t happen all the time. Have a different doc but only have seen virtual and had EEG but of course it showed nothing so just taking med which I totally dislike by far. It’s like I just sit and wait for it to happen again that’s life now.

Hi @crissyh76 !
Thank you for your wishes and for sharing more about your situation.
A routine EEG doesn't always capture epilepsy waves; it's actually quite common for this test to come back normal. I went decades with undiagnosed epilepsy because all my EEGs were normal. The first one that finally showed my epilepsy waves happened after I was instructed to be sleep-deprived the night before the test. Sleep deprivation is one of the most common seizure triggers and can enhance the diagnostic value of the EEG.
I've also experienced some seizures after starting medications, and my EEGs at that time again showed epilepsy waves, meaning that the medication dose needed to be increased, or it wasn't the best one for me.
Here's a link that might be useful:
What if my EEG was normal?
Epilepsy Foundation
https://www.epilepsy.com/diagnosis/eeg/what-if-its-normal
Has your doctor recommended sleep deprivation for your EEG test and/or requested a prolonged or ambulatory EEG?
Chris

@crissyh76
I agree with Chris (@santosha) I too, agree based on the information given may well be focal aware seizures. I'm not clear on whether you are talking about well framed riddles. Or is it more like the person is having difficulty finding words which is common in focal aware seizures. If a riddle, does it really make sense? Do these riddles have clues or does it sound like nonsensical type talk?
Take care,
Jake

They are like riddles and rhythms it happens when I read or when two people talk it goes back in forth or when I scroll while reading everything just goes on and on I am awake and alert but I have to stop reading or have the people quit talking till it goes away or I walk away. Doesn’t happen all the time. And I call it riddles because it makes sense just scares me honestly. Thanks for responding Happy Nee Year

Chris for my EEG I went sleep deprived and also so called dozed off for the whole thing they said everything was normal but Neurologist said she seen small amount of movement or whatever they see but without further deeper EEG she couldn’t say one way or another and still no mention of further testing and just keep taking med and just deal which I don’t feel is right to mention if it happens they can pull my license or I hurt myself or someone which is not fair either. I know life isn’t fair but I would love to have some answers

crissyh76
I forgot what meds you are on. If you mentioned your medication's, could you refresh my memory? Someone I was reading about recently was taking a couple of medication's one of which was phenobarbital. Phenobarbitalcn actually can make absence seizures worse but I don't remember if you were taking that or not. Sometimes the first generation drugs actually work better than the newer ones have you ever tried the drugs zarontin. It's used for absence seizures. I took it and it got rid of my absences but of course everyone is different.
You might want to ask your doctor about it or if changing to it or adding it to your drug cocktail or increasing your dose could possibly help. It doesn't seem reasonable to just continue to take the same medication you've been taking and still having seizures. I would ask your Neurologist about your medication and why continue to takt meds that don't work?
Take care,
Jake

@crissyh76
Have you ever been diagnosed with aphasia or aphasic seizures or TLE (temporal lobe epilepsy?)
Take care,
Jake

Hi @crissyh76
Thank you for sharing this additional information.
I'd have exactly the same reaction as you. Wanting to fully understand my diagnosis before continuing on the recommended treatment makes complete sense.
From what you've shared, a more prolonged EEG could be really valuable for you. I'd encourage you to discuss this with your doctor, and if she is not receptive, please don't hesitate to seek a second opinion. You deserve clear answers!
Here's a helpful resource about the different types of EEGs that might be useful as you discuss this with your doctor:
- Types of EEGs
Epilepsy Foundation
https://www.epilepsy.com/diagnosis/eeg
Have you received a diagnosis of what type of epilepsy you have? If not, that's definitely something worth pushing for. Understanding your specific epilepsy type can make such a difference in your epilepsy journey!
Chris

Got a at home 48 EEG scheduled for next month so we shall see and thanks for everyone’s advice. One question for anyone if this EEG comes back normal what’s next just take med and hope for no more?