Please read my disclaimer which I have posted at multiple times throughout the year. Also again I strongly urge you not to post comments with your true names and other data which can identify you. Health information is private and should remain so.
The blog remains free of any commercial interests. I had started it as a means of disseminating information about neurological diseases to the public at large. I am happy to report that after 4 years, the goal of my blog and website (http://braindiseases.info) remains unchanged. There are no financial incentives and the two projects remain a solo effort on my part.
Thank you for your continued support.
Nitin Sethi, MD
Braindisease's Weblog 
Dr. Sethi,
My brother died this morning when my mother and I were out of the house.
He had a history of seizures and was constantly drinking high alcohol content beer. He had Hep C and a history of head injuries, drinking and serious drug abuse (crystal meth, heroin, cocaine, marijuana). It appeared that he died suddenly. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow, 11/25. I believe he had a heart attack or major stroke or gran mal seizure. He was compromised intellectually and physically…. he was in bad shape. I am dying inside that no-one was there for him to tell him we love him and that we could not call 911 in time.
I was just looking about the internet for a good soul and i found you.
Thank you from my heart to yours for the good work you do out of sheer goodness.
I believe he would be in horrendous shape if he had survived, but will always grapple with “what if”. What if we had gotten to him in time. what would his future be?
I’m a mess right now, but thank you for this golden and altruistic blog.
I am a bit more enlightened, but will never know.
Regards,
Jeremy
My dear Jeremy,
I am sorry for your great loss. I hope God gives you and your mother strength as you come to terms with this tragedy. I can only attempt to understand what you must be passing through. Could you have helped him if you were around? What led to this? You list a few possible causes yourself. Patients who suffer from epilepsy especially uncontrolled epilepsy can at times die suddenly. This has been referred to as Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). There are many causes of SUDEP: the patient may suffer a malignant cardiac arrhythmia or the heart may stop during the course of a seizure, during the seizure they may roll over and suffocate themselves and so forth. The autopsy shall give you the answers you seek.
In your time of grief, I can only send you my thoughts and prayers.
Personal Regards,
Nitin Sethi, MD
Dr Sethi,
My 54 year old sister has been told she has either dementia or MS. An MRI was done that showed white plaques on the white matter in her brain. She has been having panic attacks, has had depression. She recently stopped working in a high stress job as an insurance appraiser. Our father had dementia (possibly alzheimers). She recently had an EEG done and was told it was “abnormal”. What should we do?
karen
Dear Karen,
the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia remains a clinical one and till today we do not have any definitive test. New MRI scans are available usually in research setting which may help in identifying amyloid plaques in the living brain. In the same vein, the diagnosis of MS is clinical (read my post at http://braindiseases.info). MRI brain and cervical spine, evoked potentials and spinal fluid findings may provide additional evidence.
You have asked me what you should do. Well a few things: maintain follow up with her current doctor, if needed ask for a second opinion, make sure her depression is well treated and lastly neuropsychological testing may be very helpful.
Nitin K Sethi, MD