Anyone ever have an EEG?

**mikepro8** · May 7th, 2008, 05:44 PM

I am scheduled to do one tomorrow. A few of the weird things they told me pre-procedure - no caffeine for 24 hours, no more than 4 hours sleep the night before.

I dont even know that they entail. Anyone out there with details or experience?

Apparently, I have been doing crazy things at night while I am sleeping. Sleepwalking again, even though I havent done that since high school (16 years ago). The other night I sat up and promptly fell over and whacked my head off the alarm clock causing a dent in the speaker.... dont remember it, didnt feel it. My wife noticed it and woke me up - I apparently feel asleep ON the alarm clock... She woke me up and asked if I was okay, I didnt even know what she was talking about. Weird, huh?

**Duck** · May 7th, 2008, 06:15 PM

An EEG's not bad. Trust me. I had them done for the first half of my life. I never heard the no caffiene rule though or the sleep one. Basically, they take wires and glue them to your head and clip two to your ears (one on each lobe). The'll either put you in a recliner or on a bed and most of the ones I had have you go to sleep and someone in the other room measures your brainwaves. It's a pretty noninvasive procedure, the only thing I never liked is the glue is hell to get out of long hair.

BTW, if you wear earrings you have to take them out. Good luck tomorrow. If you don't mind me asking, why are you getting it done?

**gunperson003** · May 7th, 2008, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by mikepro8

I am scheduled to do one tomorrow. A few of the weird things they told me pre-procedure - no caffeine for 24 hours, no more than 4 hours sleep the night before.

I dont even know that they entail. Anyone out there with details or experience?

No more than 4 hours of sleep the night before? o.0 Umm...

okay, awkward, never had that request, nor the caffeine. I could go on for hours what happens when you have a lack of sleep, and how caffeine affects the brain. :P

I've had several in the past. They place electrode jelly on the electrodes, stick them on your forehead and on your scalp(no cutting of hair required). The median time for the whole EEG is approx 2-4 hours but may depend on why you're having an EEG done.

After the test, you'll have electrode jelly stuck in your hair. Some of it will wash out from a shower but if you run you're hands through your hair you'll notice it. Don't worry, it will eventually wash/wear out on its own.

Hope everything goes well for you... Oh.. I know you may want to play with the EEG machine by bitting down and stuff... you might want to refrain from that since you're going to mess up the results. Usually they want you to sleep but it depends on why you're having the EEG performed.

**LittleRedToyota** · May 7th, 2008, 06:22 PM

i've had one. my father has had many.

like said above, no big deal. they just "glue" (not really glue...just sticky gooey stuff) some sensors to your head and you just chill out.

they may ask you to open and close your eyes, talk, whatever...depending on what they are looking for.

my guess for the only 4 hours of sleep instruction is that they are going to want you to fall asleep while hooked up to the machine.

my father has sleep apnea combined with a form of epilepsy and he had several eegs done to try to help figure out what is going on. in at least one case, he was not allowed to sleep after midnight the night before so that he would fall asleep during the eeg so they could monitor what was going on in his brain as he was sleeping.

since your issues are related to sleep, i bet that's what they want for you as well.

good luck! the test itself is certainly nothing to fear. the results may be something to fear, but in your case it sounds like prolly not.

**Exbiker** · May 7th, 2008, 06:55 PM

That ones a piece of cake. I can never remember the letters but I`ve had them all. The one with fine needles stuck deep in the muscles where they shoot electric down you arms and legs to check nerves and the one where you get a spinal with dye and then they tilt the table head down for a bit and then do a cat scan.
Trust me the one you`re getting done is a piece of cake.

**gunperson003** · May 7th, 2008, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Exbiker

That ones a piece of cake. I can never remember the letters but I`ve had them all. The one with fine needles stuck deep in the muscles where they shoot electric down you arms and legs to check nerves and the one where you get a spinal with dye and then they tilt the table head down for a bit and then do a cat scan.
Trust me the one you`re getting done is a piece of cake.

EMG test == inserting needles into muscles which are to be tested
Myelogram == inserting needle into spine and injecting dye

**mikepro8** · May 7th, 2008, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by Exbiker

That ones a piece of cake. I can never remember the letters but I`ve had them all. The one with fine needles stuck deep in the muscles where they shoot electric down you arms and legs to check nerves and the one where you get a spinal with dye and then they tilt the table head down for a bit and then do a cat scan.
Trust me the one you`re getting done is a piece of cake.

yup... they did the CAT scan earlier this week. No results yet.

**glassman** · May 7th, 2008, 08:35 PM

First, it doesn't hurt. Now that that's out of the way.. no caffiene (coffee, soda, tea) because it's a stimulant. Only four hours of sleep because they may want you to sleep during the test. Good luck.

**schr8er2000** · May 11th, 2008, 09:49 PM

Had a couple of them... no caffeine to help keep the BP down... and 4 hours sleep is so that you are tired... and relaxed when they turn down the lights and take the readings.

Good luck... its NOTHING to worry about at all

**Brown-Bear** · May 12th, 2008, 01:47 AM

I've never had one but I've prepped pt's for them before. 4hrs sleep so you'll be tired and fall asleep easier, no caffiene to keep BP low. Totally non-invasive, nothing to worry about all. Unless you wake up with your shirt untucked and a sore butthole that is.........