Waking up by shocks

[MsWobbles]

Hi MSers/Limbolanders,

Has anyone ever had the experience of being awakened by jolting electric shocks?  That happened to me this morning at 2:00 a.m. It was awful!  Full body shocks, two of them.

My CPAP machine had been ramping up last night because I apparently needed more pressure to breathe (more tired than usual, hadn't napped). Ever heard of a CPAP machine causing shocks?  It is on a wooden table not touching my bed.  Also, I have an electric bed and an electric blanket (that was not on).

Could MS cause such a thing?  Don't think my neck was flexed. It was a full-body shock.  Has anyone here ever experienced or known of someone who experienced such a thing? Is is neuro-related?  I'd appreciate any leads.

Thanks!

WAF

[supermum_ms]

Just spoke to dh who's an electrician who also happens to use a CPAP machine, and he said it cant be the machine re-plastic etc blah blah blah sorry he lost me with all the technicall details. He did say that it was more likely a fault in the electric bed or the electric blanket, electric blankets are notorious for shocks.

Take it off the bed and see if it happens again, remember its still live if its plugged in!

Cheers........JJ

[MsWobbles]

Dear Supermum,

Thanks so much for your answer.  I was so scared to sleep last night that I unplugged my electric blanket as well as the electric bed.  I guess I'll have an electrician come in and check my electric bed because it will defeat the purpose of it if I have to leave it unplugged at night.

I didn't realize that an electric blanket is still live if it's plugged in and that it could give a shock.  I also never heard of electric blankets causing shocks - sheesh!  I'm gonna unplug everything from now on until I get an answer.

They tested my CPAP and it was faulty (not blowing enough) so they replaced it with a new one - still under the 2-year warranty.  Maybe that's why my pCO2 dipped into the 50s.  So something good came out of this shocking experience!

Thanks for your input.

WAF

[MsWobbles]

I didn't mean pCO2, I meant O2 saturation.  Just a little f0ggy-brained as usual.

WAF

[supermum_ms]

Hey WAF,

Did you still get shocked with the bed and blanket unplugged? The thing with electric blankets is that there is a heck of a lot of wiring, it can get crinkled and broken, happens with age and some still do it though they are washable. DH mentioned it is possible for the bed to be the issue due to a number of things, wiring, metal frame, motor, he said either if there is a fault in the wiring, could cause a shock if whilst your moving around, you hit the spot where the fault is, recommeded getting both tested before you plug them in again.

He also mentioned again that if anything electrical is plugged in the wall, it should always still be classed as live, regardless of if the switch is on or not, its only inactive if its not plugged in.

I'm glad the shocking experience (lol) gave you something good in return.

Cheers.....JJ

[steph74]

I've been woken a few times by L'Hermettes-like shocks.  These felt like huge jolts.  The funny thing is I don't remember having it except once when I was awake!  (I have no electrical equiptment on or near my bed, so I'm sure it was my body and not something external.)

Stephanie

[MsWobbles]

Hey, thanks for responding!  

JJ, I'm going to have an electrician come out and check out everything. Meanwhile, everything is staying unplugged at night.  Yes, I did get something good in return for the shocks - my new CPAP is terrific!  Like it better than my other one (which I always had thought was the best!)

Stephanie,  when you finally get your diagnosis, please let me know what it is because I think I have what you have - our symptoms are very similar.  Like you I get blurred vision in one eye ( varies) especially with heat.  Also, you're the first one I've heard from who has awakened at night from huge jolts without any electrical explanation. They are NOT fun!  After my two shocks, all I could immediately say was "Ooooooo." Makes me wonder - could the shocks have come from me???  Hope not - can't unplug myself!

Coincidentally, my new PMD had started me three weeks earlier on T3 (a thyroid hormone) since my daily Synthroid only replaces T4 and my body isn't good at converting T4 to T3.  I had been feeling too pepped up for a while and then dropped off to even greater weakness later.  Anyway, I hadn't been feeling good on the T3 which had made me start feeling hot with more blurred vision and cramping.  I had been feeling more tense at night. In fact, before I went to sleep on the night of the shocks I remember something odd:  I jerked suddenly - with my arm lurching out semi-extended.  I wonder if all that thyroid hormone stimulation could have precipitated the shocks.   Now my TSH is way low and I'm off T3 for good!!

WAF

[supermum_ms]

Hey WAF,

I had also concidered the shocks being none electrical, though having a resident electrician on site, who seems to have a knack of identifying weird electrical blips, it seemed better to start from the simplist possibles. We have electrical cut off switches at the meter box, they automatically turn the power off if there is any electrical abnormality, like a faulty appliance. It came in handy when our dog ate a power cord and the time our DD put a knife in the toaster, so if we do have an electrical problem its easier to know because the power to the hole house goes off.

I do have this thing, that i thought was normal but as with knowledge, its making me wonder what normal really is lol. It does only ever happen at the end of the day, not during my afternoon rest. I am never asleep, or even on my way to sleep, definetely aware of all sounds, smells, muscle spasms and tingles though i am relaxed. I jerk, full body jerks, if i'm laying on my back, i've sometimes wondered if i've actually lifted high enough to be off the bed, its a bit violent sometimes.

Its like i've been surprised and bounced on a trampoline. Arms and legs flay, its quick and my eyes always pop open in surprise, think tazer reaction, i wouldn't say an electric shock per say but it probably could be explained that way. As I said, I did think this was normal, though what i have read seems to indicate the person is actaully asleep or falling into sleep and the jerk wakes them up but i'm not asleep when this happens, hence the curiosity lol.

I do hope it turns out to be an electrical fault, not sure how to unglug you!

Cheers.....JJ  

[Alaskacowboy]

  I get a lot of these shocks sometimes at night that just makes my whole body jump awoke, but mostly in the morning I Just have to moving my eyes or head tend to shock me sometimes all over my body or just in the head and back and they get so bad at times that I don't even wish to move from them and they leave me feeling so out of it most of the day that I don't wish to get out of bed feeling weak and unsteady from them. Most of the time I really hate going to bed just for that fact knowing it will start all over again in the morning.

  AK cowboy

[Sparkysarah]

I have once experienced electric shock sensations and this was just down left side and was definitely heat induced as my central heating had gone wrong and was stuck on very hot. So it seems that there are no definite answers and I guess you will only know if it is your body if it happens again.

Hope you sleep better

Sarah