Muscle tremors/shakes, "electric shocks" before sleep, constant ear ringing, memory loss

[seekmedhelp]

Hi,

Physical info: 27 year old white male, 6'1, 160 pounds, non-smoking, non-drinking, with no previous serious health issues.

For about three months I've been having the following symptoms:

1. Tremoring/shaking muscles upon exertion. When resting they occasionally twitch, without being strong enough to actually my limbs. Walking down stairs has become uncomfortable as my thighs tremor when my muscles fully engage.

2. violent head shocks/zaps that have left me awake for 36 hours at a time. They occur the moment I am about to "cross over" into sleep. Sometimes sharp noises trigger them, but it only happens when I'm sleepy, accompanied by my vision going from black to bright gold.

3. Constant ringing in my right ear for about a month and a half. The tremors started occurring about one month before the ringing. About two days after the ringing started  the head zaps began. They occur on average of 2-3 days a week. During the worst episodes I cannot sleep for 36 hours, and one time for 48. I only pass out from sheer exhaustion.

4. My short term memory and concentration have been slowly fading.


The lack of proper sleep has left me exhausted and  demoralized. There have been 2 occasions this month when I did not sleep for 48 hours. I want to fall asleep but simply cannot. During the moment right before my mind crosses over into "sleep mode", a violent electric shock hits my brain, it seems to originate in the back, or at least thats how it feels. At that moment my field of vision turns from black to bright gold with a star-type pattern. This is also triggered by sharp noises, like wood cracking (house is old), and plastic cracking (monitor makes noises after being shut off as it cools down). The moment I hear the noise my field of vision turns to those stars and I feel an electric shock in my head. Laying down during the day doesn't normally trigger it, these occurances almost always happen at night, either the moment before falling asleep or laying down waiting to fall asleep.

After the shock hits me, my whole body violently jerk. Sometimes my whole torso lifts up to a 90 degree angle. During that split second its as if no thoughts are in my head, all my concentration is focused on the shock sensation. This is very difficult to explain, as its nothing I've ever experienced before. After the shocks hit, I cannot fall asleep, both because I lose the feeling "sleepiness" and I'm afraid.

Its like in those old Freddy Crougar movies, I've slowly become afraid of sleeping due to receiving shocks to my head. Imagine if someone hit you with a taser gun every time you wanted to sleep, would you want to anymore?  thats the best way I can describe the feeling.

Last night I got a full 8 eight hours , but did receive two mild shocks before finally falling asleep.

In the morning I also receive mild shocks, which also feel like they are in the back of my head. They are not violent, but cause me to jump out of the bed promptly, as thats the only way they will stop. They go on for minutes, happening every 30 seconds or so. There seems to be only two ways to stop them, stand up immediately after waking up, or endure about 7-8 shocks until I am fully awake while laying down.

The worst part of this is I have no health insurance. I do not know where to turn and feel totally helpless. I went to a free clinic at a local hospital and the doctor referred me to a neurologist. Both to his shock and mine, the nurse-administrator said they do not offer free neurology visits.  My parents and relatives do not have the means to help me, the are lower class working people. Paying for specialist and tests would literally bankrupt them.

Could someone please give me an idea as what is happening to my body?  Is there anyway I can receive medical help from the government? I live in the USA, New Jersey to be exact.

Thanks,
Brian

[joepublic336]

Hope you are ok now mate.  Sounds like magnesium deficiency allowing calcium to enter the brain cells and cause the increase in bio electricity there.  Seems ur whole body is deficient in this mineral.  Blood tests for serum magnesium levels aren't enough you need a more accurate test.  Magnesium is very safe to take so maybe try magnesium citrate as it is easy to absorb.   Take epson salt baths or foot baths which has magnesium in it. Use a magnesium oil spray everyday. Eat magnesium rich food and avoid the magnesium depleting food including coffee, white flour, white rice and sugar. etc.  Please ground yourself placing bare feet on the earth and hands in the soil.  We need to discharge excess bio energy..  Really hope this helps someone. Also limit calcum intake for awhile :)

[angiemae]

I don't have the same but similar problems.  My ears have rang since I don't know when, and it sometimes makes me think I am going crazy.  I also get shocks, but not all the time.  One time a night.  I can't imagine getting them more than that. I wanted to cry when I read your comments.  One thing I have is lucid dreams, they can be very real, too real.  I also hear my name being called out through the night and day.  I've learned to ignore it.  My memory is starting to get very etchy, a people I've known all my life stand in front of me and can't remember their names.  It happens for two days most of the time.  I know this is a year or so after your comments were made, but please if you see this let me know how you are doing. This all started after being diagnosed with West Nile Virus.

Ang

[seekmedhelp]

Donna,

What is your e-mail address?

I think the forum blocks them, so try typing it with spaces between the @ symbol.

Brian

[seekmedhelp]

Hi,

Thank you for your comments and concern I appreciate it. Today I am going to a free hospital clinic to apply for "charity care". Hopefully they will let me see a neurologist.

If they don't, is it possible to be given tests at an emergency room?  What do I have to tell them so they don't push me away again. The last time I went the doctor told me my ringing was an ear infection, and when I told him about the shocks, that I can't sleep etc, he looked at me like i was crazy. He said he'll "be right back", then never returned. The nurse came in and said my visit was over, and that was that. I had no chance to further explain what was happening to me.  

That was about 2 months ago. He was wrong though, there was no infection. I saw an ENT a week later at a free clinic and who probed my ear, and my nose with a fiber optic device and said he saw "absolutely nothing". Thats the doctor who referred me to a neurologist, but then was shot down by a nurse-admin who said they don't take neuro patients.

Can you give me some pointers on how to talk to emergency room doctors? What do I need to say to make the situation look serious as it is? I have no idea how these places operate. Are they even authorized to do an MRI or some other test on emergency patients that are not outright dying in front of them?

The problem with my shocks is that they last only a second, to an outside observer, it might just look like i'm jumping awake from a nightmare. And they only happen when I'm trying to fall asleep, so it would be hard to show the doctor my condition.

About last night:

Went to bed at 6PM, was totally exausted, I had been awake since 1AM in the morning. After about 15 minutes I got a shock. AFter it happened I jumped around and started pacing. After a few minutes I went back to bed hoping my second try would work. I got another shock plus a sensation like I couldn't breath momentarily. I jumped out of bed again and decided to wait because I just emotionally can't endure these episodes. So after two hours sitting around the house I tried to fall asleep again at about 8PM. This time I only got a mild jolt and finally managed to sleep.

After two hours I woke up , and felt totally awake. After looking at the clock and seeing it was 10PM i felt like crying, another failed night of trying to sleep. I sat around for an hour or so, and tried to fall asleep. This time I fell asleep with no jolts and woke up at 2:30AM. As I lay there awake in my bed I got a mild shock and got out of bed quickly so it wouldn't happened again. Its 7 AM now, and I'll be visiting the charity care office at 10AM.

Best,
Brian

[donna80]

aw bless you..
i am experiencing shocks now and then with certain noises and pictures etc... not just when im going to bed but during the day too.. they all started for me after a took antidepressants (med free for 4 years nw) but i still occaisinally get them..

am not sure how the health care is in usa but here in uk we get refered by our gp for free unless we choose to go private to cut waiting times..

can you visit the hospital and ask their advice i am sure they will know..

i am sure its something to do with certain neurons in the brain you know..... ad's and certain meds work on seritonin and nerodrenalin(sp) thats just my theory..

please keep this post updated

your more than welcome to email/msn me as i know what your going through .

***@****

xx

[Carol in PA]

There are a number of people on the discussion forums at LymeNet.org who also have these symptoms.
Twitching, tremors
Brain zaps
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Problems with memory and concentration
Myoclonic jerks

See these pages also:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Symptoms/messages/2839.html

http://forums.wrongdiagnosis.com/archive/index.php/t-264.html


You sound like you're having a miserable time of it.
I'll check back later with more references.

Wishing you the best,
Carol

[Quixotic1]

It sounds like you are describing myoclonic spasms.  You definitely need a neurology work up and soon.  Most big cities have at least one Not-for-Profit hospital, often run by (or founded by) a religion (often, but not always Catholic) that have as part of their stated mission a duty to serve those who need it, insurance or not.   I'm not talking about the "county hospital".  In the case of my city, it is a hospital run by the Sisters of Providence and it is probably the best one in the city!  The only one I would allow myself to be in!  You can call the administration office and talk to a counselor.  Many times they will set up a plan for just a few $$ a month.

If need be, when you are in an attack like this, go directly to their ER.  They will start the evaluation and call a consult if need be.  You must get an MRI of your brain and a thorough neuro eval.  I don't think you should be delaying this, though I respect your desire to protect those you love from expense.  I think you should also protect them from losing you yourself or from knowing that you have become disabled because you didn't seek care.

Take care - I mean it - I am a physician and I am serious in my advice.  Quix

[natbel7]

I went to a general practioner who said I had vertigo because I had fluid in my ear.  She prescribed medicine for the vertigo but the ringing in my ear was still there so she referred me to an ear nose and throat doctor.  The ENT gave me a hearing test which was fine, but didn't see any fluid in my ear.  Along with the ringing in my ear, I sometimes see stars in my eyes, and have dizzy spells that last about 30 seconds to a minute.  The ENT doctor said I should have an MRI with constrast to rule out any major problems.  I just received the results today, they found multiple foci, 3-4 millimeters of increase intensity, spots in various places and something about inflammatory process.  I'm not sure what all of this means, but the ENT doctor referred neurologist.  I will keep checking your post to see what the response is.  I hope that you will feel better soon!