Anxiety and Insomnia - strange brain/head sensation and FFI?

[wxguy1]

I am a 30-year-old Asian male.

I have been having insomnia for the past 2 weeks, which was partly attributed to jet lag...but more importantly, anxiety about my health. I am still waiting for some tests back. As for my insomnia, I have been having this strange sensation that my brain was putting the light switch back on when I was about to fall asleep. It's almost as though my brain is trying prevent me from sleeping. In some ways, it's almost a "twitch". I heard there is a rare form of insomnia that's fatal (FFI?). How likely is it that one could get it? Can I get tested for it? I have also been getting some muscle twitches, especially during sleep starts, which wake me up. I am just going crazy with these sleep problems.

Thank you for your help.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

The most likely explanation is that you are afraid to sleep in response to your health anxiety..as if letting into your tiredness, puts  you in danger by putting you off guard...your test results will probably solve this problem...I have never heard of a fatal insomnia....

[imcrazy2]

Okay, take a deep breath.  You do not have fatal insomnia.  It is genetic, and unbelievably rare.  There are 28 families known to have the gene for it.  Seriously. Twenty-eight.  In the entire world.  Millions and millions of families in the world, and TWENTY-EIGHT have this gene.  Relax, and get some treatment for anxiety, and maybe something to help you sleep.

[wxguy1]

Thanks for the response.  The reason I was worried is I read there is a sporadic version of it that could help (even though very rare).  I will go see a therapist and deal with the anxiety.  Meanwhile, I just got prescribed Ativan (Lorazepam) for my insomnia.  Anyone has experience with it?  Thanks.

[wxguy1]

Correction to previous post:
Thanks for the response. The reason I was worried is I read there is a sporadic version of it that could HAPPEN (even though very rare). I will go see a therapist and deal with the anxiety. Meanwhile, I just got prescribed Ativan (Lorazepam) for my insomnia. Anyone has experience with it? Thanks.

[wxguy1]

I was given some Ativan (Lorazepam) but the recommended dosage (0.5-1mg) doesn't seem to work well. Anyone has experience with this?

I am still getting some of the "mind/brain twitches" when sleep starts which scare and worry me. Obviously, that doesn't help with my anxiety and insomnia. The therapist says that I am just too wired and I shouldn't worry about sporadic fatal insomnia.

The last few days I have been feeling some weakness in my left arm. Can this and insomnia be indications of neurological disorders or even brain tumor? I know I am just going crazy!

[Jordy]

Please just keep in mind that people who think they have total insomnia often sleep much more often than they realize.  I used to not believe that, and thought for sure I was up all night, but then a few times something odd happened.  First, I realized how often when that happened that hours seemed to jump with no thought.  But most telling were the couple of times that I knew a neighbor who lived below me was on the phone to her boyfriend (I could hear through the floor very clearly at that place) then suddenly, as if a flash, he was HOME WITH HER and talking to her directly, right there in the apartment.  I realized I had dozed off during their phone call then didn't awaken again until he arrived, but without those sounds, I had no "feeling" that I had fallen asleep, been asleep, and woken up.

I've read about this quite often; that was the first time it was proven to me personally to be true.  Are you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you are not sleeping at ALL?

[RWG]

I took 10mg of Lexapro for two days because I told my doc that I had insomnia.  Two hours after I took it I felt like I was having a total nervous breakdown.  The extreme nervousnouss and shaking have lasted for about two weeks.  My doc now gave me Seroquel and I am scared of anything after the Lexapro.  I took the Seroquel and it seemed like it helped me sleep, but the following day I feel like the nervousness and shaking are much worse. I am middle aged and have never had a nervous problem or a bad reaction to any other meds.  Can anyone give me some advice for the Seroquel.  I am taking 50mgs a day, and have only been taking it for about  a week.  The doctor says give it time to work, but he said that about the damn Lexapro.

[chula50]

May I had a response to the whole anxiety/insmnia dilemma?

Insomnia has plagued me most of the last 4 years. Now at 50 I have a set of elemnts that are working.  

I will now avoid Lunesta, Ambien, and all the others hypotics that make me loony and leave me so forgetful I think that I have dementia. I know it has been in part due to post surg. hormonal imbalances and taking wellbutrin as the ostensible, though not actual solution.  I needed the right  the right hormones adn quietude in my mind.
  
Now that that that is all good I am weaning off wellbutrin SR at 150 every other day, down from 300, and only in the a.m. NO caffeine as coffee or soda.  I daily exercies and get fresh air.
AND:  I enjoy a cup of Sleepytime Extra tea with 2 Calms Forte for sleep, from the health section at  the grocery.  AND best topper of all--I count backwards by threes-usually starting at somewhere between 170 and 200.  I do not recall gettng any further that the 140s before sleeping.    

I will not take Lunesta again unless the jet lag on vacation is so severe I cannot function.

Before I developed this method, I was seeing psychedelic visions, could not turn off my brain nor keep eyes closed, and would have those brain kicks that stopped me from falling asleep--this would last for hours.  It got so bad with this and those compulsive anxious thoughts that  I even questioned my marriage --and I adore my spouse.
I even went to  prescribed sessions with a sleep therapist and an accupuncturist.  

I would never tell someone who needs professional help for a medical condition to avoid a physician or pharmaceutical therapy. This has only been my experience--and it may be worth discussing with your doctor, especially if you are a woman.
I will keep all of you in my thoughts. Thanks so much for letting me share.

[littlemanbig]

wxguy1 does it feel as though there is a flash in your brain? Not something you can see but does it feel like a flash that pops up? The flash kinda starts weak and gets worse but the whole thing only lasts a split second so it literally feels like a "flash" or twitch as you say? I think I'm getting exactly the same thing. I have terrible Insomnia of late and I can never sleep. At times when I'm most tired and falling asleep I get this flashing sensation in my brain which wakes me up. PLEASE get back to me asap becuase I'm worried about my mental state. From reading your post you really sound like me because I'm a worrier too and end up convincing myself that I'm about to die, I'm about to go mad etc etc...so just finding this post has put me at ease but please let me know if this is similar to what you were experiencing?

[nikoletta]

I have simmilar thing going on with me.When I about to fall asleep a get a twich almost a jerk,like my brain won't let me sleep,my body is beggig for rest but my brain is just won't shut down.My insomna just came out of nowhere,but after months about obsessing about my health.I went to psych, she gave me Seroquel,this put me to sleep,but now I have some twiches all over my body,and weaknes in my joints.I am so scare I might have sporadic fatal insomnia,I try to tell myself is anxiety, but this feel so unreal,like something is wrong with brain,also my heart is pounding like crazy.Please tell me how you doing and if  this thing went away

[Lesley998]

I had a severe reaction to Cipro which caused me all sorts of central nervous system problems.  Apparently mild abnormal electrical atctivity in the brain causes these sensations.

One of these was a sensation of having an electric shock, or cattle prod in the centre of my brain at the point of falling asleep.  I would jerk awake, and actually heard a 'zap'.  It was horrible, and I was always wide awake after. Then I would get sleepy...then just on the point of sleep...'zap' it happened again.

I also had what I now think were mild seizures and could feel my eyeballs being involuntarily pulled up and back in my head.

Also had severe parethsesia (total numbness) in both my hands when I finally fell asleep and woke in the morning, lasting a few minutes.    

I was told to stimulate the pineal gland in the brain to help get things back to normal.  This basically means staring at the morning sun for as long as you can manage, sounds mad, but it did help me

[atonio]

I also have a similar experience..wen i about to go to sleep something just jerk or flases and kept me awake.I do not know what it is ..I often feel scared when noon approaches and thinking wen ill be going to sleep.During the day I am very sensitive to noise..a sudden noise jerks my brain and like an electric current run from my brain and end at my finger tips leaving my finger tip a feeling as if some one has pricked it with a needle.Now that has all gone but the drowsy,weak,lightheadness feeling remain constant.I cannot concentrate and it really affecting my work.I am not feeling normal and energised as before.I really need help and thanks to this discussion forum.I thought I was alone.