Possible nighttime seizure with MS?

[tjj3761]

Hi all,

Well, yesterday I think I over did it with yard work in the heat.

Last night while asleep I think I might have had a small seizure.  I must have bit the end of my tongue very hard.  I remember it hurt so bad I thought to myself I did some damage, but I was really still asleep.  There was no injury, but I am concerned that I might be starting with some type of seizures.

I do tend to sleep with my mouth open sometimes I know, but for my tongue to be protruding out suggests something more sinister to me.

Has anyone had this happen before with seizures or maybe some type of tongue spasms?

terri

[kwarendorf]

Hi Karen - Welcome to the group.

This is a vey old thread. It was last updated over 5 years ago. You may get better response if you Post A Question and introduce yourself.

Kyle

[Karencng]

My Sister has had MS for 13 Years and in the past 3 years, about every 3 or 4 months she gets up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and passes out.  Doesn't remeber anything about it. Her husband hears her hit the floor and he wakes her up.  No rigid or seizure activity from her physically.  She has told me that she wakes up with the insides of her mouth sore and jaws sore from clenching in her sleep.  The doctor ran an EEG and said they saw some light epileptic seizure activity.  She also does not want more medication or the risk of pulling her license.  Just wondering if these symptoms are familiar to anyone.

[tjj3761]

Thank you, much!

Yes, I truly do believe now it was not from seizure and was spasm in the tongue with also the tightening of jaw muscles, which caused the clamping down and biting of my tongue.

It just kind of scared me a bit because if it is not one thing occurring it is another.

I go back to the neuro in a couple of weeks here and I am going to tell him about this etc., plus I am going to just outright ask him if he knows what is wrong with me.....and play the usual game it seems.....

Thanks, friends.....

terri

[Quixotic1]

I have another idea.  I periodically snap my teeth together as I fall asleep or am asleep.  this can be with enough force to really bite into my tongue and cause bleeding.  

A Grand Mal - the usual type of seizure associated with tongue-biting, does NOT awaken you with the pain of the bite.  After grand mal, the person falls into a "post-ictal" (after seizure) state that can last 30 minutes to several hours.  It looks like a deep sleep or a period of deep lethargy and confusion.  People do not remember what happened during the seizure nor during the postictal state.

I seriously doubt a seizure, but would definitely tell your doctor.

Quix

[Rena705]

Just wanted to add to this...I presented with Grand Mal Seizures prior to my diagnosis of MS.  I had my seizures at night...in my sleep but other than biting my tongue I had several other symptoms.  I would have petichaie (sp) (broken blood vessels that look like little red spots) in the whites of my eyes and on my neck.  I would wake up in so much muscular pain from the muscles being stretched during the spasms and my pillow would either be wet from saliva or blood from my bitten tongue.  

I would tend to go with the "lateral tongue spasm" rather than a seizure as a dx but I would mention it to your pcp anyway.  I think the pcp would probably agree with you but it won't hurt to mention it.

Lots of Hugs.

Rena

[tjj3761]

Thanks....

HVAC, Thanks for your info.  I did some looking around online and found that it is a form of dyskinesia.....

Definition

Dyskinesias are a group of disorders characterized by involuntary movements of muscles.

Description:  Dyskinesia

Dyskinesias are excessive abnormal movements that are involuntary. There are several different types of dyskinesias, and each has different clinical symptoms, causes, and treatments. Adults and children with certain chronic brain disorders often exhibit symptoms of dyskinesia. Movement can occur in the head, arms, legs, hand, feet, lips, or tongue. The dyskinesias can be categorized as chorea, dystonia, myoclonus, tremor, and paroxysmal tardive (late-onset type). Other forms of dyskinesia include athetosis, ballism, akathisia, tics, stereotypy, and restless legs....

***I actually bit the end of my tongue, so obviously my tongue must have been having an involuntary contraction outward.  I definitely was not dreaming in any way.

I have had 2 episodes of lateral tongue spasm in the past always at night.  

Thanks again!

terri

[HVAC]

I have done the same thing several times. I told my MS Specialist because my PCP wanted me to and they did a sleep deprived EEG which cost me $700 dollars in coinsurance. If a Doctor thinks you may have seizure disorder they have to find out so they can tell the DMV who then can pull your license. It found nothing. I am not saying to not tell your MS Specialist in my case it was a waste of time except I am glad I did not lose my license.

I bite my tongue and cheek and break teeth as part of the wrong signals of the MS. My dentists said it is common in MS patients and a mouth guard will help. I am having a molar fixed next week.

Alex

[supermum_ms]

Hi terri,

I'm sorry but i don't get how your thinking seizure, you said you were still asleep and there's no damage, so wouldn't that just mean you dreamt you'd bitten your toungue?

Though if you really are worried then get it checked out, but it doesn't sound like a seizure from what you've written, sorry I can't be more helpful.

Cheers.........JJ

[RedFlame]

I have been awakend 5 or 6  times where I have bitten down on one side of my tongue that it was excruciating.  I have what my dentist calls an "area of bite-trauma" on my tongue.  So I just attribute it to clenching my teeth and my tongue getting in the way.

If you look at your tongue in the mirror, look for in indentations to see if there are areas that you may be putting pressure on.  Sometimes we aren't really aware of things like that.


Hope this doesn't happen again