Insomnia and brain waves

    
      Re: Insomnia and brain waves
    


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Posted by CCF Neuro MD on January 23, 1998 at 14:40:24:

In Reply to: Insomnia and brain waves posted by Sandra Zuk on January 22, 1998 at 16:49:28:

: After many years of insomnia, a night at the sleep disorder clinic reveal a spiking of brain waves during sleep. Apparently something unknown stimulates the brain to wake up. When this happens I am wide awake and "pumped" and usually do not get back to sleep.  This happens nightly (at least during those nights when I manage to fall asleep) and leaves me awake for the rest of the night. A good night is 3 hours sleep and the worst case is zero sleep with most nights being somewhere between.  The doctor says the cause is unknown and did not give the condition a name.  He offered two options:  do nothing or take the anti-seizure drug clonazepam whcih I took last night.  After sleeping for about 3 1/2 hours, I awoke at 1:00 am and that was it for the night. Today I am feeling sluggish and disconnected.  Can you provide any further information about this condition which is known to run in families?  Are ther other treatment options available beside the one suggested by the sleep clinic doctor?  Thank you for your assistance and I anxiously await your response.
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It is difficult to know exactly what is happening without the benefit
of seeing the sleep record but it sounds as though you are having
paroxysmal epileptic discharges occuring during sleep and these are followed
by complete arousal, thereby destroying your sleep pattern.
This can be thought as a relatively benign form of epilepsy and like many
forms of epilepsy is activated by sleep.
As your Doctor suggested it can either be left untreated since you do not have full-blown
seizures or treated with an anti-epileptic medication.
In your case it seems to be sufficiently disruptive to your sleep pattern
and thereby your lifestyle to merit treatment.
Your experience withthe first does of clonazepam was obviuosly
dissappointing but you should probably give it a better chance,
frequently people do not respond to the first/ lowest dose of these drugs,
however tolerance develops to the side effects of sluggishness the next day.
I would suggest that you give the drug a better chance to work at either
this or a higher dose or as your doctor to try another medication.
If you require a second opinion there is a large sleep disorders
and epilepsy section at the Cleveland Clinic, the number for appointments
is (216 ) 444 5559.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.
Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options of your specific medical condition.