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

[seekmedhelp]

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 (wood, plastic cracking), 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.

I have no insurance and no money. I am exhausted from sleeping only 2-3 hours a day for over two months. Is there any way I can get help from the government? I live in NJ, USA. A person can only endure so much.
Brian

[tlh1970]

Hi, I have been struggling with many of the same symptoms and was uninsured until recently also.  I have learned a few things that might help you, but am still searching for a diagnosis.

1.  I have a history of hyperthyroidism and even if your thyroid is slightly off it can do some very strange and unpleasant things to you!

2.  I have Polycystic Kidney Disease which increases my risk of stroke and heart attack.  I am also severely hard of hearing.  So far, with my cardiac tests have come back fine.  I do not have something called a carotid bruit but am worried about aneurysm.  I will have an MRI as soon as my new insurance approves it.

3.  One DR. told me he suspected an electrolyte imbalance.  I couldn't afford the test but after doing some research decided to try Magnesium supplimentation.  After a month, this seemed to really alleviate most of the zaps, but I still have the sharp pain in the top of my skull and the ear sound only when lying down.

4.  ER Dr's tend to think you are nuts and you will ruin your credit trying to get them to diagnose you.  See if your state has what is called High Risk Pool insurance coverage.  

5.  I too, have a history of pneumonia and have also had shingles even though I am only 35 years old.

6.  Try not to panic it makes the symptoms worse.  The way I look at it is that I have to just keep insisting that something is wrong.  The Dr's didn't catch my thyroid issues in relation to my kidney disease for 8 years!  During that time I was prescribed sinus meds and even narcotic pain killers when what I only needed a beta blocker.

Good luck, I will post more as I find out more.

[seekmedhelp]

For those who can't install a DICOM reader, I managed to convert all the images to JPEG format and uploaded them to a free server.

Directories are labeled according to the type of images taken and whether they had contrast.

http://one.fsphost.com/seekmedhelp/

[seekmedhelp]

Would one of the Cleveland Clinic MDs or any other qualified person please read my MRI?

It was taken today and they gave me a copy of the images on CD.

You can download the full DICOM series here (compressed as ZIP):

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WJPBT2MC

*note: I removed my name, dr's name, address, etc from the original file headers, using an anonymizer.

For those not familiar with MRIs, they write images in a special format called DICOM, so you will need to use a special file reader. I used DicomWorks, but there are many free programs out there.

Also you must decompress the zip file. Most windows systems have a decompresser installed, but if you can't open it for whatever reason, let me know and I'll try to figure out a different upload method.

I won't be able to see a neurologist for awhile, since the wait time at my clinic is very long. If one of the MDs reading this forum could take a look I would be very greatful.

Thank you,
Brian

[betsyb]

First of all I cannot believe I found this website with so much information relating to something I have had no idea what to call.
I've had the "shocks" intermittently for quite some time---several years---but pretty infrequently---usually proceeded by a loud buzzing noise in my head --which apparently could be labled "exploding head syndrome".
Anyway, was in the hospital on 6/26/07 with a fractured tibia, and had the subsequent surgery to put things back in place.  From the time I went into the hospital to the day I left I had these shocking jolts in my head that would literally jerk me right off the bed (the worst was when I was pre-op and my leg would go into spasms...try to explain that to the nurse).  So the entire time I was in the hospital virtually each time I'd drift off I'd experience only what I can describe as a loud electrical jolt (kind of like a transformer being hit by lightening) in my head and then going through my body.
I was on major doses of pain medication throughout my stay and only have had one episode since I've been home(occurred the first night home).  I'm wondering if mine had to do with obvious physical and emotional stress AND drugs, anesthesia, etc...PLUS, I usually take anti-depressants and did not get any while in hospital.
So, to read your accounts really takes my breath away as I thought I was just plain strange and/or somehow an alien test subject (that's a joke btw).
Anyway, I am very excited to read about the sleep study results as I have had sleep problems for about 10 years--am currently taking a prescription (xanax), but didn't have any in the hospital and haven't had to take any since I've been out and am pretty darn happy about it.
Thank you for posting this comment board...it will be interesting to see where it leads and I send you all the best as you continue to find solutions to your medical challenges.  And darn those bad doctors for being so rude to you seekmedhelp...I'm sure the four of you were crowded anyway in a room with that huge ego.
best of luck
betsy

[flyin2006]

LOL

[seekmedhelp]

Hi again,

The sleep study did not go as I had hoped. It took me four hours to fall asleep, and I only had mild shocks, mostly triggered by sharp noises. In this case it was the A/C switching on and off.

I wanted to showcase my worst symptoms, the violent shocks/jerks that make me convulse for a second. Unfortunately some days are worse than others and you just can't predict when they'll occur. Well hopefully they got some data from the noise triggered brief zaps.

It took me forever to fall asleep, even though I had woken up the morning of my study at 6am. By 10pm I still was not sleepy. I laid there with 20 wires on my head, face, and in my nose, along with white surgical dressing wrapped all around them (think of that old twilight zone episode with the pig faces).

As uncomfortable as wearing so many wires may sound, you get used to the accessories. In about a half hour I forget they are even there except when rolling over. After four hours I finally fell asleep - I think.

The nurse woke me up but I felt like I had only slept two hours. I asked her "I think I slept, did I?" She replied, "Yes you did sleep, but we don't talk about studies in the morning because we want patients to fill out the post-test report with no preconceived notions."

So in a week I'll know what the results are and hopefully they will have a specific diagnosis, not just "insomnia" or "stress". I still don't know when my MRI will be because the nurse has yet to call and make the appointment.