muscular problem

[fetuccini]

Hi could you tell me what condition could cause the muscles in my head to feel extremely stiff all the time?   I looked at a diagram and it appears that the EXACT area affected was labeled "V1" if I'm not mistaken.  I was shocked to see that it was the precise area.   Up to the top/back of my head, and follow a line down to my eyes...even my ocular muscles feel puffy and weak at times.    Also, my chest feels heavy, breathing muscles feel weak, and at times I feel like I cant get a full breath even when resting.  Sometimes I even wake up from sleep and it feels like my breathing muscles are almost paralyzed.    I asked my doctor if this is myastenia gravis but he refused to consider it because "my eyelids aren't drooping".  However when I cut my eyes to the corner, sometimes when I look back to the center, my eyes will "nystagmate" or "bounce" back and forth before settling down again.  I also have very frequent migraine headaches that usually come on when first waking up.   And I feel pressure in my upper chest especially when laying on my back...again and I wake up feeling as if my breathing muscles are near paralyzed, yet I've seen a neuro who insists he cannot find a problem....

Please...what should I do? I have turned to this site as a last resort...you see I am middle class and have no insurance or money to travel to a world class hospital...PLEASE help me find out what to do because I am very worried and sick every day.   Please!

[tormod]

I think it would be worthwhile having a sleep study done , sleep apnea is mostly associated with overweight people But I'm 55 Kg's (very thin) and found out I have "severe sleep apnea". I used to snore a bit , felt very heavy in the chest (specially when lying down) and used to wake "gasping" . I now have a V-PAP machine , it made a tremendous difference .
  Ask your doctor , it's easy to overlook something simple.

Take Care

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

I cannot give you a clinical diagnosis over the internet unfortunately, as this site is purely educational

V1 means the 1st division of the 5th cranial nerve (the trigeminal nerve. This is the sensory nerve that supplies the skin of the head and neck. The V1 portion supplies the top of the head down to the eyes as you describe. This nerve does not supply the muscles howeveer, only the skin. The only muscles supplies by the trigeminal nerve are the muscles of mastication or chewing. Nonetheless, a feeling of stiffness in the forehead muscles is a common symptom of excessive muscle contraction or tension. Treatment for 'muscle contraction headache' - NSAIDS, muscle relaxant like skelaxin, or Botox might help. This and frequent migraine headaches should be addressed in a headache management program with your doctor/neurologist.

A few beats of nystagmus on extremes of gaze may be normal. A good neurological examination should be able to tell if it is in the range of normal or not.

Ocular myesthenia is one of the most common forms of myesthenia but myesthenia can occur without ptosis. But there are usually other clear symptoms of myesthenia. Isolated respiratory muscle weakness without other signs or symptoms of muscle weakness would be unusual.

In sleep neurology, a period of apnea (lack of breathing) can be normal after an arousal or awakening. Morningheadaches and periods of apnea related to sleep can also be a symptoms of sleep apnea, - furhter history of sleep apnea symptoms should be asked about ie snoring, daytime sleepiness, and a sleep study considered.

Also, breathing and chest problems are not necessarily neurological in origin, and other cardiorespiratory causes may be possible

Good luck