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Electric Shock sensations
Does anyone ever have electric shock sensations? It feels as though someone is zapping me with electricity in the back of my head. The feeling starts at the base of my skull and travels down the back of my neck. The sensation only lasts a few seconds, but sometimes it does it over and over for several minutes. I have had these before, but it was very few and it very infrequent, but they have returned and now are happening every day.
I have googled this and all I can find is withdrawal from antidepressants, or something related to MS. I have never taken antidepressants, and I haven't been on anything else recently either.
I have googled this and all I can find is withdrawal from antidepressants, or something related to MS. I have never taken antidepressants, and I haven't been on anything else recently either.
I get them in my head from time to time. Sometimes they are so bad, they cause me to lose my balance fall over.
Tammy
Tammy
I am so glad i have found this forum, I have been reading from the beginning for almost two days now, and I am almost in tears because I know what you are all going through and I am so happy I'm also not alone!
I have had whatever this is for years! It first happened for me back in middle school ( i am 27 now) and I woke up paralyzed and afraid to move and had no idea what was going on, it was a school morning, and when i finally got out of bed, BANG! I literally felt as if a bolt of lightning came out of the sky and hit me in the neck, the pain literally sent me to the ground, it was terrifying. it only lasts for a couple of seconds but is very sore afterwards, and i am very scared to move my neck afterwards. The pain shoots upwards along the muscle that runs behind my ear and gives me a slight earache it also makes me cry and i don't want anyone to touch me either. like someone else said, they literally gasp out loud when it happens and everyone looks at them like they're crazy!
it isn't as strong as it used to be, they don't send me to the floor anymore, and don't seem to be happening as frequently as they used to.
I was reading and thought it was Lhermittes sign, as that has the most relevant description, but what triggers it, chin to chest, is all wrong.
my "shock" happens when I turn my head to the left and then bring it back to the stationary position, it's on the return to the frontal position that it happens, over the years I've gotten REALLY good at "catching" it before it goes full blast. sometimes the shock travels through the trapeze muscles, i think that's what they're called, the muscles that extend from your neck over your collarbone and to your shoulders on the back side. sometimes a drag from a cigarette or a yawn can trigger it.
I understand all your frustration, as family, friends and Doctors all have no idea what's happening and look at you like you're crazy.
I've noticed that a lot of people on here have mentioned anxiety issues and being prescribed Zoloft, I also was prescribed Zoloft back in middle school, wasn't on it very long, but still find that a strange coincidence.
When i mentioned the problem to the same DR. he thought I was just sleeping on my neck "wrong".
I knew that wasn't right, there was something more to it but could never find anything on the internet that was relatively close to my symptoms.
A couple of years ago a friend of my husbands, who has disk issues was describing his symptoms and they were very similar to mine, what he has is a disk that is rubbing against a nerve and when you move a certain way it irritates the nerve and sends that electrical impulse, almost your body's way of telling you not to move in that direction cause there's damage there! Like a dog with an electric fence!
I try to make light of it, cause like I said, it used to scare me so bad that I would literally just cry afterwards!
but I am now convinced It's some kind of disk injury, and nothing else, I've seen a lot of other posts where people's doctors believe it is some kind of withdrawal from Oxycontin or pain killers and alcohol, I kind of disagree with that, cause this started I was in middle school and I definitely wasn't drinking alcohol then or withdrawing from anything!
When I was very young about 4 or 5 I was in a car accident, with a friend's mother who foolishly had us both sitting in the front, it was a 2 seater miata, and I literally remember her slamming into the back of the car in front of us and paramedics pulling me out from under the dashboard area, I think that's when the disk damage might of happened, but I'm thoroughly convinced that's what it is. Unfortunately I haven't had an MRI or anything like that yet, due to insurance, but luckily I can somewhat control the intensity of them now.
And another little weird side effect, a lot of people have posted about electrical interferences and I have them too! I never put the two together until now, and I know how you feel when people look at you crazy, but for as long as I can remember, I can always tell right before lightning is going to strike, or feel the AC compressor kick on, like the other poster said, and even the thing with the tv changing channels, but the thing even my family will vouch for is electronics especially cellphones, being broken and they spend forever trying to fix them, take the battery out and replace, etc etc, and all I do is touch the thing and they work again, everyone has commented on that!
I don't think it's anything "otherworldly or mystical" or anything like that, it may be very scientifically related to the electrical impulses in our bodies which are out of whack making us some kind of conductor or receptor or something weird like that. I know the spinal cord is very electrical. just a thought.....
So thanks to everyone for sharing! it really has been very insightful reading all your stories and theories!
- ACretens
I have had whatever this is for years! It first happened for me back in middle school ( i am 27 now) and I woke up paralyzed and afraid to move and had no idea what was going on, it was a school morning, and when i finally got out of bed, BANG! I literally felt as if a bolt of lightning came out of the sky and hit me in the neck, the pain literally sent me to the ground, it was terrifying. it only lasts for a couple of seconds but is very sore afterwards, and i am very scared to move my neck afterwards. The pain shoots upwards along the muscle that runs behind my ear and gives me a slight earache it also makes me cry and i don't want anyone to touch me either. like someone else said, they literally gasp out loud when it happens and everyone looks at them like they're crazy!
it isn't as strong as it used to be, they don't send me to the floor anymore, and don't seem to be happening as frequently as they used to.
I was reading and thought it was Lhermittes sign, as that has the most relevant description, but what triggers it, chin to chest, is all wrong.
my "shock" happens when I turn my head to the left and then bring it back to the stationary position, it's on the return to the frontal position that it happens, over the years I've gotten REALLY good at "catching" it before it goes full blast. sometimes the shock travels through the trapeze muscles, i think that's what they're called, the muscles that extend from your neck over your collarbone and to your shoulders on the back side. sometimes a drag from a cigarette or a yawn can trigger it.
I understand all your frustration, as family, friends and Doctors all have no idea what's happening and look at you like you're crazy.
I've noticed that a lot of people on here have mentioned anxiety issues and being prescribed Zoloft, I also was prescribed Zoloft back in middle school, wasn't on it very long, but still find that a strange coincidence.
When i mentioned the problem to the same DR. he thought I was just sleeping on my neck "wrong".
I knew that wasn't right, there was something more to it but could never find anything on the internet that was relatively close to my symptoms.
A couple of years ago a friend of my husbands, who has disk issues was describing his symptoms and they were very similar to mine, what he has is a disk that is rubbing against a nerve and when you move a certain way it irritates the nerve and sends that electrical impulse, almost your body's way of telling you not to move in that direction cause there's damage there! Like a dog with an electric fence!
I try to make light of it, cause like I said, it used to scare me so bad that I would literally just cry afterwards!
but I am now convinced It's some kind of disk injury, and nothing else, I've seen a lot of other posts where people's doctors believe it is some kind of withdrawal from Oxycontin or pain killers and alcohol, I kind of disagree with that, cause this started I was in middle school and I definitely wasn't drinking alcohol then or withdrawing from anything!
When I was very young about 4 or 5 I was in a car accident, with a friend's mother who foolishly had us both sitting in the front, it was a 2 seater miata, and I literally remember her slamming into the back of the car in front of us and paramedics pulling me out from under the dashboard area, I think that's when the disk damage might of happened, but I'm thoroughly convinced that's what it is. Unfortunately I haven't had an MRI or anything like that yet, due to insurance, but luckily I can somewhat control the intensity of them now.
And another little weird side effect, a lot of people have posted about electrical interferences and I have them too! I never put the two together until now, and I know how you feel when people look at you crazy, but for as long as I can remember, I can always tell right before lightning is going to strike, or feel the AC compressor kick on, like the other poster said, and even the thing with the tv changing channels, but the thing even my family will vouch for is electronics especially cellphones, being broken and they spend forever trying to fix them, take the battery out and replace, etc etc, and all I do is touch the thing and they work again, everyone has commented on that!
I don't think it's anything "otherworldly or mystical" or anything like that, it may be very scientifically related to the electrical impulses in our bodies which are out of whack making us some kind of conductor or receptor or something weird like that. I know the spinal cord is very electrical. just a thought.....
So thanks to everyone for sharing! it really has been very insightful reading all your stories and theories!
- ACretens
i am 12 and i have had this since i was 7 its really weird and no one gets what im talking about! im glad i have found this forum because my "electric shock" goes from my nech to my left and right big toe also it goes from my neck right down my right arm its really weird and i hope someone figures what it is that we have all got :/
Our symptoms are very similar...
Like you I have am very fit, been a runner and cyclist for many years and for what it's worth, the only time I do not get these shocks is while I'm exercising. My zap hits me on my lower right shin about 6 inches up from my foot. It's pretty much the same spot everytime and it really feels like it's right on my shin. It's excruciating and it probably only lasts for 15 seconds but it zaps me and eases and zaps and eases and keeps repeating. It makes me double over in pain and want to throw up and pass out. Horrible. It happens while driving (which is terrifying), sleeping. I haven't noticed it happen while standing yet.
This started about 6 weeks ago... at 1st once a week and now it's every day. I have an appointment with a neuro next week.
What's odd is that it was a little over a year ago that I had these electric shocks in my face (the forehead area). That last about 2 months. I was told it was probably an immune system reaction to an allergy. A guess because they couldn't make sense of it. Anyway, that went away and I really forgot about it till just recently. Now I'm wondering if it's connected at all and probably hoping this goes away too.
I do have degenerative disc disease which was diagnosed about 3 months ago from an MRI. Degeneration between L4 & L5 and L5 and my sacrum. No nerve impingement at that time though.
In any event, it's horribly painful, debilitating and terrifying. It makes me afraid to drive anywhere because when this hits me, it doubles me over.
Like you I have am very fit, been a runner and cyclist for many years and for what it's worth, the only time I do not get these shocks is while I'm exercising. My zap hits me on my lower right shin about 6 inches up from my foot. It's pretty much the same spot everytime and it really feels like it's right on my shin. It's excruciating and it probably only lasts for 15 seconds but it zaps me and eases and zaps and eases and keeps repeating. It makes me double over in pain and want to throw up and pass out. Horrible. It happens while driving (which is terrifying), sleeping. I haven't noticed it happen while standing yet.
This started about 6 weeks ago... at 1st once a week and now it's every day. I have an appointment with a neuro next week.
What's odd is that it was a little over a year ago that I had these electric shocks in my face (the forehead area). That last about 2 months. I was told it was probably an immune system reaction to an allergy. A guess because they couldn't make sense of it. Anyway, that went away and I really forgot about it till just recently. Now I'm wondering if it's connected at all and probably hoping this goes away too.
I do have degenerative disc disease which was diagnosed about 3 months ago from an MRI. Degeneration between L4 & L5 and L5 and my sacrum. No nerve impingement at that time though.
In any event, it's horribly painful, debilitating and terrifying. It makes me afraid to drive anywhere because when this hits me, it doubles me over.
is there a name for this? bc i have it
I've been having this sensation for years. I was diagnosed with MS about 15 years ago, and this has by far been my most difficult symptom. I've asked many doctors about this over the years; I have been prescribed baclofen, gabapentin, even clonazepam and norco. Nothing ever worked (well, the Norco took the edge off it, and made it a little more bearable). I have been with my current neurologist for 2 years, and he's been wonderful. We just started experimenting with Mirapex (Miraplex ER). Although this drug is typically used for Parkinson's, it has been unbelievably effective. I almost fear to say it, but I haven't had a shock in two weeks. You might want to ask your doctor. Peace.
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