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Muscle tremors/shakes, "electric shocks" before sleep, constant ear ringing, memory loss
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
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
First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.
The financial department at the hospital should be able to help you apply for medicaid (if you qualify, I am not an expert in this area). The symptoms of ringing in your ears and violent head shocks associated with visual changes are of unclear etiology, but I would consider trigeminal neuralgia, seizure disorder and possible tumor as likely causes. Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that causes shocks of pain down one side of the face and is often triggered by contact with skin of the face or sensation around the teeth. This is often treated with medications such as tegretol. Seizure disorders can also cause the symptoms that you describe (although the pain you describe would be less typical). Seizure disorders can also cause loss of memory and concentration, but this can also be caused by lack of sleep. The tremors that you describe might also by attributable lack of sleep, seizures or a neuromuscular condition. Tumors in the brain can cause pain, visual disturbances and seizures and although rare, this should be evaluated in your case. I woudl suggest an MRI of the brain with GAD contrast (to evaluate for tumors or other structural lesion), an EEG (brain wave test for seizures). You also need to see a neurologist to evaluate you for medications to treat your pain/shocks and to stop your sleep deprivation.
I hope this has been helpful.
The financial department at the hospital should be able to help you apply for medicaid (if you qualify, I am not an expert in this area). The symptoms of ringing in your ears and violent head shocks associated with visual changes are of unclear etiology, but I would consider trigeminal neuralgia, seizure disorder and possible tumor as likely causes. Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that causes shocks of pain down one side of the face and is often triggered by contact with skin of the face or sensation around the teeth. This is often treated with medications such as tegretol. Seizure disorders can also cause the symptoms that you describe (although the pain you describe would be less typical). Seizure disorders can also cause loss of memory and concentration, but this can also be caused by lack of sleep. The tremors that you describe might also by attributable lack of sleep, seizures or a neuromuscular condition. Tumors in the brain can cause pain, visual disturbances and seizures and although rare, this should be evaluated in your case. I woudl suggest an MRI of the brain with GAD contrast (to evaluate for tumors or other structural lesion), an EEG (brain wave test for seizures). You also need to see a neurologist to evaluate you for medications to treat your pain/shocks and to stop your sleep deprivation.
I hope this has been helpful.
Are you under a lot of stress? stress can do horrible things to your body, i have similar symptoms as well when i take hydroxyzine which was prescribed to me for anxiety (its only a antihistamine though which they said would possibly calm me down) whenever i take that medicine though, after a couple of hourse i get the same thing, if someone slams a door i'm jolted awake, and i cannot sleep, although its not as severe as your case...its still there, i dont take the medicine anymore and i dont have the problems either. Also, do you have an anxiety problem? along with stress it might be possible that your body is jolting you awake due to being in a state of panic when you hear a noise. I'm no doctor, nor do i know if this info will help, buuut....perhaps you should do more to keep your mind occupied? or just relaxation techniques before you sleep, meditation is PRICELESS. Can't hurt to try no?
I noticed you said you were in NJ and have no insurance. There is a great doctor at Saint Peters University Hospital in NJ who specializes in seizures. I believe he also teaches at UMDMJ. (Saint Peters has programs for those who are financially unable to pay and without insurance. But I would get all the finance info from them.) They have an in house 3 or more day video EEG, if the doctor deems appropriate, to diagnosis Seizure disorders. What your symptoms appear to mimic are the seizures many of us have. Be aware though, if you are diagnosised in NJ you will most likely lose your DL for a year or more. If you go to NY and get diagnosised & treated, they do not report to NJ MVD. Which means, no loss of License. Best of luck to you & I hope you feel better soon.
Here is the Radiologist's report of my MRI:
"MR of the brain and IAC's was performed in multiple planes using multiple pulse sequences. Post-contrast images were obtained following the administration of 15 cc's of Gadolinium. Comparison is made with some of the images from a previous head CT of 6/2007.
Diffusion weighted images were obtained as well as postcontrast images of the brain.
The vestibular cochlear nerve complex is normal and symmetric in appearance. The are no masses in the CP angle cisterns. The pons, brain stem and cavernous sinus regions are normal. There are normal flow voids in the carotid.
Postcontrast images of the brain demonstrate anomalous draining vein in the left parietal lobe likely representing an incidental venous angioma.
There are no acute infarcts. There is no mass effect or shift. There is a normal gyral pattern and gray/white matter distribution.
Some minimal chronic frontal and ethmoid sinustis is present.
The pituitary is within normal limits.
IMPRESSION:
NORMAL IAC'S
INCIDENTAL VENOUS ANGIOMA LEFT PARIETAL LOBE
NO ACUTE INFARCTS.
-----------------------------------------------
Sleep Study Report:
"Mr. X's study was notable for the presence of significant sleep architectural abnormalities namely severe reduction in REM sleep and increased deep sleep. There was also mild sleep fragmentation related to some respiratory effort related arousals. The was minimal sleep fragmentation related to some respiratory effort related arousals. There was minimal sleep disordered breathing, however, no cardiac arrhythmias or other abnormal findings were seen."
There are also 3 pages of data, which is too much for transcription, I'll have to scan it later and upload to a free server.
"MR of the brain and IAC's was performed in multiple planes using multiple pulse sequences. Post-contrast images were obtained following the administration of 15 cc's of Gadolinium. Comparison is made with some of the images from a previous head CT of 6/2007.
Diffusion weighted images were obtained as well as postcontrast images of the brain.
The vestibular cochlear nerve complex is normal and symmetric in appearance. The are no masses in the CP angle cisterns. The pons, brain stem and cavernous sinus regions are normal. There are normal flow voids in the carotid.
Postcontrast images of the brain demonstrate anomalous draining vein in the left parietal lobe likely representing an incidental venous angioma.
There are no acute infarcts. There is no mass effect or shift. There is a normal gyral pattern and gray/white matter distribution.
Some minimal chronic frontal and ethmoid sinustis is present.
The pituitary is within normal limits.
IMPRESSION:
NORMAL IAC'S
INCIDENTAL VENOUS ANGIOMA LEFT PARIETAL LOBE
NO ACUTE INFARCTS.
-----------------------------------------------
Sleep Study Report:
"Mr. X's study was notable for the presence of significant sleep architectural abnormalities namely severe reduction in REM sleep and increased deep sleep. There was also mild sleep fragmentation related to some respiratory effort related arousals. The was minimal sleep fragmentation related to some respiratory effort related arousals. There was minimal sleep disordered breathing, however, no cardiac arrhythmias or other abnormal findings were seen."
There are also 3 pages of data, which is too much for transcription, I'll have to scan it later and upload to a free server.
My husband has the same thing and they found he had partical seizures
I haven't had the MRI yet because I'm on a waiting list. I live in Canada so I don't need insurance, but sometimes getting these tests done is a bit of a wait.
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