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Electric/Energy surge to brain when trying to fall asleep.

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GD10
GD10

Hi guys, I'm new to the site but glad I found somewhere to share my symptoms.

I'm getting a sort of electrical shock when trying to fall asleep. This electrical shock seems to be described on other sites as 'jumps' or 'zaps' or 'surges of energy'. It happens not when I'm sleeping but the moment I am about to fall asleep. Its like a sort of butterflies feeling in the stomach and then a rush/surge of energy to the brain which gives you a 'jump' and electrical feeling in the head and sometimes upper body. The more extreme they are sometimes produce a twitch in maybe the arm or leg. Its not painful but I guess is quite scary when it happens. These can happen numerous times a night.

Many friends/family I have spoken to say this is normal and they are familiar with the symptoms (I understand what they mean as it can be quite similar to when you suddenly wake from a bad dream) but mine seem to be a lot more often and extreme. I know my symptoms don't seem to be normal.

I've been having these for about 5-6 weeks now (some nights are worse than others) but generally its been more or less every night. This has turned into a vicious cycle because when you actually close your eyes at night to go to sleep you are actually waiting for the 'shock' to happen instead of trying to sleep. Obviously the less sleep you have, the less functional you are the next day and so on and so on. You then get sleep deprived which I believe also may trigger this.

The only other thing I can add to my symptoms is sometimes during the day I get a spaced out/empty/dizzy/cloudy feeling in the head (hard to explain). Sometimes this can turn into a sort of brain/head sensation where you feel you need to kind of 'shake it off'. Again, its hard to explain, something like if you have restless feet and you need to kick out of it but its in the head so you need to give yourself a shake to snap out of it.

I have read quite a bit about anxiety/stress and these symptoms may fall into this category but the issue I have with this, is that I have nothing to be anxious/stressful about! All is OK with job, money, house, relationship etc so I'm not sure how this all started. Could I be anxious about this illness? Again, a vicious cycle?

About me - I'm a fit and healthy 35 year old guy. I actually exercise quite a lot (go to gym/swim 4 times a week and have run numerous marathons over the past year). Although this fitness regime has stopped since I have started having these symptoms as I am feeling quite weak/tired due to not getting much sleep due to it. I have no major prior illnesses and I am not on any medication. I don't want to get in the habit of taking sleep medication.

I have been to the hospital and spent the night where they performed numerous blood tests/Heart ECG/X Rays/Urine and all came back OK. The only issue I had was slightly high blood pressure (but not high enough to be put on any medication). I have also been for an MRI scan and EEG epilepsy test. I will find the results with these in about 5 weeks time.

Anyway, that's my symptoms and hopefully someone might feel at ease that they are going through something similar.

Reading similar posts on the internet I don't think anyone has come to the conclusion on what in fact is causing these problems, even though a lot of the people actually been for tests and seen doctors. Has anyone experienced these issues?

Thanks guys, feel free to get in touch smile

27 likes, 695 replies

695 Replies

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  • gilliankeller05
    gilliankeller05 GD10

    Posted

    Man!  This is interesting.  I have also always regarded this as a very unusual spiritual experience.

    It started when I had a really, really bigtime spiritual epiphany a couple of years ago.  Ever since, when I'm falling asleep, there comes a very loud zing-ing sound and sensatoin though my body.  It is so interesting, because right after this sensation, I pop into the dream world IMMEDIATELY!  It's so interesting to see the transition happening.  Sometimes this sensation happens the moment I lay my head onto my pillow.  Sometimes it happens many times per evening and sometimes it goes a couple of months without happening.  I have learned to associate it with a fun, explorative time- it has never really bothered me or worried me, but I have become very interested in other people's experiences of this phenomena.  Escpecially given that it began to occur right after I had a major spiritual epiphany.

    Sometimes I get an 'out of body' experience associated with this, but mostly, the feeling shoots me into the dream world.

    Look at your expierience without fear of the unknown- see if there's fun to be had with it!  Especially if it seems like a thing that won't go away- but not if it's something you don't have energy for.

    Cheers!

    • SMSsi
      SMSsi gilliankeller05

      Posted

      Cool answer. Still I afraid about it but already i got the consciouness about this transition, it's exacly at the moment when between to be awake and follow sleep.

      Bufff thanks next step for me, associate it with fun and without fear

  • 1Anonymous1
    1Anonymous1 GD10

    Posted

    Have you ever asked to see if you might be having seizures? I have something very similar with involuntary convulsions. Mine are very rare and only happen at night on the edge of sleep. One night however, I had several electrical jolts to the front of the brain and I wasn't even asleep or close to it. I asked my question to an epilepsy blog board who said that the symptoms I'm describing should be discussed with either my doctor or a neurologist.
  • bob_99599
    bob_99599 GD10

    Posted

    Do you or anyone else who experience this have silver (amalgam) fillings in their teeth
    • simon92408
      simon92408 bob_99599

      Posted

      Hi Bob. I have plenty of amalgam fillings. I cant remember of I'm imagining it but I'm pretty sure my GP asked me the same question when I first went to her with this complaint. Why do you ask?
  • 77DarkHorse7
    77DarkHorse7 GD10

    Edited

    Stop freaking out guys, Here's the definitive answer: What you've been describing is a type of benign Myoclonus called a Hypnogogic Jerk. Everyone gets them, and most go by unnoticed because we're usually asleep when they occur. They happen when the body reaches a sleep state that the brain is unprepared for. The brain doesn't always know when it's supposed to be asleep, and It occasionally misinterprets a lack of sensory information from the body as an indication that something is wrong with the brain-body link so it sends a strong signal to the muscles to activate, and relay corresponding sensory signals back to the brain. It the neural version of a computer "ping". Twitching of muscles, faster heart rate, sweating, and sensations of falling or shock are all part and parcel of this natural process.
    • Ayeziza
      Ayeziza 77DarkHorse7

      Edited

      I think this may be the answer, it fits the best. Shock, twitches, and quickened heartbeat are the symptoms I experience before the onset of sleep. Good catch.
    • heathcmoss
      heathcmoss 77DarkHorse7

      Posted

      I had this happen about a month ago and I think you are right. When it happened last time, I was struggling trying to sleep for about an hour or so before the shock episode started. After it happened, I made a mental note that it felt like I was starting to have a dream, yet still felt somewhat conscious. Prior to that I hadn't been paying attention to what was happening because I would be struggling trying to sleep and then would get freaked out when I felt an episode happen. To me, what you are saying makes perfect sense. I had the thought that maybe it is some phenomenon that occurs when we sleep, however I was not fully asleep so I felt that phenomenon. This makes me feel a lot better about this. I started getting these mid twenties, and only rarely have been getting them lately, I'm 33 now.

      My background of similar health, to help anyone else, is I started getting occular migraines (with a visual aura) when I was 10. I wondered when these sleep episodes first started happening, if they are related to migraines? Some of the phenomenon that occurs with occular migraines....doctors have yet to find out in 2018 and they have come a long way. So I thought it could be related when I first started getting these sleep shock episodes. I also had a horse riding accident, and was in a fatal car crash when I was in high school, which chipped a vertebrae and caused massive misalignment. It's possible I could have nerve damage, like many on here are saying. But both the migraines and my spinal issues were present MANY years prior to these sleep episodes happening, so I believe that rules them out for me now that I am thinking about it.

      I also was in a physically abusive relationship, then he stalked me, tried to kill me, slit his wrists in front of me. After him I took a year to myself and then was in a long relationship that became more and more mentally abusive, and I started having panic attacks. Around the times I had these panic attacks is when I started to have these sleep episodes. I had them frequently for a while and then they disappeared for six years until now. With all of that in mind, I did a lot of research and discovered I was suffering anxiety since I was in that car accident in high school, and these abusive relationships seemed to amplify it. I suffered some form of PTSD and was diagnosed with moderate anxiety. Now that I am not in a abusive relationship and don't have a lot of stress, time has passed and I rarely get anxiety. So I think I can rule out that this is anxiety related...maybe not completely, because my anxiety is so random and rare now. But I have noticed these sleep episodes seem to happen when I have had anxiety, and at times when I don't have anxiety. So I do believe 77DarkHorse7's post seems to make the most sense in my case because nothing else that I seem to share with any other sufferers has been a constant for me at least. The lyme disease idea is very smart, I can see how that would be similar. But I know I have not been bitten by a tick, and I even grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and live in Colorado. I had a tick on me once when I was little but my mom was able to get it off pretty quick. Other than that I know I haven't been bit because I am hyper sensitive to insect bites/venom. I was bit by a brown recluse in Mexico in between the times that I first started having these sleep episodes, and it was so bad that I needed to call a doctor to my resort room because the bite swelled up to the size of a golf ball and had the red bulls eye like a tick bite. So I would definitely know if I was ever bit by a tick, my mosquito bites are usually larger than a dime or nickel, and I have been told by doctors that I am prob allergic to venom. So I think I can rule that one out too. So finally, I think 77DarkHorse7 is right. Sorry this was long but I just wanted to share my thoughts and what has affected me that is similar to what people are saying on here so they can investigate more or a doctor can investigate similarities that we all seem to share.

    • MC5555
      MC5555 77DarkHorse7

      Edited

      yes this is the best fit. i do think stress on the body both mentally and/or physically can make the episodes more likely to happen. at some point for me i thought i was having a stroke or a heart attack, the sensation was that bad. i did end up having a blood clot and then cancer, and i think those underlying conditions made me more prone to having the episodes, now i have lost 35 pounds due to the cancer and i never have these anymore, so i also think it might also be weight related although i was not that fat. hope this helps someone!

  • SMSsi
    SMSsi GD10

    Posted

    Thanks a lot that i find people with my same case. I m 34 years old, I practise yoga everyday, normally, and since half a year I experienced this electric shocks before fall to sleep. 

    What I feel is when I m going to fall sleep it appears. Also I experience twice when already was sleeping and that wants they start in the brain and then the electricity wents all down to my body.

    About kundalini, what you said GD10, it's a good thing to hear. I will explore more about this.

    Please if anywaone have more uptodate about this it will be great to hear.

    Ah for last, sorry if i don't writte properly english as I m not english sepaker.

    Good luck!

    • lance79526
      lance79526 SMSsi

      Posted

      Any updates? I'm experiencing the exact same thing.
  • simon92408
    simon92408 GD10

    Posted

    Hail fellow loons and hypochondriacs alike. So glad to have found this thread. 

    I think it will help everybody if when we try to separate in one section our feelings and detail objectively the circumstances and events in another. If not for ourselves then for other future sufferers. My feelings are in the first section here. 

    I too have had these surges for a while and am pretty fed up with tring to describe the symptoms to people. "He must be a hypochondriac - I can see no broken bones..." is the attitude to some people I have spoken to. My GP probably puts me in the GOMA class (get out of my surgery) although she is patient and sympathetic. My worry? That these will go on indefinitely (as well as the other symptoms listed below, that I will loose the good will of my friends and colleagues at work. That I will have to down grade my job. That I will have to muddle on with an invisible handycap that nobody really believes.

    I have devised a format belwo for reporting these events for future use that might help find a common thread. Please feel free to use it or add sections that I have missed. Please don't think I am trying to be a nazi but If future sufferers complete the form in the same way and in the same order we might be able to spot a common thread.

    1. Gender, age, 

    2. Previous health status

    3. Usual medication

    4. Events prior to the start of the 'head rushes'

    5. Any unusual medication or drugs prior to 'Head rush'

    6. Circumstances of first event

    7. Ongoing pattern

    8. Medical tests you have had confirmed as negative

    9. Medical tests you have had confirmed as positive

    10. Any influencing factors that you have spotted either positive or negative

    11. General thoughts

    Me:

    1. Gender, age: Male aged 51

    2  Previous health status: Good. Asthma, Allergic Rhinitus. Average weight, pulse, blood pressure although a bit unfit. Previous diagnosis of temporal lobe aura occurring 1 day every 12 days (a kind of simple partial siezure). No real stress or anxiety. Non smoker.

    3. Usual medication: Nasonex for rhinitus. Seretide for asthma. Paracetamol for headaches.

    4. Events prior to the start of the 'head rushes': Health very good. Operation for bone graft to upper jaw the day before the events started.

    5. Any unusual medication or drugs prior to 'Head rush': Usual asthma and rhinitus medication. Also sedated for 3 hours with intravenous Diazepam for the operation. 

    6. Circumstances of first event: Caught viral chest infection. Tried to fall asleep day after the operation and immediately woken each time I tried. Tried for 3 hours then gave up and read. Assumed it was sleep apnea (which I have not previously suffered from) due to chest infection. 

    7. Ongoing pattern: Continued for 4 days without sleep. Had seizure (temporal lobe aura). Last 5 weeks have been periods of normality and periods where: head feels spaced, memory poor, concentration poor, motivation poor, dizzyness, severe weakness in limbs, need to sleep frequently, head rushes most of the night although some days clear of these, bouts of unexpected emotion, vagueness, severe headaches, cold rushes down arms, feeling 'antsy' and unable to sit still or relax. Mental state is clear and rational despite this. 

    8. Medical tests you have had confirmed as negative: Near the time, although this was not during head rushes; ECG negative, CT scan negative, bloods (unsure what this covered) negative.

    9. Medical tests you have had confirmed as positive. Deficiency in vitamin D, prescribed vitamin D

    10. Any influencing factors that you have spotted either positive or negative. Drinking alcohol (1 bottle of wine)  brought the symptoms back badly. Disproportionate hangover lasting 2 days - nausea, weakness, sleepiness etc No factors identified that stop head rushes although am experimenting.

    11. General thoughts. Last night I was able to get a very clearer picture of what my head rushes consisted of as I woke at 5 (same as last 3 nights) and was only dozing when the subsequent attacks took place. Firstly and odd indescribable feeling for 2 seconds or so indicating a head rush - I knew one was coming. Then sharp change in consciousness interrupting my steady, calm, natural, meandering sleep thoughts. Immediate, sharp brain activity centred around frontal lobes. Hard to describe but like an adrenaline rush. The kind of reaction you would expect from your brain if someone shouted 'fire' whist you were asleep or shone a bright light in your face. Residual dizziness and lightheadedness lasting several seconds. Felt like my pulse was rapid but dropped back to 58 BPM before I could switch light on and find watch so this may be imagined. Initial bout may have been accompanied by a strong wave of nausea but was asleep so hard to be certain. 

    Take care all.

    S

     

    • bob_99599
      bob_99599 simon92408

      Posted

      http://naturaldentistry.us/2213/cavitations-the-silent-killer/

      It's interesting you had oral surgery before this started. I have been looking into this being my cause of symptoms. I had a root canaled tooth with a crown. The crown popped off and the filling underneath slowly eroded away, I didn't have money to deal with it at the time. After it eroded that's when my symptoms started, heart racing fluttering, anxiety, vision problems, tinnitus.

      Maybe something to look into

    • simon92408
      simon92408 bob_99599

      Posted

      Hi Bob. Sorry for the delay. I meant to get back to you within the hour and time has just slipped past. Your story has similarities to mine. I had a chronic infection for 30 years in the upper front part of my jawbone. Again I didnt have the money to fix it and just put up with it for years. I have just had a bone graft and this is when this all flared up too. I must say that I have had temporal lobe auras ebfore (1 every 12 years or so for a day) and the occasional migrane bout. I too have heart fluttering (but pulse seems normal - does yours actally race?) anxienty, and tinnitus increases. As I say underneath this post I have had an impromtu diagnosis from a psychiatrist friend of simple partial seizures. Weather the sleeplessnes from the sudden waking up has brought on the siezures (lack of sleep is a comon cause of epileptic events) or weather the sudden brain rushes are part of the siezures remains to be seen. My personal view is that they are part of the siezure process. I sometimes have these rushes when I'm awake. What are your feelings on you having some sort of epilepsy? It would be great if you filled in the questionaire that I posted so we could see if there were any other similarities. 
    • SMSsi
      SMSsi simon92408

      Posted

      Hello.

      I will do this questionary next days but for what i read about you we don't have a coomon thread besides this electric experience in brain.

      I have to say that now I m paying attention when this phenomena is coming, i already detected and I try to breath without being afraid and telling to myself nice thoughts. Last week, i did so at the moment between follow sleep and sleep and I felt sleep without problem after all.

    • simon92408
      simon92408 SMSsi

      Posted

      Hi. I do inded get an experience in my brain waking me up. It is hard to describe but feels like blood rushing to my head and "fizing" around the front of my head very suddenly. I suppose this could be described as an electic shock. Its also accompanied by a number of other more subltle symptoms. I do think we are possibly taking about the same thing although I cant be sure.
    • SMSsi
      SMSsi simon92408

      Posted

      yes yes for me is like an electric shock in the brain, inside middle front, also difficult to explain plus Im not english speaker so more difficult to explain. Normally it was only brain. Twice strongest starts in the brain and went down to all my body. I entered in panic after this.

      In my case always appears in the state between awake and follow to sleep. of course when appears at beginning i couldn't sleep good and maybe not sleep because of the fear to don't know what it was.

      Now i have only sometimes, small, 1 or 2 a month.

      I will do the questionary this weekend. Let's see.

    • SMSsi
      SMSsi simon92408

      Posted

      1. Gender, age: Female, 34 years old.

      2. Previous health status:

      Normally I m healty person. Only i have a weak point in my lowerback and neck when I have some kind of stress or high mental activity.

      All my teeth are perfect. Only 1 wisdom teeth went was growing lead me an angina.

      Before starts this brain phenomenon (spring 2014) I had a high emotional stress (broken relationship in a bad way) driving to an insomnia. Later I went to and alternative doctor and he said me I had hyper-hypo tyroid, small chapters of hypoglycemia and deficiency in many minerals and vitamins as (zinc, magnesium, vitamin B). All this affects the hypothalamus function (less memory, no good sleep and low segregation of seretonin. He prescribed me a natural chinesse pills full of plants for the tyroid and a food complement of magnesium, zinc, vitamin B and C.

      Summer 2014 Analytics with normal dr: urine infection. They prescribe 4 diferent types of antybiotic and doesn't help. I stop to make analytics and wait my aleternative doctor.

      Autum 2014 alternative dr.: All with tyrioids ready, no more stress, no insomnia (only sometimes before to go to sleep stay awake). Urinary infection and full bacterys (coming from 4 types of antibiotics) prescribe chinesse natural medicine.

      End 2015 till now I'm fit.

      3. Usual medication:

      I don't use to take any chemical medicaments. Not now, not before. Now still i take magnesium tablets.

      4. Events prior to the start of the 'head rushes':

      Already explain in number 2.

      5. Any unusual medication or drugs prior to 'Head rush':

      No drugs, No alcohol, more or less I smoke 10 cigarretes per day. Chinesse medicine (plants)

      6. Circumstances of first event.

      Normal day, working, beach, good food.

      I was laying in bed, trying to sleep and when i start to follow sleep, at the line between awake and sleep and electric cramp, shock likeI felt in my brain. I woke up very fast, I was afraid, I couldn't sleep till late morning.

      7. Ongoing pattern.

      Second day, same as first. Third day same but more stronge, the electricity starts in my brain and fast run down to all my body. This day I was really affraid, I couldn't sleep so I went out to a friend house.

      3 consecutive days. Then it appears some days during week. And then it came less and less. I move from the house to my parents (as i was doing summer job in a touristic place). Here it cames twice since 5 months more or less. Always before to sleep.

      8. Medical tests you have had confirmed as negative:

      Answered before

      9. Medical tests you have had confirmed as positive:

      Answered before

      10. Any influencing factors that you have spotted either positive or negative:

      Only what i was thinnking about, a lot, is that I moved to a new house and the kitchen and different parts of the house when I touched them make me like cramps. So all full house was fully with electricity and that makes me thing that maybe this was the possible cause.

      Could be that magnesium tablets helps.

      Since I had that, I don't sleep with the handyphone next to me. I let it in other room.

      I practice yoga everyday between half and 1 hour, bike and walk sometimes.

      11. General thoughts.

      I'm use to be a positive person.

      I hope this help. If you have other questions let me know you or anyone. Thanks. 

      Happy weekend.

    • SMSsi
      SMSsi

      Posted

      sorry i did a mistake with a date where it says end 2015 till now I wanted to writte End 2014 till now.

      And I forgot to writte something that I thing is important and "normal" doctors doesn't check it. 

      They found me hy levels of heavy metals in my blood.

      Bye

       

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