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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

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  • Guest
    Guest GD10

    Posted

    I have Dealt with this for a couple of years and have some theories. It only happens to me when when I eat certain foods a few hours earlier, such as tomato, avocado, spinach:

    -loosely related to vestibular migraine - aka a non-headache form of migraine. The foods are migraine trigger foods, so cd be a connection.

    -because I've heard this described as a side effect of stopping antidepressants (which I don't take), that it's related to seratonin, which is manufactured in the stomach (thus the food connection?)

    its not not the same as a hypnic jerk - it's more intense, like multiple mini blackouts (but fizzier). 

    • adrian58359
      adrian58359 Guest

      Posted

      ''I have Dealt with this for a couple of years and have some theories. It only happens to me when when I eat certain foods a few hours earlier, such as tomato, avocado, spinach''

      it's Histamin. It is a hormone and neurotransmitterproduced in the Mastccells....i am reading this thread allthouth i think i know quite good what's going on with us but i'll read until the end and then i'l share with you my point of view. Untill now somebody mentioned Elektrosensitivity, u mentioned Spinat, avocado, and tomatoes...those are things tath we have in common...and i have a theory based on a lot of reading of scientifical works. Excuse my english, i live in germany...we have this problem hier also.. apperently.

  • lance79526
    lance79526 GD10

    Posted

    Thanks for writing this! I thought something was seriously wrong with me until I found this thread. Are you still having these symptoms? For about two months here's what's been happening to. Sometimes the surges wake me up from a crazy dream but I typically wake up in the middle of the night and while falling back asleep this huge surge of electricity seems to flow through my brain. I have no twitching with body, but the surge is very strong almost painful...that makes me nervous and therefor my heartrate is elevated a bit...I usually have to open my eyes as it almost feels that it will get worse if I don't open my eyes. What's really interesting is that on the nights where it happens(once or twice a week)...I tend to have the most whacked out, spiritual and physodelic dreams imaginable. You could make sci-fi movie series out of each dream. What in the world is happening to me? 
    • lance79526
      lance79526

      Posted

      I'm a healthy 38 yo male. 6' 4" 210lbs ....excercise some, drink a little wine, eat fairly healthy. Great blood pressure, not on anti-depressants or psychotics, 
    • Mr_shapes
      Mr_shapes lance79526

      Posted

      It so reassuring to know I wasn't the only feeling these feelings cause people think I'm crazy but what your explaibing I get its a battle as I no longer want pharmaceutical help
  • brino99
    brino99 GD10

    Posted

    I posted on here some time back and get emails everytime someone posts on here.  I have not read all the comments, but I do have an update.

    The electrical charges I was experiencing have stopped (all by themselves and not due to any kind of medication).  In the meantime, I have been to see a number of doctors and none of them seemed concerned.  One called it a "Hypnic Startle" and said it was nothing to worry.  So folks, hang in there.  I do take Gabapentin for something else and each doctor told me the Gabapentin should help.

  • john07881
    john07881 GD10

    Posted

    Well, you can add another person to the list.  What GD10 and others on this thread have described is exactly what I am going through right now.  It sucks and its freaking me out.  I am very glad to hear others are in the same boat (well, I'm not happy you are suffering with it but glad Im not alone).  My doctor prescribed Levapro? for me to try but I have not filled that prescription.  Those types of medications scare me and I do not trust them.  I have been taking a different anxiety medication which helps me get through these incidents (axazepam). I think this is an alternative to xanax. basically when its happening I will get up and take one and then watch TV for about an hour until super tired and then drift off.  I seem to sleep ok for several hours before this starts again in the morning.  I am just about to ask my doctor to send me for a head scan but it sounds like that turns up nothing for all of those on this thread.

    I am a bit concerned as this is just happening to me and the most recent post on this thread is over a year old.  I need some help!  I will try some of the suggestions you have all made.  I want to avoid any further meds if i can help it.  I do have stress and carry it internally.  I need to begin meditation routine and try some natural alternatives.  My bad habits are alcohol ( I drink 2-4 beers about 5 nights per week), caffeine ( I drink strong coffee in morning, about 2 mugs, and maybe one diet coke in the afternoon), and dipping ( I use Skoal pouches usually only once per night but i put 3-4 of them in).   i know I need to drop these habits for a period and see what affect that has. 

    I will post again in future.  I hope some of you will come back and let me know if this is still happening to you and any other information you have learned.  I don t know how long I can stand this happening.  Its messing with me.

    • john07881
      john07881

      Posted

      sorry, there are actually some more recent posts I did not see prior to entering my comments. 

      I have all these symptoms of the electrical shock felling when falling asleep.  It happens over and over again all night.  I may have a few good nights in between many of these nights.  you have all described it exactly.  starts in the head and goes into my chest/stomach.  feeling of electrical rush, sometimes just a sort of Butterflies feeling, sometimes like an adrenaline rush, occaisionally a body twitch follows but only some times.  sometimes its containd just in my head  and not my chest.  feels like falling sometimes.

      One thing to add,  I dont get the surges during the day but I do feel a bit fuzzy in the back of my head up to the top of my head.  I get a little dizzy at times, escpecially when I look quickly in one direction or the other.  Which is weird because i can exercise or climb steps, etc without that dizzy feeling.  Its only when sitting still or slightly moving my head.  weird.  I am planning on getting an exam.  i feel I at least need to rule out the obvious. 

      Thank you all for sharing this information it is extremely helpful.

       

    • Jim45991
      Jim45991 john07881

      Posted

      Hey man, I had this for several months (4 months) last winter. It went away gradually! No more hypnik jerks or brain zasp, extrem vertigo (but no vertigo when driving a car...). Believe me. I know it's hard not to think about them and you don't have to ignore them. But try to distract yourself as much as you can and have your postive thinking mode "on". Also, go get yourself check by a doctor, that's the best thing you can do!
    • mike97172
      mike97172 Jim45991

      Posted

      Dis u take any medication? For me, dizziness like falling does go away, but still having sleep start after taking celexa
    • susan95644
      susan95644 mike97172

      Posted

      I have never taken any medication to fall asleep.  When I don't have to be up in the morning, I read late at night sometimes, or play music.
  • Elehna
    Elehna GD10

    Posted

    Hi.  I have experienced this for the last 16 years.  Usually when I have had a really stressfull day/week/month.  Just when I am about to fall to sleep the ringing will start.  Then what feels like a powerful electrical surge or wave in my brain accompanied by a very loud sound and my whole body jumps, breathing and heart rate accelerate.  It almost feels like a re-set button if that makes any sense.  Sometimes if I realize in my sleepy state that the ringing has started I can breath through it and it doesn't happen.  Most nights I'm too late to notice whats about to happen though.  I'm always left feeling anxious and worried.

    About me: I am a 38 year old female in generally good health,  I am bipolar.  I used to take many different medications but I am currenlty free of all antidepressants.  I do take Advair for athsma and have a rescue inhaler as well.  I have to take allergy medicaton almost daily because the amount of things I have become allergic to has expanded much since I was a child (cats and rabbits).  In the last 5 years I have developed allergies or "intolerances" to many foods (banana, avacado, potato, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, mangos you know all the good stuff!) and the run of the mill indoor/outdoor allergies (dust mites, mold, grass...).  I used to be a smoker but after being diagnosed with chronic bronchitis I quit by using Chantix (which I only recommend as a last resort because it works but I still have lasting effects from it and that was 6 years ago).  No more bronchitis.

    History of he "electrical surge event": The symptoms first began after my doctor put me on an antidepressant (can't remember the name).  I was being treated for post partem depression after my second child.  I have never been good at remembering to take a pill every day and after about a month of being on this medication I forgot to take the medication for a couple of days and the first time this "event" happened I assumed it was a side affect of not taking the medication.  It was one of those you have to be carefully weaned off of or it causes problems.  Once I resumed the medication it went away for a time.  Over time I would get them more frequently.  The first doctor diagnosed me with fibromyalgia (which I do not have) but I guess I was exhibiting other symptoms that lead them to believe this at the time.  The next doctor after having an MRI and determining nothing was visibly wrong with my brain said it was likely a type of ocular migraine.   After researching what that was exactly I completely disagree with this evaluation as well.  For the most part  I had given up on asking because they went away for a long time or at least were pretty non frequent and when I do ask the doc always looks at me like I'm making it up or I'm just crazy.  Recently though they have been occuring more frequently and the intensity is increasing, even occuring during the daytime while active twice. Heavy stress (both good and bad kinds) seems to be my main trigger for these terrifying events.  Thank you everyone on here for sharing your experiences.  At the very least I take comfort in the fact that here someone will not only believe me but understand what I'm going through as well. 

    • adrian58359
      adrian58359 Elehna

      Posted

      '' In the last 5 years I have developed allergies or "intolerances" to many foods (banana, avacado, potato, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, mangos you know all the good stuff!) and the run of the mill indoor/outdoor allergies (dust mites, mold, grass...).''

      i think a lot of us have this in common..

    • Guest
      Guest adrian58359

      Posted

      exactly the same for me, plus spinach, cinnamon, paprika...wait, basically everything that is off limits on the "low histamine" diet protocol. i was also diagnosed with migraine (no pain tho), and have a theory about that. maybe there is more to migraine than doctors typically know. i have a friend who's been in migraine meds her whole life, and never ever considered nor was told to adjust her diet. i shared with her the list of foods i can't eat, which she followed, and voila, her migraines disappeared. so i  don't think i have migraines in the sense that i can take meds for relief (i tried, if anything it made it worse) but there is a connection between migraine and naturaly chemicals in foods. some people can process the chemicals with no problems, i used to be one of them! but now, i seem to be unable to. Methylation pathways? DAO issues? who knows. it's a drag. but, i only get the brain zaps and intense vertigo spasms after eating certain foods. it's been going on for 6 or 7 years now, and that's what i've come to realize via specific patterns.

    • Guest
      Guest

      Posted

      and ps - this is a common thing to happen to people as they come off of anti depressents - but it happened to me without ever having taken 1! maybe it happens to me for the same reason tho, ie a process gets out of whack for whatever reason. 
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