Help Brain tremors inside my head causing severe sleep depreviation
Posted , 41 users are following.
I cannot sleep.... the moment I attempt to fall asleep it's almost as though a something gets released and I start feeling Tremors inside my head these tremors are very annoying very strong they stay with me I can barely fall asleep and then when I do it's very lucid dreaming at the most I wake up within 45 minutes to an hour and the tremors are still there. I also have very intense jerks when I try to fall asleep with the tremors nothing seems to stop the tremors. During the day my brain feels like it's not working correctly at all feels very Spacey surreal....just to give you a background on what's been going on with me I am 46 years old I had a full hysterectomy 6 weeks ago within days of my hysterectomy I started getting severe headaches I was concerned after 5 days of having these headaches I called my doctor and they got back with me and said they forgot to tell me about my hormone patch that was sitting at a pharmacy that I don't even go to so I got on Miniville estrogen after several days in the meantime my vision was also blurry and I started feeling very surreal foggy and unusual brain tingling pains electrical zaps and a type of mental decline. Honestly it felt like I was coming down with Dementia or something. I felt like every single day my brain was either under attack with an infection or I was losing some of my cognitive abilities. I also started having trouble sleeping shortly after this.... having trouble falling asleep waking up with tremors in my head couple weeks ago and then last week I had a stressful week and started getting the Tremors before I fell asleep not just after I woke up I did not sleep for 4 days solid. Went to the ER because everyone was closed for Christmas they sent me home with Ambien... tried that and it did not work already tried Benadryl it did not work tried melatonin it did not work try breathing exercises it did not work. At best right now I am getting maybe an hour asleep at night usually about 45 minutes. Like I said the brain Tremors are inside my head and to be clear my head does not Shake itself just inside and I'm getting lots of jerks muscle spasms with my body that wake me up immediately...then wake up and my blood pressure goes through the roof my normal blood pressure is 110 over 60 lately my blood pressure after I wake up is 170/100. I cannot figure this out I have tried different hormones over the last couple weeks nothing is working I don't even know if it's hormone-related. I went to the doctor he ordered an MRI gave me lorazepam that's not working either but it does make the Tremors feel softer. I am very concerned lately I am actually scared to even fall asleep because of the nightmares and jerks that immediately ensuing wake me up. Just wanting to know if anyone has ever gone through anything like this very scary thank you for anyone's time or advice it is appreciated.
3 likes, 54 replies
robin1956 Proudmom
Posted
Hello Proudmom, I have almost identical symptoms as you've described, headtremors, high pitched ringing in the ears, high blood pressure when the tremors hit and total lack of sleep. Here's the kicker, I'm a 60yr old man.
Eccie6816 robin1956
Posted
hi Robin can I ask are you an ex veteran or been exposed to traumatic incidents as I have the the same symptoms and after a long military career and nhs service in specalist trauma setting I have been diagnosed with complex PTSD with a brain injurys triggered from multiple operational tours and this came to light after a severe RTC resulting in me losing my coping mecanisms hope this helps it tends to be my brain preceving a threat and triggering my adrenal receptors which causes the tremmors
lucas52657 Proudmom
Edited
Hello all. I was excited to finally find some people with my exact symptoms. I'm truly identical, with the same exemption as the last poster - I'm a 41 yo male.
But reaching the end of this thread I'm very distraught as nobody ever seem to come to conclusion.
I hope you are all feeling better, if any of you read this, please respond with an update - for better or worse.
thomas57022 Proudmom
Posted
I recently had the same symptoms as your last posting. Just wondering how you are doing now?! I'm 45yr male.
Eccie6816 Proudmom
Edited
Hi guys I feel your frustration I'm a 44 year old guy that suffered a traumatic brain injury due to an RTC. I have had an interesting high pressure career path consisting of 20 years military service within the Army in 2 very prestious elite regiments seeing service all over the world and I now work for the NHS at a very prestigious hospital in the operating theatres doing complex speciality operations as a member of the scrub staff. Since my RTC I have seen numerous consultants of many different fields all telling me it's Ptsd having only had a few and far between flashbacks, I know the difference between when I'm having a flashback and when my brain and hands are trembling and I zone out in an almost peti mal vacant trance.i also feel my brain races and I struggle to sleep to the point I'm terrified to let myself get exhausted.its fustrating as all these specialists don't seem to feel like they are listening to me as a patient when I tell them I can tell when it's ptsd and if so it's mild and I would not be able to function In my present career. Has anyone had an E,E,G. Whilst tremoring And got to see what is going on in the brain as this is my next step to see if the head injury has resulted in epileptic sezieurs any advice would be greatly apreciated
DeDe75 Proudmom
Edited
42 yr old fit female who never had kids and experiencing the same thing every night. Internal head vibrations when I try to fall asleep that get worse as my body settles down. Started in my head and neck and lead into my arm. Stopped for a month but came back. It's now in my head and neck into my face. I can actually trace mine back to a hylaurondaise injection (mixed with lidocaine) that I received in my cheek. Had an allergic reaction and my head felt groggy like I was on Nyquil. The vibrations started just a few days later. This was at the start of Jan. Of course doctors have never heard of this reaction and have no idea how to respond to it. Here's what I've done so far:
1. Had an MRI, MRA, and EEG. Results normal.
2. Checked with an ENT for inner ear. Normal.
3. Consulted with 2 plastics regarding the injection: never heard of this type of reaction.
4. Had my thyroid and B12 checked. Normal.
5. Went for a complete heart workup and stress test. All normal.
6. Went to a neuro-chiropractor and a chiropractor. One suggested getting an MRI of the neck. Already did an x-ray. Other suggested it's the nervous system out of whack and possibility of heavy metals in the body.
7. Checked with several functional medicine doctors who had no idea.
8. Even saw a therapist who said I'm pretty normal. I honestly don't believe it's anxiety because it wouldn't happen every night and wake you up from your sleep. It would be episodic. i personally never suffered from anxiety. The only thing stressing me out is this.
9. Tried floatation therapy. This actually helped some but it's very expensive and not covered by insurance.
Have done so much research on this since Jan and everyone says the same thing: they went for every test, everything is normal, and doctors have no idea. Heard it could be lyme's disease or low magnesium. Checked last summer but will check again. Also heard people on SSI medication can experience this. I was never on anything. My next step, I think, will be the MRI of the neck.
If anyone actually does find a solution or diagnosis to this please share. With so many people experiencing this any doctor that can find a cure would make a fortune.
lucas52657 DeDe75
Edited
Hey DeDe (and others), I posted above and after reading your post decided to check in with my current conditions and thoughts.
Like you and so many others in this thread, all the docs, and specialists, and numerous tests find nothing. Typical sleep improvement techniques don't seem effective ("sleep restriction" helps a little).
These days I am having the sensation in my arms and upper torso and a little in the head. This sensation corresponds with a significant lack of sleep, but I don't think the tremor itself is necessarily causing the inability to fall asleep. I almost always fall asleep right away, but wake up again within a few minutes. Then it's a question of if I will fall back asleep. If I wake up and my brain is feeling awake, then I won't sleep for several hours and I will usually also feel the tremor sensation. If my brain is not "wired" and instead feeling tired, then I can fall asleep again.
My best description of the sensation is shakiness as if it is due to weakness (tiredness). It is pretty rhythmic, and not sporadic. Feel it almost exclusively after trying to sleep, but can notice it during the day if I slept horribly the night before. The feeling is almost completely internal, but on a rare occasion I can produce a slightly visible tremor by holding my hands together (like a clapping position) so close that they almost touch.
Of the 2-3 people I have dug up online that describe similar sensations but no longer get them, they site reducing stress and regular exercise as their probable remedy.
My best conversations about it seem to come from my Neurologist, I've only seen her twice, but on my last visit (a few days ago) she thinks that a lack of Serotonin is the most likely issue. This agrees with the others that had benefits from exercise as that will boost Serotonin. In fact, I saw benefits from cardio exercise myself; recently I got on a good schedule of using my elliptical and my symptoms improved significantly. But over the past week or two my stress went up and ability to exercise was eliminated - and you guessed it, my symptoms returned.
My Nero and I now have a plan that I will restart my exercise routine and try to handle it naturally. But, having 2 young kids this might not last. And if things get worse for me or if I cannot maintain my exercise schedule, the backup is getting on an SSRI. I am resisting going down that path, but will give it a go if needed.
Interesting that you mention people on SSRIs can experience this, kind of reinforces that the balance of Serotonin might be involved though. Could be that people like you and I who have never used SSRIs could benefit...?
Anyway, that is my current plan. I will update here in a couple months to let anyone interested know how it goes. If anyone in here is already using an SSRI, or is already exercising their butt off with no benefit, I'd love to hear about it.
Seuby lucas52657
Edited
I am almost identical to lucas52657 46 yr old male. I am not able to exercise as i get muscle crams. One thing that does bring me some relief is sleeping upright. I have a psychiatrist appointment in a week and neuro sleep doctor in 2 weeks. I have already seen 3 neurologists with no quick fix. Feel like my body is trying to kill itself when I sleep.
lucas52657 Seuby
Posted
Hey man, just got a notification that someone replied here. So, I thought I'd give a quick update:
I'm better. Not perfect, but certainly better. I can't say for sure what the solution was/is, I think it's many things. But I think a lot of it is mental. I was certainly stressed, even though I didn't see it at the time. I think lack of sleep, combined with some mild hypochondria had/has me overly sensitive to sensations in my body.
But, I must admit that it could be possible that something was/is going on inside my body and I am overcoming it. I still lack any concrete explanation.
What I think helped:
lily65668 lucas52657
Edited
Hi lucas,
I came across your post as I still get notifications from this forum.
Just wanted to congratulate you on having the right approach. As someone who had pretty poor sleep for most of my working life, I totally agree that most of our symptoms are down to anxiety about not sleeping. That's what produces all the "special effects" we suffer from.
I was lucky in that I too worked this out at an early stage, so was able to live with my difficult sleep patterns very successfully for all that time. The good news is that I started sleeping like a baby again as soon as I gave up paid employment nine years ago!
I'm sure that with your attitude you too will find a way to work around your sleep problems and have a happy life.
Seuby DeDe75
Posted
Hi DeDe, Reading your post and word for word I am mostly the same as you. Issues started a month after having extensive dental surgery where they injected me with a lot of lidocaine and/or Novocaine. No sure it they were mixed with hylaurondaise. My internal vibrations started in my lower legs and months later my forearms start to join in, most prevalent at night or when waking. 2 months after that my head and upper spine. 2 to 3 months after that the face joined in and I started getting them in the evening while totally awake. I too, like you have had many tests and piece by piece a full body MRI/Cat Scan both with and without contrast and nothing was found. I have had in depth sleep studies done with findings that it is not caused by a sleep issue. They saw an issue with me when I come out of rem sleep(this test was before my fully awake spells). I too have never been on any antidepressant. We have tried seizure medicine, Parkinson's medication, beta blockers and nothing worked, nothing except taking for taking Benadryl before bed or sometimes as my issue comes during the day. I came a crossed this by accident as I was going through a time of waking up every 2-3 hrs and needing to exercise to get rid of the vibrations. I wanted to make my self really sleepy but didnt have Nyquil so I used Benadryl and was able to sleep for 5 hrs without issue. I discussed this with my 4th neurologist and warned about long term Benadryl use as it can cause issues. Instead he wanted to try amitriptyline 1 hr before bed. Amitriptyline is an antidepressant which is also used as medication for sleep issues. He also prescribed Hydroxzine which is similar to Benadryl(both antihistamines) which is not supposed to have the long term issues. In short amitriptyline 1 hr before bed every night has made my last 3 months of this ordeal much more tolerable. I still have no diagnosis and no clear answers but it is definitely a neurological issue in my brain which at times, especially when I sleep seems to be overactive or out of balance. A strict night time routine and these meds are making a difference and I hope will lead some one here or one of my docs to a cause.
dev99675 Proudmom
Edited
Dear All,
Hang in there! You are not alone! I am happy I found this—these symptoms started for me last Jan Feb. Every time I would start to drift off to sleep either a muscle around my neck or upper torso would start to tremor—or I would have a strong oscillatory feeling of vibration in my head. And this would of course prevent me from sleeping. An utter nightmare and so freaky and no neurologist has the slightest clue. Listen to this:
Two things to note:
1. I have confirmed neurological Lyme disease with coinfections and have for six years, with a large array of neurological symptoms. After getting much better, I still and have (and had) lots of muscle twitching. Then it progressed to this new symptom from hell which you are all describing. I am back on antibiotics for Lyme and possibly Bartonella and tick borne relapsing fever. So we will see.
2. Once this awful symptom started, I got back on Zoloft due to the stress, and I dont know if it is related, but the symptoms improved dramatically.
My take is that Lyme has damaged my motor centers and neurotransmission including serotonin and dopamine.
That is my guess.
I hope to God this info helps someone out there.
If you suspect you have Lyme reach out to me and I can advise you on the RIGHT way to get tested and diagnosed.
Please reapond to my post because I would like to hear from you.
Best wishes
lucas52657 dev99675
Edited
Thanks for your input dev. I don't suspect your Lyme disease is directly related, at least for me, but I do live in Tic country so it is in the realm of possibility.
I do appreciate your antidote that Zoloft (SSRI) helped your symptoms. Goes to confirm to me that the balance of Serotonin is involved.
As for me, I have little news to share other than my symptoms have continued to be related to my level of exercise (Serotonin booster). I've largely continued my goal of getting 20-30 minutes of elevated heart-rate exercise per day, and seen the tremor symptoms all but disappear. And to prove it further, there was a period where I relapsed on my goal and was sedentary for over a week - this quickly led to a period of increased insomnia and more tremor sensations. But once I got back into my routine I've been sleeping and feeling better again! Not proof, or certainly no cure, but it definitely will encourage me to stay active!
All for now. But to anyone in the same boat; my current advice FWIW, is as follows:
#1) Don't freak out about it, it doesn't seem to be any necessary indicator of anything major. Freaking out about it only made things worse for me, and just accepting it made it less powerful - but do see a doctor to make sure, and to put you mind more at ease.
#2) Try getting into a near-daily exercise routine (or follow other advice of your doctor [SSRI??]) and let us know how it goes.
ana85762 dev99675
Posted
Hi Dev would like to know if the medication is helping.
mich1234 dev99675
Posted
how did you correctly diagnose lyme diagnoses?
louise16695 lucas52657
Posted
Hi Lucas!
I love your story and what you said and suggested 😃
Myself however, I exercise every day (all my life) and have not seen an improvement in my tremors at all 😦
I am however going through perimenopause - but blood tests didn't show it.
I do definitely think that this is all hormone related (even adrenals & brain/central nervous system) and that gentle exercise will always help anyway 😃 It's a very good idea to learn how to relax (exercise can help with that as well as releasing endorphins etc) and I think we can all see that the whole thing is a very delicate balancing act - that can sometimes go awry.
A lot of women get these symptoms - especially through perimenopause, others just get them - and it might not be a confirmed case of hormone imbalance or deficiency. With males it might be testosterone or even DHEA.
I think people should also read up on MdDS and PPPD as the symptoms are all very similar! MdDS articles I've read mention a relation to hormones and that pregnant women's shakes/tremors seem to dissipate for a while - due to an INCREASE in hormones whilst pregnant (obviously this doesn't apply to you yourself, lol), but I can't remember if they say that PPPD is related to hormones or not. They've only just come up with the name PPPD just recently, so there won't have been enough tests or trials done yet to confirm if there's a hormone relation or not. They all have a swaying, bobbing or rocking feeling as their symptoms - this can also be felt as a tremor or shaking sensation.
Just remember peeps, hormones run our whole bodies and if you've been under a lot of, or prolonged stress, things like the adrenals can alter cortisol levels, dhea, serotonin and melatonin - even dopamine (neurotransmitters) levels etc, so all of these scenarios and imbalances can cause a myriad of weird and not-so-wonderful symptoms.
Wouldn't it be great if somebody could just work this mystery out and give us a cure! All I can say is that (I'm sorry) doctors and even top endocrinologists I've seen have been absolutely useless! It was only people posting like this - helping other people via the internet.
Louise
mitouback louise16695
Posted
HI..
I am new to this. I've been having the buzzing now for 3-5 weeks. they just appeared one night.
It happens as I am tying to sleep. Or they wake me up. tiny tiny fast fast vibrations. The gP says it is anxiety. I wasn't anxious. This makes me anxious though. It worries me. I had an ECG. =normal. I had chest Xray = normal. Blood test showed I am suffer slightly from sub-clinical hypo thyroidism. I need to have another blood test in 5 weeks time to follow up on this. I also was told my calcium level was a tiny bit high. My blood pressure is also a little on the high side, but I wonder if it is because each time I am taking my BP now I get so anxious over this weird vibrations. It feels also as if it is in my head. Back of my head. I am 71. It all started when we were all lad off work due to the corona virus . Could it be that my body is out of sync because everything got disrupted??? . I feel at a loss. It worries me.
ann968 dev99675
Posted
Dear Dev99675,
I pray you will be able to tell me how to get tested for Neurological Lyme. I have these symptoms as discussed on here; tremors/internal vibrations at night, then being jerked awake and unable to sleep! August 2020 I pulled a tick with a white pustule out of my abdomen after walking in the woods. Multiple Lyme tests show over the last year show negative. Please reply to tell me where I can get tested for Neurologial Lyme. Please. I hope you see this. Thank you. ANN