Hello everyone here-at NeuroTalk--& Merry Christmas...Happy holidays & a happy, healthy New Year...to all-!

Some of you may recognize me from my newer posts--as I am new here & this is a wondefrul site!
Let me begin by saying last week....I saw four..that's right....FOUR!....Specialists!

My first specialist-
-1)-A...pulmonary specialist----after getting over a case of the flu(Late Oct)---I had a terrible cough from late October..till just 2 days ago (Dec 23)---& it stopped! My pulmonary spec...gave me the PFT....(Spirometery.....diffusion.....AND the "methacholine challenge"...to rule out "Cough variant Asthma"-!
I passed all w flying colors!

2) Saw my regular cardiologist. this week-.(I see every 6 months)---for my irregular heartbeats. Last year....I had a stress...EKG.....w isotope. This week.....had an echocardiogram-!
I passed all w flying colors ! (Are you with me)?

3) Last yr......had TWO..."sleep studies" done to rule out any apneas...& for me "pre-sleep jerks"- & "Strange breathing"...episodes!
I passed all--NO apneas......just some 'periodic limb movement"-

4) Also saw my E/N/T......for me GERD,.(and esophageal spasm)........under control...w protonix...& Zegerid!
I MENTION these.......so....when anyone responds----these things HAVE been ruled out-!

-All I have been dx with is,,,,.."Mild Mitral Valve prolapse" (episodes of SVT) --IBS --Esophageal spasm
Middle ear problem..( Rarely- "positional vertgo)-)
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OK--HERE is the ..."biggie"-! For the last 3 or 4 years...(they come & go)-----I get hese ..strange.."Pre-sleep" symptoms! (again....NOT all the time)
Before falling off to sleep......I get the "myoclonic jerks....an arm...leg...trunk...finger...etc---

**(THESE are the two "biggies")---- THEN....sometimes...feels like "breathing"...area..(like my diaphram)---is paralyzed!
It only happens for a split second..(When about to fall off to sleep...USUALLY when lying on my back!)-- .then...I'll take a deep breath...& I'm OK----(this is NOT..."hyperventilation".....i KNOW what that is! )-
This is...AGAIN...feeling like......my diaphram....has stopped! (I'm thinking maybe w stress.....I breathe too.. shallowly!--It is Sooo...scary-! )

**ALSO---As I go into beginning stages of sleep,.....sometimes I feel...a very mild.."Electric shock"...in my legs...trunk...& often in my HEAD! (Again...just split second--& ALL goes away...once asleep!---Same kind people 'weaning off SSRIs..get!...and NO.....I am NOT weaning off effexor or any...SSRI...!--so...THAT is not the cause!)

NOW.....I calleed my sleep Dr...2 weeks ago----He called me & had me call......a NEUROLOGIST..& "epilepsy specialist"-!(to 'rule out' "Partial Complex Seizures"..IF some recall my earlier post! My dear "Neuro Talk"-friends--this Neurologist/Epilistic spec (in Philly)---is one of the TOPS...in his field! Lectures,....around the world...has over 300 articles published on epilepsy...in peer Medical journals..& has taught at some of the best Medical schools!
...
I was lucky enough...to get to see him...TUES..(Dec-22)---as I am going away..(to California..this Tues...Dec 29)

I had to be there for a 7 AM.......EEG....----! (I was the first patient)---which lasted for over half hr--
The tech....had my close my eyes..open them....blink.........hyperventilate...lie back..
relax...ALL the time...recording my brain waves! THEN...the various strobe lights.....musta been..8 or 9.....w my eyes closed---then--opened! I "went thru the mill"---Test was over.....8 AM...I waited...till...9 AM...to see this...."excellent"...& reknowned neuro Dr..& epilepsy specialist!

We talked....& he listened to me...beautifully! Not only a great Dr--but a terrific guy! He really listened to everything I had to say...& showed real care & compassion! (I even wrote him an e-mail--Thanking him for his kind...caring treatment!---He thanked me!)-

He gave me a basic.."neuro"---looked into my eyes...checked reflexes...& other stuff..THEN....he read my EEG..(after one of his collegues...read it)---TOTALLY...NORMAL! No signs of any.."spikes"...on my EEG...or ANY sighns ..of epilepsy!
And...HERE is where this Dr.....was really exceptionall--! He listened well......then explained..I had "pre-sleep myoclonus"...very common!-----BUT...I was still BAFFLED ....by my "Mild electric shocks"...& the breathing thing!

He felt the "breathing thing"...was..."stress related"...BUT....re: the mild shocks his answer was frank and honest- He said--

*-"Chris.....with THAT......we really do not know! Things often happen for which there is no explanation! Suffice to say...it is NOT...indicative of any serious neurological problems!"--(END quote)-!

An honest....straight forward AND...re-assuring answer!

I should add.....I take Valium.....each nite...hr before bedtime..(like 7.5 mg)---!

Now...The ONLY thing that really............ .........."ZONKS"....me out.......WITHOUT me experiencing...ANY of these symptoms..is a simple "antihistamine"...I take for my ear problem...(Vertigo)----& that is..."Antivert"...(meclizine)---a simple..."antihistimine"--!

I could break a 25 mg...tab..in half.....( & take .. the bigger half...say...17-19 mg)--at 5:30 PM..before dinner---eat dinner...at 6:15 PM...(so.....I wait till it .."kicks in")----& by....9:30 PM...or 10 PM......I am Sooo....groogy...(then.I take my Valium)...That I go .."out like a light"--! I mean..I go right out...NO hypnic jerks...NO ..."strange respiratory feelings--(Imagine if I took the entire 25 mg tablet?-----------and I sleep thru the night-! (Benadryl does not pack this.."wallop"...for me)---So....lately been taking that--For ME.....Antivert...(Meclizine)-- is a SAVIOR!

Now.....with ALL I've written..(a veritable.."epistle...AND I have done so for a reason---to show how much I've been tested & what already has been..."Ruled OUT"-!")----I kindly ask---

Has ANYONE here..(or more)--- EVER expierienced....

1) These strange "Mild body shocks"...before sleep---? AGAIN,....NOT related to weaning off ANY ...SSRI--! (So....it does NOT help me to write.."I felt that when weanbing off Effexor!"--)-
BUT--IF you do Please---DO share it with me! AND......

2) What about...this feeling of my breathing.....(Again...Have been to cardiologist...my heart is fine......I'm NOT suffering from "congestive heart failure")----AND Pulmonary spec---all my Pulmonary Function Teat results were "normal"-!

I should add..ONLY meds..I'm...on...are
1) Valium(7-10 mg.day)..for anxiety-(Amt varies.....according to how I feel!)
2) Protonix.40mg.for GERD-twice/day
3)Lipitor...10 mg/once day-
4) Tenormin 25mg/once day

Also--take vitamins,(good multi),,....sublingual B-12 --Magnesium (800 mg/day)---Omega-3 Fish oils....B Complex...E(200 iu/day) Vitamin C....Baby aspirin,...81 mg...& Garlic tabs--

I am very health conscious...62 yr old male...5'9"...161 lbs....!

OK...Please---someone....or more--get back---! I feel I am ALONE...in these "electric shock'...AND..."strange breathing". episodes..!

Again..Please__i humbly implore you----When you write---What has been "ruled out"...& things it is....NOT!

it is NOT GERD......NOT reflux ...NOT 'post nasal drip"-! I'm NOT "weaning off"...any meds---NOT "gas"..(You'd be surpised at some answers I've gotten from friends! I've stopped asking!)-
NOT.any kind of apnea (Been tested)--!
(See above ALL my diagnostic tests!)----Sooo...PLEASE....If you have anything like this---please---by all means..."share"...w me! Again..I feel sooo.."alone"...&
COULD this be.......................ANXIETY....related? (BOTH.....the "electric shocks AND the.."breathing" )

Thanks so much! I AM...looking forward to a few helpful...responses! Regards..& Happy holidays-! I DO hope to hear from some of you--with some "clear"..."Possible"...ideas! My wife...(& some others)---always say..."Stress can do a lot of things!---I just do NOT want it to be anything serious!----------BUT---as you know....when even ONE....other person...can ..share"....a similar feeling.....it can do so much! Bless you all....& again...a very Happy Holiday...& a Happy...HEALTHY New Year!--regards--Chris

Hi Chris, well done letter describing every possible test most "helpful advice" could possibly cover! It does tend to get aggravating when others offer and can't know the extent of what you have clearly educated yourself on and investigated already. The list is extensive and leaves little to the imagination for sure. I accepted you as friend status so we can private message. There is one sorta "far -out" possibility which I have experienced similar to what you have described. Please send a message and I will share my little tid-bit in the hopes it might help. If this is the case you might not feel so alone. I hear you and it is totally worth the quest to be witnessed with clarity and compassion. This is the place, sooner or later your plea will be answered. Best Wishes TT

I've been looking your posts over and have some comments:

1) Since you have been down the doctor circuit you have a problematic drug list from them.
a) Very high dose Protonix (twice normal) will be removing acid from your stomach which is needed to absorb calcium, magnesium, zinc, folate, B12, iron.

Calcium magnesium perturbations result in odd muscle issues.
What type of magnesium do you use? 800mg of mag oxide?
If so you are not absorbing this. Basically this type is a laxative.

2) If you do not know your B12 status (the real numbers, not "normal" comments from a doctor) or your Vit D status, you could be very low in both. I'd get this tested ASAP.

3) Lipitor is recently showing effects on muscles and connections to neuro diseases:
from http://www.joimr.org/JOIMR_Vol7_No1_Dec2009.pdf

Chronic use of a benzodiazepine like Valium leads to lowering of the threshold for neuro reactions. This is called interdosing tolerance, and interdosing withdrawal until the next dose. Benzos actually may cause more problems long term than they solve.

I would taper off the Valium slowly with your doctor's support, and since you find antivert useful, I'd take that instead. In fact Benadryl (a first generation antihistamine is used for some movement disorders...so you can discuss with your doctor if you could try that...50mg at bedtime)

New studies show low dose aspirin causes brain bleeds in up to 70% of patients taking it for preventive cardiac issues. Discuss with your doctor if it is really essential for you, because some doctors are discontinuing its use.

Doctors typically look for "pathology" not deficiencies. They have no idea what the drugs are really doing to you.
Here is a website with a list of drug depleting medications:
http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/ABSTR...orticosteroids

All statins have grave potential to damage your body.
You can read more about this on the net:
www.spacedoc.net
If you search on the Parkinson's forum and Peripheral neuropathy forums using keyword "statins" there are many many posts with the newer information about their dangers.

Hi MrsD--

Thanks for your thoughtful & well written post.

Your info was most interesting-

However, realize that my symtoms are "Pre-Sleep" only!

If the meds I were taking...or the conditions you mention were afflicting me--they would be with me all the time--hence the "anxiety"....or "stress" component comes into play! Regards-Chris