Full body jerk/twitch before falling asleep - gad, anxiety, ibs, etc.

[darkavenger]

Greetings,

I never managed to contact moderator of these forums, therefore I try my second shot, since my first post wasn't confirmed and didn't show up.

I suffer from clinical depression since my childhood, not paying much attention to it. What troubles me is that for the past decade, I developed severe generalized anxiety disorder and its related derivates like agoraphobia, neurogene hyperventilation tetany, ibs [irritable bowel syndrome], idiopathic postprandial syndrome and ocd [obsessive compulsive disorder].

I also suffer from celiac disease and am lactose intolerant.

In general I have trouble in society, traveling by bus [I travel only by taxi and bike] and I need to eat like every 2-4 hours, need to carry food everywhere with me, and water. When I find out I don't have food or water with me, I fall into asymptomatic hypoglycemic shock, which feels really bad. I lose control, I get super-dizzy, I suffocate, cannot breathe well, I sweat, my heart races, my legs are shaky and limbs are weak, I feel disoriented.

Though, I established this thread in order to find out whether there are more people suffering from stuff like me, and whether some of You experienced these weird "pre-sleep" shocks. Whenever I try to fall asleep, many times I get this "shock" state, for a short period of time [few seconds], I stay disoriented, shocked, my heart races and I need to take Rivotrill, or Xanax [benzos], otherwise I won't fall asleep at all. The "shock" center is almost always in the head, like something exploded inside of it. But plenty of times I get a "full body" shock, when I get this huge jerk, or massive twitch into my whole body.

I'm running on paroxetinum [Seroxat] for 7 years, and sulpirid [50 mg 1x a day], now I'm almost a year on half dosage [half from 20 mg]. For "good night sleep" I need only 0.2-0.3 mg of benzos [either 2-3 drops of rivotril, most of the time 2, or half of a xanax, if it's really bad whole Xanax 0,25 mg], not big dose really, but anyway, I don't want to be hooked up on benzos till the end of my life.

Do You have any similiar experience like I do? Any tips and tricks how to make my life better?

Thank You in advance,

Regards,

Bryan

[Exactice]

Hey Bryan,
Welcome to the party!!!! Sorry, in all seriousness, yes actually I have experienced many of your symptoms. I will address your sleep shocks. I will say just from my opinion it is completely normal. I get the body twitches right before I fall into a deep sleep. Its sometimes just a twitch or sometimes a violent kick. But it happens to many people. My wife is hilarious shes like a donkey, when shes about to fall into a deep sleep. Kicks super hard! Kicked me a couple of times.

So yups pretty normal. As for benzo's, I used them for a tiny bit, but got of it. I worked on getting my body used to a cycle. It was a little rough at first but it has gotten much better. So really work on working on a sleep cycle, teaching your body that when its time to lay down on the bed its sleep time. Try not to watch TV in bed or do activities. When you lay down, lay down!

It will take some time but it can get better!

Next I want to address your need for food and water. I was one that I had to have water where ever I went, It was rough as if I didnt have water with me I would go into a small anxiety/panic attack. I realized over a period of time that I really didnt need the water it was just me causing my own panic attacks feeling like I needed it. I worked on my panic and anxiety skills and challenged my self. I went 1 day without water. Realized that I would not die..... then when 2 days etc... slowly but surely I relieved myself of the "Crutch" and now I am free of having to carry food or water around!


Good Luck my friend!

[darkavenger]

Exactice - wow. Thank You for Your thorough reply. Hmm, You sir will be my inspiration for my next period in life I guess. That sleep pattern I'm already trying to work out somewhat, but due to my job [it's hectic, coz I need to earn a little more for my food allergies] it's kind of hard sometimes. But, I don't watch TV before I go to sleep, sometimes I watch some series, or play a game. Probably should cut those out too.

My general problem is "thought" flow. I cannot stop it. When I manage to stop it, willingly or unwillingly, I fall asleep almost flawlessly, when I let the thoughts run mayhem throughout my mind, I get these jerks/shocks/kick states.

I'll try out that thingie with water. I already realize that I don't need the water to survive, and sometimes when I forget my bottle with water and I go out, and I don't need it nor think about it, I do just well - till moment I find out I don't have it, and when I don't, I do okay all the time.

So if I may, You also have this psychosomatic link? Or had? Hypoglycemia-like states?

Thank You for Your rich reply Exatice!

Best regards,

Bryan

[Exactice]

Bryan,
My Pleasure! As for the sleep pattern even ifs a couple of hours its ok, Dont create more anxiety about not getting those 8hours of sleep as many people say. Any Sleep to start with is good! I think this was one of the issues for some of our other members here. They were so stressed out that they couldnt get their 8 hours of sleep that it cause more anxiety. But If you focus on your first hour of sleep, then 2 hours and 3 hours it gets easier. Just like the Water example. You just challenge it slowly. No need to rush it!

Not the next issue you bring up is one that I dealt with a lot too! The wandering mind. So what I did was use Guided Imagery for sleep. Dahila Likes to use Meditation so you might want to try that too. But either one is great.

YouTube a bunch of Guided Imagery videos and listen to them while you go to sleep. Or you can download the KP.org Sleep files (see below)
http://www.healthjourneys.com/kaiser/download/download_healthfulSleep.asp

My link was all psychosomatic, I was healthy as an OX. Contrary to how I felt and I have gone to many doctors to tell me I am healthy. So it was all in my head. The greatest advise I got at this point was from "Im-Suffering" "Anxiety is the greatest bluff"

and its true!!!!!!!

[annakatarinas]

When it twitches in your head, does it feel kind of like an electrical shock? I wanted to find some information on that topic since I suffer from those kinds of "brain shocks" myself, and it took quite some time. What I ultimately found was that this is a feeling which occurs when you're really stressed. Then again, I don't know whether that answer is what you were looking for.

[darkavenger]

Thank You for Your thorough reply Excatice! Heh, how did You know I was anxious about the "count" of hours while I sleep? I guess then it's pretty common than. Or not? When I was younger I had these horrible states coz my great-grandma told me if I won't sleep 8+ hours a day, I'll die. And I was having like 6 years of hell, when I was going to bed at 17:00-19:00 and I was desperately try to fall asleep, and I woke up helluva early in the morning, around 4-5 am.

I'll download and try to listen to those files. I tried meditation, but I didn't last too much, coz of the thoughts. It's so hard, but I'll try harder.

I'm still having fear for my health, eventhough from one point of view "I don't care anymore", coz I'm tired. But I know I have to keep on going. It's the only way.

annakatarinas - exactly like electric shock, that's the best description. And yes, I already figured out that when I have a stresfull day, I have this "shock" that hits my brain/head, and also when I think too much. The harder the day is, the more massive the shock is, and sometimes it's the full body shock, as I wrote. Did You manage to get a rid of them somehow, besides benzos?

link link link.anxietycentre.com/FAQ/brain-zaps-electric-shock-symptom.shtml [can't post link coz of insufficent post count :)]

Thanks to Your "word play" I was able to find this, after those years. Well, it's good to be here on the forums.

[AliasEQ]

Bryan,
My Pleasure! As for the sleep pattern even ifs a couple of hours its ok, Dont create more anxiety about not getting those 8hours of sleep as many people say. Any Sleep to start with is good! I think this was one of the issues for some of our other members here. They were so stressed out that they couldnt get their 8 hours of sleep that it cause more anxiety. But If you focus on your first hour of sleep, then 2 hours and 3 hours it gets easier. Just like the Water example. You just challenge it slowly. No need to rush it!

Not the next issue you bring up is one that I dealt with a lot too! The wandering mind. So what I did was use Guided Imagery for sleep. Dahila Likes to use Meditation so you might want to try that too. But either one is great.

YouTube a bunch of Guided Imagery videos and listen to them while you go to sleep. Or you can download the KP.org Sleep files (see below)
http://www.healthjourneys.com/kaiser/download/download_healthfulSleep.asp

My link was all psychosomatic, I was healthy as an OX. Contrary to how I felt and I have gone to many doctors to tell me I am healthy. So it was all in my head. The greatest advise I got at this point was from "Im-Suffering" "Anxiety is the greatest bluff"

and its true!!!!!!!

This^^^

The shock thing happens only when you've stressed through-out the whole day or if you've been working physically and you're really tired, right? Happens to me too. Your body hasn't "cooled" down yet and thinks it's still supposed to work hard. Try to stretch or meditate before you sleep, that usually helps some what.

[Exactice]

Elias and Annakatrina, make good points about those shocks in relation to stress. So de stressing before bed. Will probably help.

As for how I know about the hours of sleep. Extremely common. Being on the forums enough you will notice that many people go through the OCD thoughts of "Darn, I didnt get my 8 hours" In reality its ok. Think of the many people that only get 4 hours of sleep a day. How do they manage? 8 hours is just a recommendation not a life or death requirement. More so think about those that work 2 jobs that are physically draining and still manage a couple of hours and right back to work

So again. Be happy even if you get 1 hour of sleep. As you slowly train your body, those will turn a little longer little by little!

[NixonRulz]

Bryan, I like you because you are like me

If you do something, you do it full tilt

When I developed anxiety, I just didnt get one or two types, I had all the disorders.

I wanted to be the bad ass anxiety guy I suppose

Elias, Anna and Exactice have this one and no need to comment further

Just wanted to let you know that I am irritated that you are challenging me for more types of anxiety than I had

This will stop. It really will

[darkavenger]

AliasEQ - I see. Well, I was always worried that I might have something like "beginning" of an epilepsy, or something. Thank You for more thorough explanation of why "exactly" is this happening to people suffering from GAD.

Exactice - Hmm, I will bear that in my mind. Lately when I hit myself with benzos, I run 9-11 hrs/day, w/o benzos it takes a little longer to fall asleep and when I'm lucky and no brain zaps/shocks appear I get those strong 8-9 hrs. I kind of get "anxious" at a time, when it's like 3-4am and I'm still not asleep. It's not happening that often. And I will definitly have to go with that meditation material You posted me up there. Thank You once more!

NixonRulz - hehe, trust me, I'll gladly leave You Your post of the "most badass anxiety guy in the universe [or at least forums :)]". All I want for the past decade is to get a rid of GAD in general, and all of it's derived symptoms. I literally left 10s of thousands of euros [1 eur = ~1,2 USD] in order to get myself healthy once again, though, I'm still here withouth some "further" success. I can deal well with clinical depression, that I suffer from nearly my "birth" - better said as far as I can remember. I never "noticed it", because I thought it was normal. To be fully melancholic, feeling sad without a reason, feeling like nothing has purpose and feeling almost no joy out of any actions. On the other hand, this chronic clinical depression pushed me far, far away beyond "normal human boundries". Though I'm not sure whether it's good, or bad. And I do like Your signature :) made me laugh. You stay safe Nixon, stay second to none!

[Dahila]

Everything was said what suppose to be said.
For the last two weeks after slaving in the garden, I got "tennis elbow" and is getting worse. My first thought which constantly is coming back is "Stroke" small maybe due my left hand is kind of weaker. Right now I know it is impossible, because I type with both hands:))
Frigging GAD always find the way to scare and disable us
I am melancholic and sad without the reason like you darkavenger, It always stay with us, there is not way to get rid of it, does not matter what you spend on meds or therapy :)
On the other hand you still kicking:))

[darkavenger]

Dahila - GAD can mimic so many "lethal-like" symptoms, I've lost count already. But You're right, we're still alive and kicking :)