Migraine, mini-seizures... ?

[Syntheso]

Hey,

Something happened to me today which I've never experienced before.. assuming it was HPPD related.

Got up this morning, had a good breakfast, usual supplements etc. Feeling really good, no brain fog or anything. Had a three hour drive on the motorway.. again feeling absolutely fine for about an hour. Then suddenly out of no where I kept getting really chronic moments of spacing out... like super sharp flashes of brain fog... very acute... kept happening every 30 or so seconds for 20 mins. Thought I was going to pass out from exhaustion. I could not control it in any way of the normal way you could keep yourself awake.. I had no control over what was going on. It was bloody dangerous, I was swerving lanes and stuff. And there were split second strange visual disturbances, like double/quadruple vision. Just about held my shit together. If I remember correctly in the chapter 'Visual Migraines' from Sacks' Hallucinations, one of his migraine patients reported something like this double vision thing.
But the whole thing passed after 20 mins and I was back to normal, feeling good again, as was the rest of the day, like nothing happened.
Nothing like this has happened to me before. Haven't had a migraine or a seizure before so I don't know what they're like.
I had no pain or dizzyness after.
Any ideas what was going on? I assume some sort of electrical current was passing across some part of my brain. Migraine, mini-seizure?

[disguyhere]

i get slow-time, tunnel vision, etc.. a lot... i've had to learn to deal with driving with that going frequently. i've been told a range of things from blood pressure drops to mini strokes.. to vertigo.. to "insert we dont really know what the hell we're talking about medical diagnosis here" .... 

 

here's a tip. when it happens take quick inhale, deeeeep exhale.. get all the air out of your lungs on the exhale, and a regular inhale in after... then try to keep your breaths times like that.. regular inhale.. deep forceful exhale. i can usually snap myself out of that within a few seconds now, though some harder ones still last a few minutes. 

 

here's a question.. when it happens do you get a sensation of tingling anywhere in the side of your neck? almost wired up to your teeth, but not quite... like you feel like an electrical chord got plugged into a muscle on low voltage? i dont always get that but when i do it's usually after moving my head too fast in one direction. it's almost like an emp blew in my nervous system and knocked everything offline briefly.... that's in opposition to the muscle twitches that are happening more frequently... wish my damn body would decide one extreme... lose all control but just collapse, or lose all control and have my muscles randomly seize up. at least if it stuck with the emp one i could probably get more sleep.

 

here's another question.. if not the tingling in the neck, do you get the "building buzz"... like theres a deep vibration inside you that keeps building until bam, mental cloud thingamajoohokie.  (dont mind me.. day 3 no sleep.. need to invent new words is high). well if you do then you sir may just be an indigo child! and jenny mccarthy would like to talk to you! ... 

 

back on serious note the breathing does seem key to helping regulate that "mode" and getting out of it quicker. whether its electrical or the plumbing, clearing the lines usually helps

[Syntheso]

i get slow-time, tunnel vision, etc.. a lot... i've had to learn to deal with driving with that going frequently. i've been told a range of things from blood pressure drops to mini strokes.. to vertigo.. to "insert we dont really know what the hell we're talking about medical diagnosis here" .... 

 

here's a tip. when it happens take quick inhale, deeeeep exhale.. get all the air out of your lungs on the exhale, and a regular inhale in after... then try to keep your breaths times like that.. regular inhale.. deep forceful exhale. i can usually snap myself out of that within a few seconds now, though some harder ones still last a few minutes. 

 

here's a question.. when it happens do you get a sensation of tingling anywhere in the side of your neck? almost wired up to your teeth, but not quite... like you feel like an electrical chord got plugged into a muscle on low voltage? i dont always get that but when i do it's usually after moving my head too fast in one direction. it's almost like an emp blew in my nervous system and knocked everything offline briefly.... that's in opposition to the muscle twitches that are happening more frequently... wish my damn body would decide one extreme... lose all control but just collapse, or lose all control and have my muscles randomly seize up. at least if it stuck with the emp one i could probably get more sleep.

 

here's another question.. if not the tingling in the neck, do you get the "building buzz"... like theres a deep vibration inside you that keeps building until bam, mental cloud thingamajoohokie.  (dont mind me.. day 3 no sleep.. need to invent new words is high). well if you do then you sir may just be an indigo child! and jenny mccarthy would like to talk to you! ... 

 

back on serious note the breathing does seem key to helping regulate that "mode" and getting out of it quicker. whether its electrical or the plumbing, clearing the lines usually helps

Cheers for the breathing tip. 

Hm, can't say I get a tingling, but I've never experienced something quite like the above before, so haven't had a chance to familiarise myself with the feeling and pick up on everything. "it's almost like an emp blew in my nervous system and knocked everything offline briefly" - I can relate to. I get little muscle twitches as well. Do you have a case of restless legs syndrome by any chance? Guessing that's to do with DA levels.

I can't say I experience any of your vibration stuff.. sounds pretty mad! Only thing in that department is tingly skin sometimes.

Yeah you're right about breathing.. I find yoga really helps clear brain fog. Also alternative nostril breathing.

 

[onedayillsailagain]

Ok call me a dick, but isn't RLS just a result of being anxious? I shake my legs sometimes when I'm anxious, and when I'm really anxious I can't help it. When I'm not anxious it doesn't happen. But I don't have RLS. i.e. isn't the restlessness just channeled to the body in such a situation?

[Syntheso]

Ok call me a dick, but isn't RLS just a result of being anxious? I shake my legs sometimes when I'm anxious, and when I'm really anxious I can't help it. When I'm not anxious it doesn't happen. But I don't have RLS. i.e. isn't the restlessness just channeled to the body in such a situation?

Hm, I'm not sure, I do it all the time and don't feel anxious. I remember reading about links to dopamine, Parkinson's, but don't recall anything more specific (*opens new window*)...

[onedayillsailagain]

Or just general lack of mindfulness? Again; didn't mean that in a rude way.. just something to consider.

[Syntheso]

Or just general lack of mindfulness? Again; didn't mean that in a rude way.. just something to consider.

Why should a lack of mindfulness produce your leg to shake up and down (for me, quite franticly)? Doesn't seem like a reasonable behaviour to me!

Edit: you said 'restlessness' - isn't that something we'd normally associate with DA? 

[onedayillsailagain]

Well not necessarily produce.. I just mean I notice that when I have bobbing legs that I'm usually less mindful and only notice it after a while.
I guess it could be different from a strong urge.. No idea.

With restlessness I meant anxiety, though I guess it could be different. Yes, could be associated with DA, but also a number of other neurotransmitters I believe. Sorry for the vagueness!

[Syntheso]

Well not necessarily produce.. I just mean I notice that when I have bobbing legs that I'm usually less mindful and only notice it after a while.

I guess it could be different from a strong urge.. No idea.

With restlessness I meant anxiety, though I guess it could be different. Yes, could be associated with DA, but also a number of other neurotransmitters I believe. Sorry for the vagueness!

I'm not sure what you're point is

Well it's an involuntary action - as in you don't consciously choose to do it - so you're not usually aware at first, it just happens. Then you notice it and probably try and consciously stop it. So I think what you're saying about being less mindful is really just saying that you haven't noticed you're doing it. I for one do it when I am being very mindful.. not necessarily of my body (specifically, my legs) but something external. So when I sit at a desk and work, or listen to music, focusing on something, my leg will be going crazy. I might be non-mindful of my legs, but not generally non-mindful. In fact, it probably happens more when I am focusing on something (and sitting).. which to me suggests (I'm just speculating) some sort of dopamine response (because of the relationship between concentration and the movement - potentially).

So yeah I guess I'm just trying to say that this can occur when you are being mindful, if not, exaggerated when you are mindful of something exterior.

I'm not definitely saying DA, but that's what I've intuited of the thing. It does make me think about Parkinson's!

I also wonder if it is the body's mechanism of avoiding muscle twitches in the legs.

[Syntheso]

The other thing that comes to mind is ADHD, especially when we use the word 'restlessness'. Again leading me to think dopamine dysfunction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restless_legs_syndrome#Research_into_causes_and_contributing_factors

[onedayillsailagain]

Synth.. I digress man it was just a thought to consider
Perhaps I'll revisit this when a more forgiving cognitive window presents itself.

[Syntheso]

Synth.. I digress man it was just a thought to consider

Perhaps I'll revisit this when a more forgiving cognitive window presents itself.

 

[disguyhere]

real restless leg syndrome is neurological and not necessarily stress or anxiety induced. some people bounce with stress alot.. but then you have people who MUST move or else they get the buzz built up and their body twitches on them

 

and yes synth... i drive people insane with it. if im not paying attention to it my legs will bounce like crazy, shaking conference tables and shit... i make other people nervous by them watching me doing it because they think its me being nervous or something, but its not something i have any control over. both me and my sister have been that way since i was younger, and we feed off each other when it happens. i'll start bouncing and even without seeing me doing it she'll start a few minutes later... until it gets to the point someone throws something at me :\

 

but yeah, the involuntary twitching and body buzz shit has just just been getting worse and worse the past 2 years, and moreso the past few months. i'm usually fine at work because im constantly doing things throughout the day. But as soon as i get home and start trying to relax i feel the buzz build up. At first it will take a while before i get a twitch, maybe 20-30 minutes. But then as the night goes on it will get quicker and quicker, and I'll start twitching bad once every 2-3 minutes. Its the main reason I dont get sleep anymore. Everything else I'm mostly dealing with ok at night, but it's impossible for me to relax, get comfortable, and stay in a single position for more then 5 minutes at a time. 

 

I've been putting it off for some time now but in the next few weeks I'm making an appointment with a neurologist, because I really am worried by it. I've been through a whole gamut of tests before but have always been spoonfed the bullshit line that its just stress. Ever notice how when a doctor is being lazy and doesnt want to entertain your concerns, they immediately blame stress? Whatever I'm experiencing is a physical neurological issue, maybe hppd related maybe not, but its not stress. I can be sitting perfectly relaxed, perfectly at peace with the world, and a muscle in my arm or neck will just start twitching. Over and over and over, visible to anyone watching me, you can see the muscle contracting quicker then I would be able to consciously control it, and I'll get the sensation of bubbles popping within the muscle. Like someone hooked up a basketball pump into my muscle and slooooowly blew air into me . Last night it got so bad that the spasm caused me to crack my neck super hard, and that sent an electric current down my arm. REAAAAALLY fucking painful. 

 

Its honestly hard as fuck sometimes for me to pin down any of my issues on hppd, or my immune system being beyond salvaging. I already know the next few years of my life are going to be miserable as my body slowly starts attacking itself on a more regular basis, so i'm kind of ready for this shit to get worse and worse. But as ready as I can get myself to be it still sucks beyond belief when you're holding a glass of soda, and your arm twitches and spills soda all over a friend sitting next to you :\ .. screw you body :\

[Ghormeh Sabzi]

RLS has nothing do to with anxiety. It is an irresistible urge to move your legs and you do not feel comfortable until you do so. It's not your normal shaking your legs which a lot of people do - it's a conscious decision to move your legs (or other body parts) to feel comfortable again. It can be related to dopamine / iron and indeed some people with Parkinson's get it.

 

I don't have RLS but I did research it a year and a half ago in my quest to understand what was causing pain in my buttocks / thighs. It doesn't sound like anyone in this thread has RLS to me (I have only skimmed the thread).

 

I have been told I have dystonia - maybe look into that disguyhere (although my situation does sound different to yours). For me it is unrelated to stress or anxiety  (unless triggered by them) and occurred shortly after all my other HPPD symptoms. I have a twitchy tremor, a constant muscle spasm in my left hand (hasn't stopped in 1.5 years) and certain body parts shake uncontrollably when placed in certain positions (if I move my mouth to my cheek for example the whole area just starts shaking). 

[disguyhere]

thats why im heading to neurologist soon.. i know my current twitch problem isnt the rls.. and i've been through the "fear" stage where i thought i was getting early onset parkinsons for a while... being unable to control your body can scare the bejesus out of you. i'm trying to avoid being paranoid about it though and if there is anything i can do to prevent it from getting worse i know i need to do it now. otherwise my sleep is never going to return to normal

[Ghormeh Sabzi]

If it helps, it doesn't much like Parkinson's to me. Obviously a neurologist would be able to advise better. There are certain things you can take for diagnostic purposes such as Sinemet (which I have recently started taking for the dystonia (and HPPD!) - but which has not helped.