REM Behavior Disorder?
Question:
Bret Wood wrote: > I get SO —– when I hear about doctors who act like they know > what they are talking about, when they really don’t have a clue. If > your doctor would have had the balls to say "I don’t know," then > you could have actually got some help. What a —-.
So, Bret, what seem upset, but how do you REALLY feel about this? (jbf ducks VERY quickly! ;-) > Anyway, you should see a doctor who is knowledgable > about sleep disorders. …
As usual, good, sound advice. Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher
Response:
Maybe it would be an idea to ask your GP/specialist to investigate possibility of Narcolepsy…? Some of the things you describe are symptomatic of narcolepsy; ie rapid onset of REM sleep, vivid dreams, hallucinations… do you experience episodes of muscle weakness, at times when you are emotionally charged? ie laughing, anger, fear? Just a thought… but I know that narcolepsy is caused by a dysfunction of the region of brain which controls REM functions. You could say its a case of REM invading/overlapping into wake time. Definitely wouldn’t be fobbed off with the old ’stress’ diagnosis. Sleep disorders are a serious physical thing; often they are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. Be persistant and good luck! Cathy margaret <mar…@home.com> wrote in message
news:37682CAE.CAEB635C@home.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Join the club jriggs and get it checked out by a sleep specialist. Sleep > docs take it very seriously if you have ever hurt yourself or others. > Before medication I’d have many episodes, both in and out of the house. > I’ve started again even with medication so please keep us posted as to > solutions "they" may come up with. > Marg > jriggs wrote: > > I recently stumbled upon this newsgroup and I’ve noticed some posts > > regarding REM-BD. I’ve had several odd sleep experiences over the past > > few years and they’ve made me wonder if I’ve got some treatable > > condition. I get the impression that most ASSD readers are not physicians > > but I’m just trying to get opinions on whether I should get this > > diagnosed further. I am in my early thirties and am not taking any > > medications. I generally fall asleep very quickly and have heard that I > > often talk within an hour or so of doing so. Here are a few of my more > > bizarre episodes: > > One of my first episodes happened a few years ago. I don’t remember much > > about what I was dreaming about but I do know that I was trying to get > > away from something terrifying in my dream. I was apparently screaming > > and running around my bedroom until I ran in my bathroom and turned the > > light on. That’s when I started to wake up. A moment later, my roommate > > timidly knocked on my door asking if I was alright. He thought that I was > > being attacked in my room and was about to call the police. > > Last year I was visiting an out of town friend with my girlfriend and > > scared her half to death in the middle of the night. All she knew was > > that she was woken by me looking right at her, screaming horribly like I > > was being killed or something. I was sitting up in the bed during all > > of this. In my dream, I vividly remember seeing her as a strange being > > and being terrified by her. She was cowering and whimpering in the corner > > when I finally woke up, not knowing what was going on. Apparently, I was > > talking in a really creepy, very low voice as I was waking up. My poor > > friend, who was sleeping in the next room, also thought I was being > > attacked. > > Recently, I moved into a new house and I had some sort of waking dream > > the other night where I swore there was a two foot bug running across my > > wall. I remember saying something out loud because I thought someone was > > with me. I slowly came out of my sleep still staring at the wall where > > the bug was. It really took me a while before I realized that > > there was no bug! Needless to say, it took me a while to get back to > > sleep after that one. > > Some of these episodes sound funny but they’ve got me worried. I don’t > > want to accidently hurt myself or someone else in my sleep. I brought up > > these episodes to my physician last year and he brushed it off as stress > > induced and told me not to eat within a few hours of going to bed. I was > > disappointed at his response but didn’t know where else to go to get > > answers. I’m really happy I stumbled upon this newsgroup and appreciate > > any suggestions you may have. I’d also appreciate it if anyone could > > suggest books or websites that address this problem. Thanks! > > BTW-I’m not using my real name or email address since this is an awkward > > topic for me (sorry if this annoys anyone).
Response:
jriggs wrote: > Some of these episodes sound funny but they’ve got me worried. I don’t > want to accidently hurt myself or someone else in my sleep. I brought up > these episodes to my physician last year and he brushed it off as stress > induced and told me not to eat within a few hours of going to bed.
I get SO PISSED OFF when I hear about doctors who act like they know what they are talking about, when they really don’t have a clue. If your doctor would have had the balls to say "I don’t know," then you could have actually got some help. What a prick. Anyway, to my layman’s ears (eyes?) your descriptions sounded like they could be a combination of two different things. The "bug on the wall" experience sounds like something called a "hypnogogic hallucination." The hypnogogic state is the period when you are just falling asleep, or just waking up. Technically, you are considered to be asleep (I think…), but your consciousness is in the process of switching off. Usually you don’t remember the hynogogic period after you wake up. The other episodes do indeed sound like REM Behavioral Disorder. When you dream, there is a part of your brain/spine which "switches off" the connection between your brain and most of your muscles. In REM Behavioral Disorder, this "switching off" isn’t necessarily completely effective. A very strong impulse to move can overcome the block. So, dreams where you are doing something violent or active tend to "break through" more readily than calm peaceful dreams. I take a small dose of Klonopin each night, and haven’t had any problems with it since. (I’ve been on it for about 9-10 months.) Anyway, you should see a doctor who is knowledgable about sleep disorders. Describe your symptoms to any potential doctor, and if you don’t hear at least one of the terms "hypnogogic," "hypnopompic," or "REM Behavioral Disorder," then get another doctor. (Unless, of course he has another reasonable diagnosis.) But, for your symptoms, stress and/or depression are _not_ approprate diagnoses. At least not by themselves. > I’d also appreciate it if anyone could > suggest books or websites that address this problem. Thanks!
I don’t personally know about books or web sites for REM Behavioral Disorder specifically, but there’s a new book out by Dr. William Dement which is about sleep disorders in general. It’s called "The Promise of Sleep." It’s an excellent book. (I brought it to an appointment with my doctor, and he said he was going to buy a copy for himself.) It has a section in the back with a complete listing of all the sleep disorders clinics in the country. It also has another section with a list of the most common sleep disorders, giving the name, and a short description. (I haven’t counted, but I would guess there are about 30-40 disorders listed.) Good luck, -Bret Wood -bretw…@cs.uoregon.edu
Response:
Join the club jriggs and get it checked out by a sleep specialist. Sleep docs take it very seriously if you have ever hurt yourself or others. Before medication I’d have many episodes, both in and out of the house. I’ve started again even with medication so please keep us posted as to solutions "they" may come up with. Marg – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -jriggs wrote: > I recently stumbled upon this newsgroup and I’ve noticed some posts > regarding REM-BD. I’ve had several odd sleep experiences over the past > few years and they’ve made me wonder if I’ve got some treatable > condition. I get the impression that most ASSD readers are not physicians > but I’m just trying to get opinions on whether I should get this > diagnosed further. I am in my early thirties and am not taking any > medications. I generally fall asleep very quickly and have heard that I > often talk within an hour or so of doing so. Here are a few of my more > bizarre episodes: > One of my first episodes happened a few years ago. I don’t remember much > about what I was dreaming about but I do know that I was trying to get > away from something terrifying in my dream. I was apparently screaming > and running around my bedroom until I ran in my bathroom and turned the > light on. That’s when I started to wake up. A moment later, my roommate > timidly knocked on my door asking if I was alright. He thought that I was > being attacked in my room and was about to call the police. > Last year I was visiting an out of town friend with my girlfriend and > scared her half to death in the middle of the night. All she knew was > that she was woken by me looking right at her, screaming horribly like I > was being killed or something. I was sitting up in the bed during all > of this. In my dream, I vividly remember seeing her as a strange being > and being terrified by her. She was cowering and whimpering in the corner > when I finally woke up, not knowing what was going on. Apparently, I was > talking in a really creepy, very low voice as I was waking up. My poor > friend, who was sleeping in the next room, also thought I was being > attacked. > Recently, I moved into a new house and I had some sort of waking dream > the other night where I swore there was a two foot bug running across my > wall. I remember saying something out loud because I thought someone was > with me. I slowly came out of my sleep still staring at the wall where > the bug was. It really took me a while before I realized that > there was no bug! Needless to say, it took me a while to get back to > sleep after that one. > Some of these episodes sound funny but they’ve got me worried. I don’t > want to accidently hurt myself or someone else in my sleep. I brought up > these episodes to my physician last year and he brushed it off as stress > induced and told me not to eat within a few hours of going to bed. I was > disappointed at his response but didn’t know where else to go to get > answers. I’m really happy I stumbled upon this newsgroup and appreciate > any suggestions you may have. I’d also appreciate it if anyone could > suggest books or websites that address this problem. Thanks! > BTW-I’m not using my real name or email address since this is an awkward > topic for me (sorry if this annoys anyone).
Response:
I recently stumbled upon this newsgroup and I’ve noticed some posts regarding REM-BD. I’ve had several odd sleep experiences over the past few years and they’ve made me wonder if I’ve got some treatable condition. I get the impression that most ASSD readers are not physicians but I’m just trying to get opinions on whether I should get this diagnosed further. I am in my early thirties and am not taking any medications. I generally fall asleep very quickly and have heard that I often talk within an hour or so of doing so. Here are a few of my more bizarre episodes: One of my first episodes happened a few years ago. I don’t remember much about what I was dreaming about but I do know that I was trying to get away from something terrifying in my dream. I was apparently screaming and running around my bedroom until I ran in my bathroom and turned the light on. That’s when I started to wake up. A moment later, my roommate timidly knocked on my door asking if I was alright. He thought that I was being attacked in my room and was about to call the police. Last year I was visiting an out of town friend with my girlfriend and scared her half to death in the middle of the night. All she knew was that she was woken by me looking right at her, screaming horribly like I was being killed or something. I was sitting up in the bed during all of this. In my dream, I vividly remember seeing her as a strange being and being terrified by her. She was cowering and whimpering in the corner when I finally woke up, not knowing what was going on. Apparently, I was talking in a really creepy, very low voice as I was waking up. My poor friend, who was sleeping in the next room, also thought I was being attacked. Recently, I moved into a new house and I had some sort of waking dream the other night where I swore there was a two foot bug running across my wall. I remember saying something out loud because I thought someone was with me. I slowly came out of my sleep still staring at the wall where the bug was. It really took me a while before I realized that there was no bug! Needless to say, it took me a while to get back to sleep after that one. Some of these episodes sound funny but they’ve got me worried. I don’t want to accidently hurt myself or someone else in my sleep. I brought up these episodes to my physician last year and he brushed it off as stress induced and told me not to eat within a few hours of going to bed. I was disappointed at his response but didn’t know where else to go to get answers. I’m really happy I stumbled upon this newsgroup and appreciate any suggestions you may have. I’d also appreciate it if anyone could suggest books or websites that address this problem. Thanks! BTW-I’m not using my real name or email address since this is an awkward topic for me (sorry if this annoys anyone).
