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Sleep Terrors/Night Terrors & Numerous Arousals

Posted by Joe Alb on January 04, 1998 at 18:17:58:

I have suffered from Night Terrors/Sleep Terrors for over 20 yrs. I tend to have them nightly. I have been on Tofranil, Klonopin, and Xanax et al. I have found that none of these help me. In addition, I have heart disease. I am concerned about what this is doing to my heart because the racing heart beat can give me angina and I have already had at least one heart attack.

I have filed for Social Security Disability because I have numerous arousals from sleep (12.9 per hour) and a mean continuous sleep time of under 5 minutes. This is in addition to the Terror episodes (I generally have 2 per night - the reason I know is that a doctor suggested that I place a voice activated tape recorder in my bedroom at night because, if I don't wake up completely (as I sometimes do from screaming), I wouldn't know if I have had them or not.

Unfortunately, the Sleep Study I last had was reviewed by a pyschologist and he recommended that I see a psychiatrist (I have already seen at least 4 psychiatrists, 3 or 4 psychologists, 3 pulmonary specialists, and 1 neurologist). I believe that it is not psychological. The neurologist told me that it was caused by an impulse from my autonomic nervous system to my brain, which told the brain that there was something wrong going on with my involuntary body functions (breathing, organ function, etc.) when there was not such thing happening, and the only thing the brain could do was to wake me in a "fight or flight" panicked state.

I have contacted you to ask if you know of any site that specifically states that the sleep disorder causes fatigue and other problems (e.g., concentration, impaired memory, daytime sleepiness, etc.). My concern is that not much is known on this particular sleep disorder and the judge may think it is something minor and dismiss it. My hearing before the judge is this coming Thursday, January 8, 1998 and I am at a loss to find some site that tells of the specific problems I suffer from. Unfortunately, I don't know where the neurologist is now. Her name was Dr. Cheryl Carlucci and she was head of the Sleep Center in 1990. I had one done there in 1990 another one there in 1994 and the last one there in May, 1997. Each study confirmed the diagnosis, nothing has changed. Sleep Apnea has been ruled out, as well as Narcolepsy and Idiomatic Hypersomnia.

If you know of a web site where physicians confirm the problems associated with the sleep disorders I have, I would really appreciate it. I am a 55 year old male who worked for 35 and a half years but had to take a reduced early pension because of this problem and my Heart Disease. I will be extremely grateful for any information of that kind that you could give me before this coming Thursday.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!
Joe

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  • Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.


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