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Sleep Syndrome


Posted by Charlene L. Webster on October 03, 1997 at 06:45:23:

Back in the early to mid 80's there was a 5th stage sleep syndrome discovered in Vietnam Vets. This syndrome had symptoms of swelling of eyelids, lips, esophogus and hives all over the body. It began with small hives appearing in different parts of the body at different times on different days. The Vets were dealing with the trauma of the war in their sleep and these symptoms occured while they were sleeping and either they woke up with them or these symptoms woke them up in the middle of the night. This was discovered in me 11 years ago and I was treated the same way the Vets were (.05mg valium. One-half tablet each night for 7 nights, the following week it was one-half tablet every other night and so on until I was completelly off the valium. This prevented me (and the Vets) from going into the stage of sleep where we were dealing with our stress/trauma. I had to go through the treatment twice in a two month period and it has been clear until this last month. The same symptoms are recurring and it's scary because I cannot find anyone who believes what I am telling them and who will give me the prescription for the treatment. I awoke this last week twice with shortness of breath and it felt like someone was squeezing my chest. It hurt on my chest and back, too. I fear this suffocating symptom and don't want to end up in an emergency room. In order to get treatment I need to find some medical article that discusses this syndrome and the treatment. Brook Army Medical Center/U.S. Army installation (San Antonio, Texas, is where the treatment was given, and maybe someone can help me get information from there. If you know anything about it or know where I might be able to get some information for the doctors I am now seeing it will be greatly appreciated. They want to put me through a regiment of tests for allergies and I have already been all through those and I'm not alergic to anything! I was hospitalized for a week and put through all of these tests. I don't want to waste money or insurance money when I know what is wrong and know how to be treated. Any help you can give will be appreciated. Time is of the essence. Thanks.

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