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Suggest Treatment For Sleep Paralysis Symptoms
Question: Hello
Hello. I am 33, female. On no medications except vitamin D (4,000 IU a day), fish oil 1 tsp a day). No birth control pills or other contraceptives that affect hormones. I have great blood pressure (110/70). No cholesterol issues. No history of any issues with neuro issues. I do get occasional bad headaches maybe once or twice a month but nothing advil can't fix and usually around menses. Have an occasional true migraine only once in a while if I haven't had enough water during the day. I've had one ocular migraine in my life. Never have had issues with them and have not gone to the doctor for them as they happen once in a while. I do have a lot of varicose veins deep in pelvis around uterus from child bird and was diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome. I have a high stress work life.
At any rate, a few months back I woke up in the night. At this point I cannot remember why but I know I did not get out of bed or do anything other than just awaken and try to speak to my husband. I cannot recall the reason why now. I have only just remembered this recently as my father in-law may have had a TIA stroke today and while researching his stuff, my experience came back to me.
So I woke up, and all I remember is while trying to say something to my husband I would try to get out a word then...NOTHING. As if all words have vanished from my brain. It was so surreal. My brain was not just blank like when speaking and trying to find the "right" word. There WAS NO WORDS. Like someone had erased my mind. I couldn't even describe what I was feeling into words. nothing. I tried again and again. But it was like my brain would stop dead in its tracks over and over again. But it wasn't like a seizure in that I wasn't stuttering. The start over was deliberate. I was trying extremely hard to speak beyond one word but nothing would happen. I could only repeat maybe the start of the sentence (if I'm remembering this correctly) and everything was gone. I believe all I could say was "I..." then nothing and again "I..!!". It was the scariest thing. I started crying shouting "I..!!" and getting more and more frustrated and started to panic. At some point I may have not been able to even say "I". I cannot remember now. This went on for what seemed like forever but must have been a minute or two (could have been a bit less or more). Finally words came back. And I went to sleep again (after talking about how freaked out I was with my husband! :) )
The next day I chalked it up to maybe almost like a night terror for adults but now I'm not so sure.
Can a TIA happen in sleep or when just waking? Can you be awakened by and TIA? What is difference between TIA and complex migraine? Which one does it sound more like and why?
Thank you for your time
Colette
Hello. I am 33, female. On no medications except vitamin D (4,000 IU a day), fish oil 1 tsp a day). No birth control pills or other contraceptives that affect hormones. I have great blood pressure (110/70). No cholesterol issues. No history of any issues with neuro issues. I do get occasional bad headaches maybe once or twice a month but nothing advil can't fix and usually around menses. Have an occasional true migraine only once in a while if I haven't had enough water during the day. I've had one ocular migraine in my life. Never have had issues with them and have not gone to the doctor for them as they happen once in a while. I do have a lot of varicose veins deep in pelvis around uterus from child bird and was diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome. I have a high stress work life.
At any rate, a few months back I woke up in the night. At this point I cannot remember why but I know I did not get out of bed or do anything other than just awaken and try to speak to my husband. I cannot recall the reason why now. I have only just remembered this recently as my father in-law may have had a TIA stroke today and while researching his stuff, my experience came back to me.
So I woke up, and all I remember is while trying to say something to my husband I would try to get out a word then...NOTHING. As if all words have vanished from my brain. It was so surreal. My brain was not just blank like when speaking and trying to find the "right" word. There WAS NO WORDS. Like someone had erased my mind. I couldn't even describe what I was feeling into words. nothing. I tried again and again. But it was like my brain would stop dead in its tracks over and over again. But it wasn't like a seizure in that I wasn't stuttering. The start over was deliberate. I was trying extremely hard to speak beyond one word but nothing would happen. I could only repeat maybe the start of the sentence (if I'm remembering this correctly) and everything was gone. I believe all I could say was "I..." then nothing and again "I..!!". It was the scariest thing. I started crying shouting "I..!!" and getting more and more frustrated and started to panic. At some point I may have not been able to even say "I". I cannot remember now. This went on for what seemed like forever but must have been a minute or two (could have been a bit less or more). Finally words came back. And I went to sleep again (after talking about how freaked out I was with my husband! :) )
The next day I chalked it up to maybe almost like a night terror for adults but now I'm not so sure.
Can a TIA happen in sleep or when just waking? Can you be awakened by and TIA? What is difference between TIA and complex migraine? Which one does it sound more like and why?
Thank you for your time
Colette
I think I remember now, I may have woken up but was still asleep. I remember having the feeling that I was half dreaming and trying to convey something to him about my dream. The thing I was telling him about made no sense, like what you'd see in a night terror with children. This took place within a few seconds before I launched into, unsuccessfully, trying to speak to him. The nature of me half dreaming while speaking to him, made us both dismiss it in the morning. BUT, the part that freaked me out was as I got more and more awake, the complete absence of any words was very scary. I kept trying to describe the "issue" (something I had been dreaming about) but nothing. It was very scary.
Also, I was complete aware consciously that I could not speak and it was very worrying.
So just to clarify, I was half dreaming when I first woke up. I had been having some dream I thought was real (I was half asleep). But when I went to speak I literally couldn't speak. as this went on I started to wake slowly, but the words still couldn't come out. It was terrifying and frustrating and really scared me. It was like my brain had forgotten how to speak. Never had anything like this.
Also, I was complete aware consciously that I could not speak and it was very worrying.
So just to clarify, I was half dreaming when I first woke up. I had been having some dream I thought was real (I was half asleep). But when I went to speak I literally couldn't speak. as this went on I started to wake slowly, but the words still couldn't come out. It was terrifying and frustrating and really scared me. It was like my brain had forgotten how to speak. Never had anything like this.
Brief Answer:
TIA unlikely
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Looking at the description of the episode and the fact it happened during the transition from sleep to wake up state, I would say that a tia is not likely. In my opinion this was a sleep related phenomenon, similar to sleep paralysis (though with a partial not the full picture of sleep paralysis). That happens as during the dreaming stage of sleep, the REM stage, there is a paralysis in order for us not to speak or move, not to act out our dreams. In sleep paralysis one may wake up but the paralysis continues a little more. So I believe such a phenomenon involving only the speech is what happened to you.
Whether it is possible that TIA occur during sleep...yes it is possible. But they are not connected to particular stages of sleep, so the particular time it happened in your case as well as your young age with no risk factors for stroke, makes me think it to be very unlikely in your case. TIAs have tendency to reoccur as well so the fact some time has passed and they haven't reinforces that.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
TIA unlikely
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Looking at the description of the episode and the fact it happened during the transition from sleep to wake up state, I would say that a tia is not likely. In my opinion this was a sleep related phenomenon, similar to sleep paralysis (though with a partial not the full picture of sleep paralysis). That happens as during the dreaming stage of sleep, the REM stage, there is a paralysis in order for us not to speak or move, not to act out our dreams. In sleep paralysis one may wake up but the paralysis continues a little more. So I believe such a phenomenon involving only the speech is what happened to you.
Whether it is possible that TIA occur during sleep...yes it is possible. But they are not connected to particular stages of sleep, so the particular time it happened in your case as well as your young age with no risk factors for stroke, makes me think it to be very unlikely in your case. TIAs have tendency to reoccur as well so the fact some time has passed and they haven't reinforces that.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your answer.
I have two follow up questions:
1)With sleep paralysis, is it usually partial? Meaning, is someone able to talk a little bit? Or move an arm a little bit? Or is it usually all the way? I ask as I could get out a word, but not find any other words at all beyond that.
2) Also, when someone has sleep paralysis, are they able to think usually? I could not think. I could not even hear the words in my head. There was nothing. Just the feeling of panic at not being able to speak. This is what scared me. I had no words in my brain. And I could not speak. It was like I was stuck
Thanks so much
I have two follow up questions:
1)With sleep paralysis, is it usually partial? Meaning, is someone able to talk a little bit? Or move an arm a little bit? Or is it usually all the way? I ask as I could get out a word, but not find any other words at all beyond that.
2) Also, when someone has sleep paralysis, are they able to think usually? I could not think. I could not even hear the words in my head. There was nothing. Just the feeling of panic at not being able to speak. This is what scared me. I had no words in my brain. And I could not speak. It was like I was stuck
Thanks so much
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
Typical description of sleep paralysis is more extensive than your experience. That is why I said that you had a similar phenomenon as it didn't present all the manifestations.
Whether there are partial forms of sleep paralysis, yes there are. However it is a disorder which is not well understood how it arises, its pathophysiology is not clear, there are only hypotheses. So not clear whether these variants have the same mechanisms. As you see the diagnosis of "sleep paralysis" is more of a descriptive term rather than one indicating a cause. That is why I used the term sleep related phenomenon more often.
As for not being able to think, as usually these episodes are associated with anxiety and panic attacks it is common for them to be associated with intense fear and inability to think and speak. Anyway regarding what you fear most, TIA, it would speak against and is not a feature of it.
I hope to have been of help.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
Typical description of sleep paralysis is more extensive than your experience. That is why I said that you had a similar phenomenon as it didn't present all the manifestations.
Whether there are partial forms of sleep paralysis, yes there are. However it is a disorder which is not well understood how it arises, its pathophysiology is not clear, there are only hypotheses. So not clear whether these variants have the same mechanisms. As you see the diagnosis of "sleep paralysis" is more of a descriptive term rather than one indicating a cause. That is why I used the term sleep related phenomenon more often.
As for not being able to think, as usually these episodes are associated with anxiety and panic attacks it is common for them to be associated with intense fear and inability to think and speak. Anyway regarding what you fear most, TIA, it would speak against and is not a feature of it.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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