If the EEG said I was asleep, yet I was thinking the whole time, plus

[Deja Q]

the fact I occasionally have "sleep paralysis" - a condition where part of the brain sleeps, yet you're aware of your surroundings and are unable to voluntarily move your muscles, (it's not cool being asleep, being able to see, yet not being able to move...), should I ask my neurologist about it? Or is it a general practitioner thing? Or am I nuts?

http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/paralysis.html

Thanks!

[Taxloss]

1. Yes, ask your neurologist. I can't think what they might advise though.

eom

[hlthe2b]

2. Hypnotoad, many (not all) with sleep paralysis also have narcolepsy...

New treatments are out there, including Provigil.

If you have sleep paralysis without narcolepsy, you still might be a candidate for medial therapy if your bouts are frequent enough. Forget a general practitioner knowing what to do in these cases-- most neurologists are wll schooled in sleep disorders, but there are sleep specialists as well. The facility that did your study could refer you.

Good luck!

[Pithlet]

3. I suffer occasionally from sleep paralysis

I'm also highly prone to night terrors, and they often go together. I've asked my GP and he put me on lexipro, which isn't doing anything. I'm going to try to talk him into referring me to a sleep specialist. Is that where you were when your EEG was measured?

Sleep paralysis sucks. For me, it's the most terrifying experience. I can't move or make a sound. I try to cry out so my husband can wake me fully, but can't move a muscle. It's like having a full blown panic attack, only completely frozen. It is the most terrifying and helpless feeling.

[Branjor]

4. I used to have sleep paralysis when I was little....

It was terrifying. I used to eventually wake myself up by imagining beating myself over the head. Thankfully, I have not had it for years now.

[Deja Q]

6. Nope. Just the neurologist. I think he would refer me to a

sleep specialist, though... and I'm infinitely more inclined to trust him than my GP...

Be careful with lexipro. Nasty side-effects and the docs I got said that, when going off, the side effects are usually reverseable. When they say the U-word, I do the D-U-I-word: (Don't-use-it!)

[Ladyhawk]

8. Dammit, I'm on Lexapro.

What side-effects???

[Ladyhawk]

5. I, too, occasionally suffer from sleep paralysis.

It's really easy to panic because I can also hallucinate while in this condition. Once I thought I saw a bunch of little ogres open trap doors in the ceiling and come toward me on ropes. Another time, a household plant became a big green monster getting ready to throw a spear straight at me.

The only thing that ever helps is realizing I'm asleep. I "close my eyes" and try to relax. Usually that works out OK, but I've had to deal with this since I was a kid.

Sucks, huh?

What makes everything so scary is the inability to move or wake up. I've never had lucky trying to wake up in the middle of such an experience. A few times I imagined I was screaming for someone to wake me up, but of course I never uttered a sound.

The last time I experienced it was a few mornings ago. It wasn't a serious episode, but incorporated noise from the apartment complex into the mix. I thought someone was trying to break in.

[Ladyhawk]

7. "EEG said I was asleep, yet I was thinking the whole time"

Maybe you really do have hypnotic powers, Toad. :D

[Elidor]

9. Dude, listen to me for once

You are primed for an OOBE! You need to learn to project. Astrally. Sleep paralysis is one of the final states before OOBE. Mind awake/body asleep is the precursor to the vibrational state.

Do some research. You are so close. You aren't nuts.

[LynzM]

10. Wow, dude

Not something I've ever experienced, but I imagine that's got to be a horrible combination of frustrating and terrifying. I hope you can get some answers that help you out!