Mystery Random Nerve Attack (Not Anxiety) at Edge of Sleep

I’m having something I’ve never even read about elsewhere. I’d call it Central Sensitization at sleep onset.

I’m not anxious. Really. You’ll just have to trust me on this. It’s true, I’m not. I meditate and I’m very self aware. If I was anxious, I’d tell you. Puzzled doctors and friends, stop projecting your anxieties onto me. I’m just a calm person. I enjoy my life and my friends and my hobbies. I’m telling you my body does not feel anxious in the least. I’ve felt it in the past, but I do not now. There is no tension, no worried thoughts. I’m in a good mood overall, but I am very sleepy now because I got zero sleep last night.

Before bed I had a great night. I finished up a multi-day project (an on-line neuropathy library), I took an hour walk, and got into bed as I have every night since. But last night was different. Each time when I relaxed enough to fall asleep (which was many times throughout the night) my body would respond with some strong itch, or twitching, or pain, or electric sensation. Along with this was tinnitus dramatically louder than it has ever been before and neck stiffness and pain. I did not have restless legs, no uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an urge to move them. My room was dark and quiet. My bed was comfortable. I was in a neutral sleep position with no strain on my neck. I was on my back with my neck properly supported by a pillow, arms by my sides supported by pillows at not much of an angle. I did not have any notable muscle tension, no need to do progressive relaxation, I was plenty relaxed.

It was easy to fall asleep, just to the point where I got into sleep mode, then some nerve experience would kick in to torment me. Have you ever tried sleeping when you have the sensation click on like an ice cube on your left nipple just as you are falling asleep? That’s not anxiety. I have no thoughts then, I’m not even conscious while slipping into sleep, but clearly, sleep is not happening with that monkey business going on. It was almost amusing how random these different sensations were, but they were unwelcome. I only wanted to sleep. From meditation, I have very good will power and focus. I did not let this get to me. From lucid dreaming and meditation practice, I often have the ability not to get emotionally involved. I stayed calm and tried again. All night, time after time, I let it go, had no worries, just went back to the edge of sleep … and then got some new surprise to shock me back awake. I think if had been the same thing time after time I could have ignored it (perhaps) well enough to get past it and into actual sleep.

Today I’m going for blood tests to check for mad cow disease. They’ve sort of tested me for everything else. I don’t eat red meat, so I highly doubt that it is amyloidosis. What makes the most sense is seronegative neurologic Lyme disease… but I did not respond to antibiotics, so it may not be that. I do have some positive bands on my Lyme test from Igenix and also some positivity (but not enough to qualify) on tests from Kaiser. I also have an IgG subclass deficiency, a specifically compromised immune system, so it is possible that I have late stage neurologic Lyme disease that just does not show up positive enough on tests. The Lyme test kit maker, Zeus Scientific, whom I spoke to on the phone, states in their package insert that some people do not make antibodies (or enough). The test which Kaiser Permanente uses to rule out Lyme disease says right on the FDA approved and mandated package insert that it may not be used to rule out Lyme disease.  Kaiser ignores my tick bites and other symptoms in favor of this one test which the maker admits has false negatives.

The Osteo Arthritis (OA) on my X-rays with some degeneration between C5 and C6 is not sufficient to explain the random sensations or my numb feet and it would not cause the blood bleed in my eyeball years ago, nor the super loud tinnitus. I think a SPECT scan would show ischemia (blood flow blockages) in my brain and resulting brain damage to white mater or glial cells which may account for all of this. One Kaiser neurologist said ischemic changes seen on my MRI could explain the vibrations I’m experiencing at night. There are neurons that normally suppress sensations from awareness. The underlying cause could be a microbe such as Lyme bacteria or perhaps a virus damaging those. Or something else…

I asked ChatGPT 4o to tell me something I don’t know, given all of this, and here’s what it had to say:

Here are some intriguing insights related to central sensitization and sleep disturbances that you may not be aware of:

 

1. Bidirectional Interaction: Central sensitization and sleep disturbances have a bidirectional relationship. Poor sleep can exacerbate central sensitization, leading to heightened pain sensitivity, while increased pain can further disrupt sleep quality, creating a vicious cycle. This interaction is particularly evident in individuals with chronic pain conditions, such as osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia[1][6].

 

2. Polysomnographic Findings: Research indicates that individuals showing signs of central sensitization often experience specific disturbances in their sleep phases. For instance, many report increased episodes of night waking and alterations in REM sleep latency. In one study, 86% of participants with central sensitization had at least one nocturnal awakening, and 90% experienced episodes of sleep apnea[4][7].

 

3. Glutamate’s Role: Glutamate, a key neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is implicated in both migraine pathogenesis and central sensitization. Elevated glutamate levels have been observed in patients with chronic migraines, suggesting that it may serve as a biomarker for central sensitization. Interestingly, glutamate also plays a role in promoting wakefulness, indicating that its activity could influence both pain perception and sleep patterns[5][6].

 

4. Impact of Insomnia on Pain Perception: Insomnia has been shown to significantly affect pain perception, with studies revealing that total sleep deprivation can lead to generalized hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain) in healthy individuals. This suggests that improving sleep quality could be crucial for managing pain hypersensitivity associated with central sensitization[1][5].

 

5. CGRP and Sleep Maintenance: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), known for its role in migraine pathophysiology, has also been linked to sleep regulation. Elevated CGRP levels can contribute to the activation of pathways that maintain central sensitization and may influence sleep-specific circadian rhythms[5].

 

These findings underscore the complex interplay between central sensitization and sleep disturbances, highlighting potential avenues for therapeutic interventions aimed at improving both pain management and sleep quality.

Interesting. I will go get the blood tests for mad cow disease and I think they are testing me for genetic mutation related to oxalate processing. Oxalate crystals can cause neuropathy. I had an abnormally high test for oxalate recently and since have stopped eating spinach and and cashews. At times I really love spinach and cashews, but I’ve been avoiding those foods. I hope I’ll be able to sleep tonight. (UPDATE: I was but woke with a numb arm and hand without a nerve pinch among other things). I think I may be the only person on the planet with this condition, an anxiety free neurological sleep prevention experience?

Could there be another explanation for this? There is one thing I have not explored that can cause transient nerve damage from temporary micro blood blockages. That thing is micro plastic pollution that accumulates in the human body. Stay tuned for that exploration, coming up next.

Read More
^{[1] https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/98/5/325/4841863
[2] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/papr.13331
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25260261/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37146510/
[5] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1373574/full
[6] https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(16)00259-5/fulltext
[7] https://www.rbf-bjpt.org.br/en-sleep-quality-polysomnographic-changes-in-articulo-S1413355523000254}