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View Full Version : Are These Epileptic Myoclonic Jerks Or normal?


lb76696
10-09-13, 17:24
Sometimes when I'm lying in bed going off to sleep I jerk. As if you've had a dream where you are falling and then jerk suddenly. Are these normal or a sign of Epilepsy?

Another thing that worries me, although I haven't had the jerks in the day for about a week now, at the fair yesterday when a light shone on me I thought I was going to but didn't. Does this happen to people with Epilepsy too?

Thank You .
xxx
chasingdogma
10-09-13, 17:34
No, this is a sign of lack of sleep due to anxiety.

Normally your mind shuts down and you fall asleep. You still twitch and jerk while this happens, but your brain isn't running away with thoughts and you do not notice it.

Everyone twitches and jerks when they fall asleep.
yenool
10-09-13, 17:37
Very common:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk
lb76696
10-09-13, 18:51
That link has scared me so much. It mentioned Epilepsy so I assume they are a hallmark of that :S.
purgatory
10-09-13, 19:27
Hey don't worry it us a very common problem I do it all the time and also I have them as I'm wide awake I can just be sitting there and bamn it will happen either my legs or my whole body and sometimes just one side.

It is common so I would not worry to much. I have thought about epilepsy before but hey I have seen the doctor for so many health related scare (from anxiety) I ain't doing that one.
Tilly Flop
10-09-13, 19:50
That link has scared me so much. It mentioned Epilepsy so I assume they are a hallmark of that :S.

Take a deep breath, calm down a bit and read it again more carefully, the paragraph that mentions epilepsy only says that the symptom described has been assessed alongside epilepsy and is a different thing completely.
There's a sticky on here about something along the same lines - http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=47902.
HTH
meche
10-09-13, 20:28
I used to get these all the time when I was highly anxious & having trouble sleeping. They petrified me so much I didn't sleep for days..... which made me feel worse. I used to think the same as you but once I had a better understanding of what they were I just let them happen. I still get them sometimes but nowhere near as bad. I also get them during the day too. I can be sat doing something & my leg will suddenly jerk. xx