"electrical shocks" in legs, sharp pains...what's going on?!
Question:
"electrical shocks" in legs, sharp pains...what's going on?
Lately while my mom has been sleeping strangely - her doctor thinks she has sleep apnea because of her loud snoring, leg jerks, weird sounds she makes, etc. She's been off of her antidepressants for about a month now, and lately seems like she's been getting these terrible shocks in her legs - she describes them of a sort of "electrical shock" type feeling. They seem to be getting more and more frequent. She's described painful muscle contractions in her legs as well. Any ideas as to what might be going on? It's really worrying me...
Additional Details22 hours ago
PS - she's going to the doctor next week, but waiting until then is driving me crazy. I feel like maybe if I heard some ideas from people about what might be going on, I wouldn't be so anxious :/
Answers:
I cannot address the sleep apnea, but I would like to make a comment about antidepressants.
Interestingly, "electrical-shock" type sensations have been reported by people being weaned off antidepressants. Some researchers speculate that, in some people, antidepressants cause damage to axon terminals (nerve endings), resulting in these "shock" sensations.
I have had "electrical shock" sensations almost constantly throughout my entire body for over 20 years. For 10 years I took antidepressants--MAO inhibitors, tricyclics, SSRI's, dopamine reuptake inhibitors, tranquilizers, even Dilantin and lithium. I have not taken antidepressants for 10 years and continue to have these "shocks".
Because of my age (46) I've been evaluated by various specialists for various health problems (cardiologist, rheumatologist, neurologist, gynecologist, endocronologist, gastroenterologist) and none of them has been able to explain these "shocks". (For the record, I'm quite healthy! Us older folk sometimes have short-term problems that specialists have to look at!)
Please have your mother read this article http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/pine... regarding antidepressants. I found it to be very interesting!