Plese Help

[Guest guest]

Hi there. I am a 24 year old female currently undergoing diagnosis for

a seizure disorder. My mother has asthma and the condition runs on her

side of the family (a relative died from asthma complications); my

father has sleep apnea. I have never been diagnosed with asthma or

sleep apnea, but am currently undergoing diagnosis for both.

It was a concern of ours for a while that I might have epilepsy, which

is why I was having the seizures... however, just last week some

interesting information came to light. I was spending last week with

my partner and he noticed that I stopped breathing for 10 to 15 second

intervals, at which point I would either wake up gasping for air or

complaining that my left arm was tremoring or that my feet were going

numb.

I have had a tremor in my left arm since I was about 9 or 10, noticing

that the muscles in my shoulder would temporarily weaken when

startled. When I was 13 or 14 I had a bout with obstructive sleep

apnea and was aware of it. When I was 20 I started going through these

episodes where my entire body would shake or I could not wake up. I

started smoking cigarettes around the age of 20 as well. For the past

2 years I have been experiencing seizures. They all start the same

way, most of them occur when I am asleep. I awake to feel my left foot

going numb and beginning to tremor and spasm. A snaking sensation then

begins to course up my body and I lapse into an altered state of

consciousness. It feels as if my entire body is being twisted in a

vice and is corkscrewed and unwinding from the bottom up. I only have

a vague awareness of what is happening as I am conscious through the

whole thing. The worst part is that the sensation is accompanied with

excruciating pain. When the sensation reaches my head I loose

consciousness.

My partner witnessed two of these episodes back to back and said that

they were each the same. I would wake up, alerting him of an impending

seizure and then my entire body would go rigid and stiffen up and

begin to shake. My right arm would extend straight out perpendicular

to my body and my left arm would draw close into my body. My body

would shake so violently that my teeth would chatter and catch the

inside of my lower lip causing it to bleed. My eyes would roll up and

to the left and tears would stream from them. This lasted for 10 to 15

seconds each time before I would fall unconscious. After this episode,

for anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, he said that my breathing was

ragged as I tried to pull air into my lungs. The act of labored

breathing through a small opening in my lips would turn my saliva into

foam, tinted pink by the blood. He would try and rouse me out of this

state by saying my name and coaxing me to sit up, during which I would

stare at him for 5 to 10 seconds and then slip back into

unconsciousness. Upon coming to, I am groggy, sluggish and have

trouble speaking. My words get slurred and my movements are uncoordinated.

My question is: Could I be an asthma sufferer and also experiencing

sleep apnea which is causing me to have seizures due to lack of oxygen

(hypoxemia)?

Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?

What are some natural remedies for asthma that I could use as a band

aid in the meantime until I can see my doctor? I've heard magnesium

helps. Would a humidifier help? I'm desperate to get some sleep.

Warm Regards and thanks for listening,

Kishar