sleep paralysis

[yoshitohinton]

anyone else having problems with sleep paralysis?

baclofen might be why i get it so much,

i get it about every day.

it is terrible when i get in it in a position i can't breathe in.

i have no idea what to do about this.

[izzabellezi]

Sorry to hear that - I've had intermittent bouts of sleep paralysis for the past couple of years but I'm an asymptomatic carrier. My brother 'escaped' the gene but he has it several times a month too.

I'm not sure it'd be the baclofen. From my research on sleep paralysis, it's less about the muscles but more an actual neural sleep issue where your body doesn't leave the non-moving phase. If you're worried, see if you can get an alternative to baclofen, but I've picked up a few tips to help with the sleep paralysis I'll share with you.

- Don't sleep on your back, as if you get SP your breathing will be further restricted

- Make sure you are in a regular sleep pattern

- Don't allow yourself to be too exhausted before you go to sleep

- Try to avoid nightcaps/'just one glass of wine' before sleeping (no idea why anyone ever thought it helped you to sleep, always gives me chronic nightmares!)

- Ensure there's good air circulation in the room

- When SP occurs, start moving your fingers a little bit and work your way into your hands, then wrists, etc. My mistake was always to try and move my whole body, which didn't work and then I freaked out more!

- If you have a partner, establish a breathing signal to indicate that you're having SP - it just means that they can try and comfort you a little bit. I can always control my breath to some extent so this helps me!

Hope some of those are new to you and help you out! I know it's the most terrifying thing, so I hope you find a solution to it soon. Best wishes.

[yoshitohinton in reply to izzabellezi]

thanks for the informative reply!

[deanmoore]

Has happened to me. Always sleep on my side.

But what symptoms, in what settings? Can you be more specific?

Thanks.

Dean

[jack3953]

if this restricted to the intercostal muscles between ribs, it is similar to something called "MS Hug". i used to get this a few years ago [ironically at a time when it was thought i had MS]. it was scary to wake up and not be able to breath! i am not aware of any solutions to this, but if i remember right, sleeping on my back made it worse. however, like me, you may find that it is not a permanent condition. sorry that this reply is months late [i don't login here very often].

best wishes, jack

[hoosierdad]

I get sleep paralysis frequently, always associated with Baclofen. I can breathe, but I can't speak or move. It's horrifying. I know it's the Baclofen - I can guarantee an attack by increasing my dose near bedtime, or avoid an attack by not taking it. But it helps with my back pain so much I risk it anyway. I also take hydrocodone and Valium. The Valium seems to make it worse, but I'd be awake all night without it. I'm 66 and have Paget's disease in my spine and hip.