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What Causes Pulsating And Pounding Sensation Throughout Out The Body When I Lay Down?

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Posted on Mon, 18 May 2015
Question: I pulsating and pounding throughout most of my body when I lay down. I cannot sleep. This has been going on for many months now. I have been through the usual heart tests and everything was very normal. Also, to a gasterenterologist more than once. CAT scan and ultra sound of upper abdomen were normal. All bloodwork normal. What can this be??? Please help!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Severe anxiety/thyroid dysfunction/smoking/coffee/some food items.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXX,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query.

I have been through your history and medication details.I assume here that you have gone through a thorough physical examination with particular emphasis to cardiovascular examination.
Many of the patients face similar problem as you are facing.With background of extensive investigations and blood work with normal results,I would like to suggest the following factors that can be triggering these symptoms-
1)Thyroid dysfunction-Please get thyroid function tests done or just confirm in follow-up whether they are normal.
2)Severe anxiety-panic attacks may present like this.However,since this is chronic in your case,it can be well explained if you remain severely anxious all the time.Please start doing mental relaxation exercises/meditation and that will probably help.Antianxiety medications like clonazepam may help.PLEASE TAKE ALL MEDICINES UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A PHYSICIAN.

3)chronic smoking-can trigger it in many persons.
4)coffee-excess of caffeine may trigger these symptoms as well.
5)Food allergies-Please observe whether these symptoms increase or are triggered,specifically with some food items.
6)Exercise-exercise during the night time or late evening before going to bed can trigger these symptoms.

Please observe if any of the above causes may be a factor in your case and follow-up.
Waiting for your follow-up.

Thanks and Regards,
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (5 days later)
Hi and thank you for your communication and all your suggestions. I appreciate your response.

I do meditation and it does'nt help me.

I forgot to tell you that I am caregiver to my 90 year old husband who is paralyzed on the left side of his body. I am under a lot of stress as you can imagine.

My family doctor who gave me the Clonapin 2 mg thinks my problem may be musculoskeletal. What do you think about this theory???? He prescribed 20 mg of Baclofen at bedtime with the Clonapin and now has given me 10 mg Nortriptyline to take as well at bedtime. What is your knowledge of this last drug????

Can a person live without sleeping? The pounding, trembling, sensations make it impossible to sleep most of the time. I have my eyes closed but I am always conscious.

Does the combination of the above medications seem to you like it could solve my problem?

Am I condemned to chronic anxiety for the rest of my life. Once this pounding starts in earnest like it has will it ever go away?????

I have had all the tests know to man including the thyroid? Is there any special thyroid test to take that he may have missed?

Am I losing brain cells or damaging my memory by not sleeping?

Please answer these questions. Maybe I'll feel better, maybe I won't. Ha!

Thank you in advance. XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Here follows your answers:

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

Please see answers to your queries, pointwise-
1)Obviously,severe anxiety as you stated,appears to be the cause of your problem.I have already listed 'severe anxiety'as one of the possible cause of your symptoms in above discussion.So,its must to bring down the anxiety levels to improve sleep.
2)Though,the combination of Klonapin and Nortriptyline will help your problems as Klonapin is an excellent anti-anxiety drug and nortriptyline is a good antidepressant.I am not sure about Baclofen,that why is your treating doctor prescribing it?Baclofen is an anti-spasticity drug.You may discuss with your doctor about the indication of Baclofen.These problems don't appear to be musculoskeletal.
3)No,a person can't live without sleeping for a long time.It gradually increases the mental problems like depression and physical problems as well.Your symptoms have to be controlled,so that you can start sleeping well.
4)As I said,these medicines will probably help you.
5)Its better if you consult a Psychiatrist as he is the specialist who can give best explanations as how to tackle anxiety.Take the measures and medicines as suggested,we hope that this pounding will go away.
6)I am talking about TSH(Thyroid stimulating hormone) primarily.See,that it is not raised above the normal levels.
7)Of course,prolonged lack of sleep may have adverse effects on brain cells.

Only pounding and lack of other neurological or mental symptoms(except anxiety of course)does not put it to be evaluated for some severe etiology.Its possibly severe anxiety that is causing all these symptoms.You will have to control your anxiety somehow.

Hope that I have answered your query.If you have some follow-up questions,I shall be glad to answer else,please close the thread-rate it and write a review as your rating will be of help to me.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (17 hours later)
Thank you Dr. Panwar. You have answered my questions very well.

In regard to the Baclofen, I think the doctor was thinking that the pounding or pulsating sensations might have been caused by a nerve being pressed on. He was fishing. So, he added to the 2 mg of Klonapin, 2 mg of Baclofen. I think he thought it might quiet down the situation. I don't know and I guess I myself didn't understand. My medical background is so limited.

I don't have time to write now and I am concerned about not being able to continue to correspond with you. How does this all work? I am brand new to this. It says I have 2 days and some hours and minutes until the discussion closes automatically. This is scary to me because I wish to keep corresponding with you and not have to start all over with someone new. Please explain this to me. I have confidence in you and it would be devastating to have to start from scratch.
I thought when you paid the fee for the month it was unlimited discussions with the specialist you selected. I hope I can keep you. XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (5 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Thanks for appreciation.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

Probably,you need to discuss with your treating doctor about Baclofen.No apparent sound reason for that.

I am glad that you developed confidence in me.I don't know about the user's end but at the doctor's end,we are asked to answer one main question and three follow-up questions in a specialist's query.Further on,if user want to continue,he has to make a top-up recharge for the question.

This 'one month' thing ,I really don't know about.You can make it clear with the moderators.I can tell you that they are the most cooperative persons on the whole web.

Even,I would like to be connected with you and follow you up,til the time you are fine.

You have the option of always putting up a query and asking the moderators that you want it to be answered by 'Dr.Ajay Panwar' only.They will mark it for me then,so that nobody else can answer it.

Alternatively,you can just go to my profile page and ask a question directly to me,here on this link-

http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=69273

I think,I have provided all the solutions from my end.

Hope that I have answered your query.If you have some follow-up questions,I shall be glad to answer else,please close the thread-rate it and write a review as your rating will be of help to me.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (17 hours later)
Thank you for all your pertinent comments.

My husband who is paralyzed from a stroke has been given Baclofen in the past for spasms. What I am experiencing in my body is similar to spasms. I call it by different names--shaking, pulsating, trembling etc., because I am not sure how to name it. In this respect couldn't the Baclofen calm that down? I think that is what the doctor was thinking. It can't hurt me, can it?

I have been taking the Nortriptyline the last three nights and I slept! I took it with the 2 mg Klonapin and 10 mg Baclofen. I hope this continues so I will have some relief and continue to get better. Do you think that taking medications disrupts a loop of behaviour (the pulsating, shaking in my case) and that it could be permanently cured? How wonderful this would be. I was getting so desparate thinking that I just couldn't face the rest of my life as it has been---such misery. But then who would take care of my husband? He would end up in a horrible nursing home. I know how people are treated in most of those places.I can't bear to think of him spending his last days in a place like that. By the way, my husband is a screenplay writer and has just recently finished a screenplay, "Sinking the Lusitania", a story based on true historical events that occurred in 1915, when the Germans torpedoed the Lusitania, a luxury cruiseliner headed from New York to Liverpool, England. 1,298 civilians were killed. It's a wonderful script and if we could sell it, I am sure some of my anxiety would go away since financial concerns are a big part of my problem with all the medical bills, as well as being caregiver, of course.

Anyway, I thank you for wanting to keep me as a patient until my problem is resolved. I appreciate you saying that so I will be able to continue with you.
I have your link.

You can be sure I will leave a very good review.

Sincerely, XXXXXXX XXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (25 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
stroke is a different pathology.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

Stroke is a different disease altogether and spasms in stroke are due to spasticity.Baclofen works with spasticity.Your shaking or trembling is different,its not due to spasticity.So,role of baclofen is in doubt.But,it should not harm you either.

I already said that klonapin and nortriptyline combination should work well for you.You don't have a disease as such,its just a disturbed mental state.So,present set of medicines will improve your mental state and hence,sleep.In a way,it may be called a cure.But,of course,it may have a tendency to recur with worsening anxiety or depression.So,important is the stability of your mental state for long lasting cure.

I am sure you will be all there with your husband.Please keep connected.
Hope that I have answered your query.If you have some follow-up questions,I shall be glad to answer else,please close the thread-rate it and write a review as your rating will be of help to me.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
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Dr. Ajay Panwar

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Practicing since :2007

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What Causes Pulsating And Pounding Sensation Throughout Out The Body When I Lay Down?

Brief Answer: Severe anxiety/thyroid dysfunction/smoking/coffee/some food items. Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXX, Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com. I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query. I have been through your history and medication details.I assume here that you have gone through a thorough physical examination with particular emphasis to cardiovascular examination. Many of the patients face similar problem as you are facing.With background of extensive investigations and blood work with normal results,I would like to suggest the following factors that can be triggering these symptoms- 1)Thyroid dysfunction-Please get thyroid function tests done or just confirm in follow-up whether they are normal. 2)Severe anxiety-panic attacks may present like this.However,since this is chronic in your case,it can be well explained if you remain severely anxious all the time.Please start doing mental relaxation exercises/meditation and that will probably help.Antianxiety medications like clonazepam may help.PLEASE TAKE ALL MEDICINES UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A PHYSICIAN. 3)chronic smoking-can trigger it in many persons. 4)coffee-excess of caffeine may trigger these symptoms as well. 5)Food allergies-Please observe whether these symptoms increase or are triggered,specifically with some food items. 6)Exercise-exercise during the night time or late evening before going to bed can trigger these symptoms. Please observe if any of the above causes may be a factor in your case and follow-up. Waiting for your follow-up. Thanks and Regards, Dr.Ajay Panwar, MD,DM(Neurology)