Re: Earthquake syndrome

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

If you've lived through an earthquake, then what you describe is real. I have

had this, and especially after the California quake in '71 when I was in

college, (and the chaos in my dorm) I couldn't sleep even when I was tired. I

got medical attention to help me manage this 'stress' and was OK after awhile,

but now with every earthquake, it brings new fears.

Fortunately where I live now I am off a fault-line, but still close

enough to the faults that a major one could be felt, as one here on

the Central Coast rippled through us 4 years ago or so. My house is on a slab

foundation and is one story, as opposed to having a basement and being two story

in which I survived a quake in the '90's that did MUCH damage to the area.

~ Gretchen in So. California

[Guest guest]

,

Oh my gosh!! Someone else too!! I thought it was just me! I lay there and the

body starts to " vibrate " !! First time it scared the heck out of me!! Same as

you I thought it was my bed or something in the room. Glad to know that others

share these strange sensations of CMT!

Teri, PA

[Guest guest]

My daughter always complains of being busy when she wakes up in the middle of

the night or first thing in the morning she can't even walk very well because

her arms and legs are so shakey....wonder if it is the same feeling you 2 are

talking about???

[Guest guest]

" Earthquakes " -------I am so glad you all wrote in.

My mother developed this about three years ago. She is now 88. As far as we

know, a relatively healthy person, post stroke with minimal memory loss from

this. She does however, have 4 first cousins that had CMT diagnosed late in

life before passing. Their children all have CMT. I appear to have CMT but

undiagnosed.

First time this hit her, she was getting up from the table after a meal a had

what I called the earthquake.absolute uncontrolled shaking from the waist

down....... I grabbed a walker and took her to the Dr.

He put her on Parkinson's medication from " Visual symptoms " . 10 days later, no

better, I took her off that medication and started her on Q-10 recommended by

the cousins.

She progressively got better daily with smaller and smaller sessions of quakes

and then one day she got mad and said : I am tired of this.....and reared her

shoulders back--tightening the T-12 area. The Shaking stopped. So........we

learned that to stop the shaking or inability to walk, all she had to do was

stiffen the back in that area..and we were walking again. (She is weak in the

T-12. She had cracked the T-12 back in the 70's while bending over when dad hit

a bad chug-hole in the road)

This quaking continued with periodic times when she would wake, lower legs

doing uncontrolled shakes. Over the last three years she had had a " spell "

about every three months. Lasting about 4-5 min. She could not get up,felt

weird- was dizzy. I would give her two aspirins and a quick drink of Ensure or

juice... sort of a power surge thing and get her walking to get the heart to

pumping or whatever.

IF I could get her to sit up on her own, then we would get the walker and just

keep moving and within about 10 min. she could walk.

We suspected the pace-maker was getting weak(which it was and now has been

replaced)...........but this was not the problem. Her pacemaker surgeon said

that the next time it happened to haul her to the Dr. to check it out. It did

seem that her events were getting closer and closer.

Usually happening about the 2-3AM time span.

In July she had a bad spell (two months after the new pacemaker). She was

unable to sit up with me holding her, so I called the Ambulance and they came

and got her. This time she had Super Bad headaches along with the earthquakes.

Unfortunately it took four doctors, three ER visits, to get the Dr's attention

that this was no ordinary headache.Her walking had improved as usual , after

about 15 min.

Pacemaker was ruled OK. They gave her a shot of arthritis medication. The thing

that has saved us the last two months is " Mobic " , an arthritis medication.

However, I did find a little spot on the back of her head that was sort of a

knot..........and when rubbed it, I could get a little earthquake to start.

Don't think this had a thing to do with anything, but I was desperate to find

some place on her that would cause an issue: Pinched nerve what-ever........So

far nothing.

Monday we go to a Neurologist. Her CT Scans showed that she has had no strokes

(probably a series of mini-strokes).........but for a month now, we have been

busy, walking 1/4 a day and doing great. I missed the Mobic dose one day, and

she slumped, and the spine just sort of bent........I make sure the Mobic is

given now.

I am sure hoping that they can give a Name to this. I will tell them about your

posting........that this is something that happens and we need to know WHY.

My own personal issues were after going of Bextra (before they pulled it from

the market)......I had a night of leg JERKS...my left leg just jerked and seemed

to be centered at the hip area. Have not had any more major issues with this

since that sleepless night.

One other thing my sister and I have recently discovered. When watching TV, we

sort of " freeze up " .

Our bodies stiffen......and we don't realize it until we go to change channels

or move..It is almost like we are sitting there holding our breath. The human

body is an interesting machine.