Anyone else easily startled?

[Guest guest]

Every once in a while, I forget and leave my speaker on... When I

do, and I get the sound that accompanies new yahoo email... wow! It

literally causes me to jerk back, and I immediately have tremors. I

first noted this when a friend " rang the bell " on the Yahoo Instant

Messaging system. I was disrupted for a good minute or two, having

problems doing anything - and I think my eyes even tremored - started

shaking in their sockets. Now they shake, and my head will bob - of

course, both those things happen at other times too (too often now).

I also get disrupted so bad that I just kinda freeze up. Can't seem

to do much of anything.

I don't really seem to startle any easier on other things - that I'm

aware of? We're a practical jokester kinda household, so I think I

would have noticed - but this response to unexpected auditory

stimuli. Wow! Blows me away, and it happens every single time!

(And my volume is not turned " way up " and I have a hearing loss to

boot

Just wondered if anyone else experienced this.

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My sister Chrissie also startles easily and it came with all the other

symptoms.

Her reaction is more like explains his. Coming into a room unannounced

really makes her jump out of her skin. Let me explain, if she is watching TV

in the general area, that is okay, but if she is in her bedroom puttering and

you walk in, that is when it happens most.

Jean & Chrissie

[Guest guest]

Greetings !

Yes, I also startle very easily. My kids started to notice that about

the same time my other symptoms appear. It is a VERY strong response.

Since I also no longer hear things as clearly as pre-symptom, I often

miss when my kids come into the room. For example, if I am stretched

out on my side reading, and my kids come up behind me and suddenly say

" Daddy? " , they usually need to scrape me off the ceiling.

That change from pre to post symptom was fairly sudden and dramatic. I

just figure it's all part of the 'special effects' that come along with

this type of disorder. Of course I worry one of these days a movie

special effects companies will show up with a bill !!

So, no, you are not alone with this one.

Regards,

=jbf=

B. Fisher

[Guest guest]

THANKS JOHN (AND BETH)

JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT FITS. I KNOW TO MANY (TO THOSE

WITHOUT A DISEASE LIKE THIS ANYWAY) THAT IT MAY SOUND ODD TO SAY THAT

THIS IS GOOD NEWS - EVEN MORE COMMONALITY (WITH A SYMPTOM THAT IS NOT

POSTED ANYWHERE) BUT TO ME - IT IS GOOD NEWS. EVEN WITHOUT REAL

TREATMENT OR CURE... IT HELPS TO KNOW WHAT IT IS I'M DEALING WITH.

THIS WILL BE ANOTHER TIDBIT TO PASS ON TO MY INTERNIST.

THANKS AGAIN.

PABLO - BUT NOT PICASSO :-)

THANKS ALSO FOR YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR JOHN.

WE'VE GOTTA HAVE IT - DON'T WE! NO SENSE BEING BITTER.

> Greetings !

>

> Yes, I also startle very easily. My kids started to notice that

about

> the same time my other symptoms appear. It is a VERY strong

response.

> Since I also no longer hear things as clearly as pre-symptom, I

often

> miss when my kids come into the room. For example, if I am

stretched

> out on my side reading, and my kids come up behind me and suddenly

say

> " Daddy? " , they usually need to scrape me off the ceiling.

>

> That change from pre to post symptom was fairly sudden and

dramatic. I

> just figure it's all part of the 'special effects' that come along

with

> this type of disorder. Of course I worry one of these days a movie

> special effects companies will show up with a bill !!

>

> So, no, you are not alone with this one.

>

>

> Regards,

> =jbf=

>

> B. Fisher

[Guest guest]

and Beth and others,

I've noticed lately that I startle easily. If it's quiet around the house and the telephone right beside me rings, I jump. So far it is not bothersome and if it is due to MSA it is certainly one of the more "tame" symptoms to live with.

barb pond

blacksburg va

[Guest guest]

My husband startles very easy. Sounds and movements startle him. I try

not to ever move quickly around him or walk into a room unannounced. He

just about jumps out of his skin! He seems to settle right back down

after it happens though.

Beth

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 07:49:57 -0000 " pulalupu " pulalupu@...>

writes:

> Every once in a while, I forget and leave my speaker on... When I

> do, and I get the sound that accompanies new yahoo email... wow!

> It

> literally causes me to jerk back, and I immediately have tremors. I

>

> first noted this when a friend " rang the bell " on the Yahoo Instant

>

> Messaging system. I was disrupted for a good minute or two, having

>

> problems doing anything - and I think my eyes even tremored -

> started

> shaking in their sockets. Now they shake, and my head will bob - of

>

> course, both those things happen at other times too (too often now).

>

> I also get disrupted so bad that I just kinda freeze up. Can't seem

>

> to do much of anything.

>

> I don't really seem to startle any easier on other things - that I'm

>

> aware of? We're a practical jokester kinda household, so I think I

>

> would have noticed - but this response to unexpected auditory

> stimuli. Wow! Blows me away, and it happens every single time!

> (And my volume is not turned " way up " and I have a hearing loss to

> boot

>

> Just wondered if anyone else experienced this.

>

> Thanks,

>

>

>

>

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Interesting that you bring this up . There is a new research article

that mentions a startle reflex and heart rate in MSA patients. This isn't

in the same context that you describe but it's interesting none the less.

Mov Disord 2002 May;17(3):546-9

Effects of a startle on heart rate in patients with multiple system atrophy.

Valls-Sole J, Veciana M, Leon L, Valldeoriola F.

Unitat d'EMG, Servei de Neurologia, Hospital Clinic, Facultad de Medicina,

Universitat de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i

Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain.

The patient cooperation usually required for neurophysiological assessment

of

autonomic cardioregulatory function is difficult to obtain from patients

with

bradykinesia. A particularly interesting condition occurs in multiple system

atrophy (MSA), which features both bradykinesia and autonomic dysfunction.

Another characteristic of patients with MSA is their normal motor reaction

to a

startling stimulus. We used startle as a stimulus for testing autonomic

cardioregulatory function in patients with MSA, thus avoiding the need for

patient cooperation. In 10 healthy volunteers and 8 MSA patients, we

recorded

the electrocardiographic QRS complex with surface electrodes attached over

the

chest and delivered an acoustic startle stimulus after 8 seconds of baseline

recording. We calculated the ratio between the pre-stimulus and the

post-stimulus heart beat intervals (R-R ratio) by dividing the mean

prestimulus

R-R interval by the shortest R-R interval obtained within 10 seconds

poststimulus. Healthy volunteers had a significant shortening of the R-R

interval. The peak of the effect occurred after 2 to 5 seconds, with a mean

R-R

ratio of 1.14 (S.D. = 0.09). In contrast, R-R shortening was markedly

reduced in

patients, even though they had a normal motor response. The mean R-R ratio

in

patients was 1.03 (S.D. = 0.03), significantly lower than in healthy

volunteers

(P < 0.01). Our results demonstrate an abnormally reduced modulation of the

heart beat frequency in patients with MSA, compatible with a dysfunction on

pathways responsible for autonomic regulation. The method described here may

be

useful in the assessment of cardioregulatory function in poorly cooperative

patients with normal startle responses. Copyright 2002 Movement Disorder

Society

PMID: 12112205 [PubMed - in process]

[Guest guest]

happens to me too

[Guest guest]

THANKS. THERE TRULY IS COMFORT IN NUMBERS (IN SOME THINGS ANYWAY :-)

PAUL

> happens to me too