Other Exploding head syndrome

[whiteraven]

Yes, this is a real thing. :-) Or maybe it should be :-( I really can't believe anyone with a medical degree named a disorder that. It's considered a sleep disorder and characterized by the perception of loud noises upon awakening, like the sounds of explosions or bombs or the slamming of doors, etc.

It's worse when I don't get a lot of sleep. Or when I'm super-stressed. I have all kinds of neurological stuff that goes on like this, but this one is really bad when I'm trying to manage PTSD stuff. Trying to keep calm, wake into a good morning, feel safe in my home. It's hard when I keep waking up to these awful explosions. Last night it sounds like it was coming from my hallway. I know it's in my head, but when I'm half-asleep, that just doesn't help.

 

[Keen]

I have exploding head syndrome too. It doesn't happen every day, but seems to come in clusters where it'll happen several days in a row and then not happen for a while. Its always been really disturbing, and I usually fear its a stroke. But i never talked to anyone about it (I'm afraid of doctors, and it wasn't disrupting my life too much).
But it wasn't until this year that it occurred to me that maybe other people have this happen and so I googled key words and I found it was an actual syndrome.
Have you ever consulted anyone about it?

 

[whiteraven]

Hi @Keen! I brought it up to my neurologist once and he looked at me like I had two heads. Or maybe an exploded head. :P We also talked about musical ear syndrome, which was coined as a term in 2004 by a PhD (in other words, it's generally not recognized as a syndrome by the almighty MD). He had never heard of either. The first is something sleep specialists know about and recognize, but it's supposed to be relatively rare (which makes sense because, if I'm going to get something, it's going to be considered rare). My sleep specialist was sort of, "Well, I don't know..."

Musical ear syndrome is when you have musical hallucinations. For example, I occasionally hear the same Russian music and singing over and over again - usually at night. Most of the professionals I have read find another explanation for it, but their explanations and descriptions don't ever quite match my experience. I don't talk about it with anyone else anymore, because I'm just so tired of people telling me that what I experience is not real.

Sorry you are dealing with it, but it IS kind of interesting, isn't it?

 

[Keen]

Yes, its definitely interesting, but also pretty freaky when it happens. No matter how many times it happens, I always think I'm going to die. I actually read a journal article that said its connected with PTSD and dissociation and is a form of somaticism, which was interesting.

 

[Abstract]

Never heard of it. :bookworm: It sounds horrible so sorry you all experience it.

 

[Freida]

Yikes!!! That sounds horrible! I'm so sorry...

 

[whiteraven]

Yes, its definitely interesting, but also pretty freaky when it happens. No matter how many times it happe...

Agreed. I am always worried someone has broken into my house, 'cause it sometimes sounds like a door slamming.

 

[Keen]

Door slamming would be completely terrifying to me! Probably worse than the high-powered electric zapping-like sound I hear