brandywine7
05-28-2003, 11:31 AM
Is anyone familiar with night terrors?My Grandson is 9 and has adhd and also night terrors. Do you outgrow them?He has a pill he takes before he goes to bed and it keeps him from having them,but will he have to take them all his life?
Thanks for any help
Brandi
Thanks for any help
Brandi
Sponsor
NewMe
05-28-2003, 02:00 PM
Hi Brandywine,, one of my boys, who is now 13, has had several episodes himself, or so we think. All the symptoms of night terrors yet he also I cant recall either right before onset or shortly thereafter, he was sick with fever,,, very very lethargic, not himself, in bed for 2 days, acted very odd. Anyway the drs first did drug test....i freaked with the thought...but a child these days must be aware of things that we never had to think twice about. Like stamps and tiny dot candies that are sold in convenience stores, can now be drops of acid or laced stamps or stickers that are sold on the streets and across the schools nationwide. So tests were negative they then ruled on night terrors. He would wake up, and look as tho they are awake and some function as awake, my son would talk to me, walk, everything normal yet his eyes were more like zombied or 'not there'...he then during first episode starting 'freaking out',,, scared and wondered why he heard the humming real loud, and everything was going in fast motion. He gladly wanted to go to the hospital er, and begged me to slow down, i was only driving 15, he thought i was flying. After about 15 min into, he appears fine and wonders what happened yet couldnt recall exactly what had just happened nor did he know what was scaring him and what not. The second and third episodes were more like he was scared of something around us,, and clung to me and desperately crying for help, and 'dont let them come'. He is not mental in any way shape or form, and all that was ruled out, as 'I' was absolutely scared to death in what id witnessed. I couldnt sleep at night, worried all day everyday, as you dont know if theyll ever go away. The dr said he would outgrow them, and never put him on any meds. He did outgrow the night terrors and is absolutely normal. He didnt have add nor did he have adhd but i dont think that has anything to do with the night terrors. Of course, just my opinion. My sons nt's started also at age 9.
:wave:
:wave:
brandywine7
05-28-2003, 05:28 PM
NewMe,
Thanks so much for the reply.My Grandsons sound just like your sons did.It's almost the exact same thing!I don't know for sure what the med is that he takes at night but without it he has these horrible episodes after he's been asleep a few hours.He also uses language that he never ever uses normally which that alone is so frightening,and he also said he wanted to go to the hospital and get help.How old was your son when he outgrew them altogether?My Daughter hates having to give him this med.but she knows without it what will happen.
Thanks so much
Brandi
Thanks so much for the reply.My Grandsons sound just like your sons did.It's almost the exact same thing!I don't know for sure what the med is that he takes at night but without it he has these horrible episodes after he's been asleep a few hours.He also uses language that he never ever uses normally which that alone is so frightening,and he also said he wanted to go to the hospital and get help.How old was your son when he outgrew them altogether?My Daughter hates having to give him this med.but she knows without it what will happen.
Thanks so much
Brandi
jboon
05-28-2003, 10:41 PM
My son is almost 11 and had night terrors for years, probably from the age of 2 until around age 9. He used to get out of bed, yell things, scream, thrash around, etc. He was also a sleepwalker. Even though he appeared awake, he had no idea what was going on. There was even a time he went into his sister's room, tried to pull her out of her bed, all the while screaming for her to hurry and get out of the house. These episodes would last up to fifteen minutes, by which time he would let me calmly walk him back to his bed, he'd lay down, and you'd never know anything had ever happened. Not once did he ever remember anything. The pediatrician made several suggestions: Since he usually sleptwalked or awoke with night terrors several hours after falling asleep, we were told to try waking him for several minutes about 1 1/2 hours after he went to bed. This helped maybe a little. Our son is also ADHD, and both night terrors and his sleepwalking stopped after starting him on medicine for the ADHD--coincidence or just outgrowing it???? We don't know. But, he can finally now spend the night at friends' houses.
brandywine7
05-29-2003, 10:57 AM
JBoon,
What is he taking for the ADHD?My Grandson is on Adderall.He will be coming to stay with us for the summer and to be honest I would love to see him get off the night meds.It's called zyprexa.He takes it an hour before bedtime and he gets really sleepy and then sometimes it's hard for him to get up the next morning.
I wonder if I gave him a tylenol pm if it would help.
Thanks for the reply,
Brandi
What is he taking for the ADHD?My Grandson is on Adderall.He will be coming to stay with us for the summer and to be honest I would love to see him get off the night meds.It's called zyprexa.He takes it an hour before bedtime and he gets really sleepy and then sometimes it's hard for him to get up the next morning.
I wonder if I gave him a tylenol pm if it would help.
Thanks for the reply,
Brandi
NewMe
05-29-2003, 01:20 PM
Hi brandy,
My son outgrew his between 10 and 11. The most horrible experience ever. Seems all three of us have similiar actions with the night terrors. It scared me so much, I didnt think Id ever be able to sleep again for fear he would do this in the middle of night and id not know it. His pediatrician whom is from the old school, knew what he meant when he said he'd outgrow them. I finally was able to breath again lol. Poor lil guys, Ive also learned that this is more rampant in boys and at the ages of 7-11. Seems maybe the Zyprexa is putting in such a deep sleep that he cant wake up even for the night terrors. I only base that opinion on your comment on him not being able to get up easily in the mornings. Was he a deep sleeper before the meds? Was it easy for him to awake also?
Good luck , and in time they will pass
:wave:
My son outgrew his between 10 and 11. The most horrible experience ever. Seems all three of us have similiar actions with the night terrors. It scared me so much, I didnt think Id ever be able to sleep again for fear he would do this in the middle of night and id not know it. His pediatrician whom is from the old school, knew what he meant when he said he'd outgrow them. I finally was able to breath again lol. Poor lil guys, Ive also learned that this is more rampant in boys and at the ages of 7-11. Seems maybe the Zyprexa is putting in such a deep sleep that he cant wake up even for the night terrors. I only base that opinion on your comment on him not being able to get up easily in the mornings. Was he a deep sleeper before the meds? Was it easy for him to awake also?
Good luck , and in time they will pass
:wave:
brandywine7
05-29-2003, 01:52 PM
Hi New Me!
Before he started taking the zyprexa he got up like any other kid,now he get really tired at school and he's very hard to get up.I looked up something on the net that was very interesting.It told me a lot.yes the episodes are very frightening!When he comes to my house this summer I'm going to try to take him off the zyprexa and try waking him a couple of hours after he goes to sleep and see if that works.I hate like heck having to give him that stuff!The adderall is bad enough but I'm going to research this night terror stuff and see if I can come up with something besides giving him pills!
Thanks,
Brandi
Before he started taking the zyprexa he got up like any other kid,now he get really tired at school and he's very hard to get up.I looked up something on the net that was very interesting.It told me a lot.yes the episodes are very frightening!When he comes to my house this summer I'm going to try to take him off the zyprexa and try waking him a couple of hours after he goes to sleep and see if that works.I hate like heck having to give him that stuff!The adderall is bad enough but I'm going to research this night terror stuff and see if I can come up with something besides giving him pills!
Thanks,
Brandi
crissymouse
05-31-2003, 11:13 AM
my late husband had night terrors which were severe. he would scream and toss his body around in bed, flail his arms and try to defend himself. he also walked around the house during the night, talking quite loudly and looking quite awake, but wasn't. these started in his 50s.
his doctor asked us to check his blood sugar levels when these happened. it turned out that his blood sugar levels were extremely low.... 20 to 24, instead of the normal 80 to 130 range.
adjusting his insulin levels helped a great deal. for younger children, this might not be the case. and as the doctors told us quite clearly, you don't want to do a blood test, not even a finger prick, while they're still asleep, but only when you've wakened them.
as a very young child, i also had severe night terrors which resulted in vomiting during my sleep. it was the same dream whenever this occurred. no one ever asked me about it. and it might have helped to talk about it at the time, i don't know.
his doctor asked us to check his blood sugar levels when these happened. it turned out that his blood sugar levels were extremely low.... 20 to 24, instead of the normal 80 to 130 range.
adjusting his insulin levels helped a great deal. for younger children, this might not be the case. and as the doctors told us quite clearly, you don't want to do a blood test, not even a finger prick, while they're still asleep, but only when you've wakened them.
as a very young child, i also had severe night terrors which resulted in vomiting during my sleep. it was the same dream whenever this occurred. no one ever asked me about it. and it might have helped to talk about it at the time, i don't know.
mrs_girl
06-13-2003, 03:58 PM
I am 18 and I have night terrors. They are the scaries things EVER. I wake up sweating like mad thinking the little people are after me and I can't go asleep or else they'll get me. Sounds funny but I am so terrified when I wake up.
Like some of the others I talk quite loudly in my sleep and even more embarrassingly - I scream - quit loudly too - wake everyone up!
I dread them!
Like some of the others I talk quite loudly in my sleep and even more embarrassingly - I scream - quit loudly too - wake everyone up!
I dread them!
brandywine7
06-19-2003, 06:29 PM
Haven't posted in a while.My GS has been off of his zyprexa for 2 weeks and I've been giving him 1/2 tylenol pm before betime and he hasn't had anymore nt's.I haven't given him anything for two nights in a row and last night he had a night terror that really shook me up.I'm going to go back to giving him the tylenol and see if it helps.Has anyone tried the tyl.pm?
Brandi
Brandi
wantabewell
08-28-2003, 01:34 AM
Hi I noticed that you posted about 2 months ago but I thought I'd reply anyway. I had night terrors for several years when I was younger, probably no later than about 6 years old. I would run around the house screaming and shaking and my mom said that I would have my eyes open but they were glazed over like I was in a trance. I'd jump on the couch and point at 'something'. I'd scream out that whatever 'it' was that I was 'seeing' was going to 'get me'. And I'd never remember any of it when I woke up. The only way my mom could wake me up was to pray for me. I don't know if you are spiritual at all but I haven't had a single night terror since I was a little one, and I rarely even have a nightmare. So prayer works. I guarantee that. :)