OK so I used to start to wake up - feel woozy - then I would go paralysed and the night terror would begin - sometimes the noise and feel of vibration in my head - sometimes being attacked and feeling pain as if I was being attacked - sometimes a weight on my chest - feeling really bad pain - trying to call out - then coming round - before my eyes black squiggles like spiders and lots of small balls of light. Then awake.
I had this for 9 years maybe 3 or 4 times a week - really terrifying. Switched from Modecate to Olanzapine and in the last 15 or 16 years I’ve had it maybe 5 times.
If any of you are getting this side effect YOU’RE NOT BEING HAUNTED OR ATTACKED BY DEMONS - IT’S THE MEDICATION.
Hmm. I remember I had sleep paralysis when I was first put on fluphenazine shot in the hospital, I couldn’t move and saw ghosts flying around and the grim reaper laughing at me. Also I started getting some bouts of visual disturbances, when it happened it seemed like everything had more depth to it, especially shadows and dark objects, kinda similar to a 3d movie, but in a disturbing, menacing way. I had it before fluphenazine also but it was very rare before that. Stress would set it off, but sometimes it came out of the blue. It got more frequent the longer I was on it, in the end I started getting really bad panic attacks with the depth and voices also. I was on it for a total of 2 years. All that ceased when I came off fluphenazine, was not a good drug for me. It gave me insomnia also which hasn’t gone away even now that I’ve been 5 months off it, it has gotten a bit better though. I need a small dose of Seroquel for sleep.
Would have restlessness caused by my previous meds at night forgot which meds these were unfortunately. My legs would have a nervous tremor. But my sister giving me a massage helped me out a little bit and helped me sleep. Also drinking soymilk, bananas, dates, almonds, and walnuts in a smoothie helped.
I used to have lots of sleep paralysis experiences prior to SZ. I have learned to give into the experiences, though. Sometimes I have had sleep paralysis and have felt subtle forms of therapy being done to me. I don’t know what it means but it isn’t always harmful.