Will the sleeplessness be due to sporadic fatal insomnia?
Patient: Hi there i really think i have SFI sporadic fatal insomnia i have lost ability to sleep altogether and its been 5 weeks now going on 6 weeks i no longer feel tired but my body does im loosing weight pinpoint eye pupils strained eyes all the time 24/7 lost my apatite my emotions are messed up buzzing in my ears I literally cant get one wink of sleep my eyes are all red and puffy my balance is messing up i went into bathroom today and put my shoes on without even putting on my trousers on im loosing my mind Doctor: Hi,  Very sorry to hear about the problems you are having.    It is apparent you are having difficulty with getting enough sleep but the incidence and prevalence of SFI are so rare that other things should be ruled out first.    I recommend that you see a neurologist at first opportunity to do a good history and physical examination.    It also seems appropriate that you should undergo a sleep study for your insomnia and that will provide a good amount of information which can then, be correlated to any history that may explain why the sudden onset of these sleep problems.    From there additional studies such as MRI imaging of the brain and so forth can be determined although once again, the rarity of this problem would make it highly unlikely that you should have it as opposed to other problems of either an organic or psychological nature that could better explain your symptoms.    Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.   Regards, Dr. Dariush Saghafi,  Neurologist