29-Year-Old in ‘Catatonic State’ After Rare Disorder Causes Debilitating Night Terrors

• Ben Tarver, 29, began having seizures and panic attacks in September before exhibiting symptoms of paranoia

• By the middle of October, he was diagnosed with Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis, a rare autoimmune disorder that landed him in the intensive care unit

• Tarver remains in a "catatonic state" after several treatments were unsuccessful

A 29-year-old man’s debilitating night terrors were the first sign of rare autoimmune disorder that rapidly progressed, landing him in the intensive care unit in a “catatonic state.”

Ben Tarver, 29, didn’t have a history of panic attacks — but three months ago, he began having night terrors, his partner Liam Nougher, 26, told South West News Service via The Daily Mail. 

“Ben didn't suffer from anxiety or seizures but then on September 11, he woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream,” Nougher, from the English town of Folkestone, said. “But he explained it wasn’t just a nightmare — and felt like he was inside the dream.”

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It was the start of a progressive set of symptoms, Nougher said. “After that, [Ben] was scared of going back to sleep in case he went back into this weird reality.”

Tarver began having panic attacks — up to 12 a day — and headaches, but a CT scan didn’t show any abnormalities. He later suffered a seizure.

“He looked at me, started talking gibberish, and then his body seized up, he fell to the ground, and started spasming and frothing,” Nougher recalled.

Tarver was rushed to the hospital, but again, tests didn’t show any cause for his symptoms. He was sent home, where on the third night, he had a violent seizure that resulted in his heart beating 200 beats per minute, more than double the average resting heart rate for an adult.

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Tarver’s condition rapidly declined, Nougher told the outlet: “Across the nine days in hospital Ben became extremely paranoid and was trying to run away and attack people. His symptoms got so bad he didn’t seem like himself at all.”

Nougher said he would stay with his partner in case he tried to flee. “Ben was planning escape attempts and did run away sometimes — until he was pinned down,” he added.

On Oct. 15 — a little more than a month after his first night terror — Tarver was diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disorder Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis, where the body produces antibodies that attack receptors in the brain.

He was transferred to King’s College Hospital in London, where he’s remains in intensive care in a “catatonic state,” according to a GoFundMe established to help support the family.

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As the Cleveland Clinic explains, the disorder presents “with a range of neuropsychiatric symptoms” like Tarver experienced, and is commonly caused by a tumor.

However, the GoFundMe says Tarver's blood tests have “revealed an antibody associated with tumors, but CT, MRI, X-ray, and PET scans have not identified any tumors so far.”

Recovery from the condition can take up to 18 months, the National Institute of Health says, but so far, Tarver — who has had multiple rounds of treatment — “has not yet shown improvement.”

Nougher says he thinks Tarver’s strong immune system is fighting against him: “If he had a weaker one, he likely would have recovered from this as his body would have given up producing antibodies.”

Read the original article on People