Night Spasms

[monkeybus]

Thinking about it, spasms were the first of the annoying as hell symptoms that I experienced.

I had abnormal wear on my shoes, used to trip a lot, had sleep disturbances and plenty others, but the spasms were the first thing that made me think something proper was wrong with me.

Back then, I put it down to "cramp", took magnesium for it. Found out later that there is zero scientific evidence that magnesium does anything for cramp.

Anyway, it got worse and worse. Stretching, compression stockings, heat patches, cool patches, on and on. Nothing worked.

Any time, I lie down and 5-10 mins later my legs are kicking away like Fred Astaire.

I posted all this plenty of times before.

All that stops the spasms is drugs. Used to be a weak Benzo would do it, then I escalated the Gabapentin dosages. I finally settled on 3000mg of Gabapentin one hour before bed.

Over Xmas, I was playing around with other drugs to see if I could try something else to get a decent night's sleep.

I persuaded my doctor to prescribe the beta blocker Propanolol ages ago. I read how it works well for tremors.

250mg before bed works very well to stop the spasms.

When I was hospitalised with an epileptic seizure (Status Epilepticus, nearly killed me), the doctor prescribed Keppra.

I never took it after I was discharged, but every time I visit my neurologist he keeps prescribing it. It's all free, so I stopped arguing with him.

I have loads of Keppra, I have found that 3000mg before bed also halts the spasms.

Of all of my symptoms, the spasms really piss me off. Walking I can just use crutches, or a wheelchair if I am at an airport.

Pain, I can take whichever pill to stop it, I have even been known to smoke that damn dope.

But the spasms take real planning to stop. I need to get the dosage and the timing of it just right, else sleep is completely out of the question.

Is this just me? How about you lot?

[vinsanity1525]

When I talked to my neurologist because I could not fall asleep and had involuntary movements in my legs, he gave me a pill containing clonezepam. I take 1 mg of clonezepam pill 1 hour before going to bed at night. It makes me a little dizzy but it allows me to sleep soundly.

[monkeybus in reply to vinsanity1525]

Clonazepam. I am prescribed that as well. It ranks just below Valium in the benzo league.

It ensures me a decent night's sleep, but it doesn't halt my spasms.

[StevenSims]

hi, I used to suffer quite bad spasms and neuropathy but I’ve been taking min102 since July2018 and the pain has gone away and hardly any spasms!

All the best

Steven

[easygoin1]

My spasms at night were a real problem keeping both me and my wife awake. My neurologist put me on Baclofen and with the right timing and dosage that has got the spasms, spasticity, controlled. I take 10mg in the morning and 20mg before bed and that works for me. They had prescribed 10 10 and 10 through the day but the mid day dose always was forgot so the twice daily dose is what I can make work. And of course there is lots of Gabapentin to control the nighttime cold wind or ice water on my calves, ankles and feet that, very much, prevented sleep.

[Cherie]

I take Lyrica at night and find it works well for my spasms and RLS. When I tried Clonazepan , and Propanolol I had horrible side effects.

[TravisWharam]

Sleep? That battle was lost long ago! Can’t even get my doctors to prescribe something to help me sleep. Spasticity has been a burden for sure but I am at a point where the spasticity is necessary for me to somewhat move around vertically speaking. I have developed some sort of peripheral neuropathic pain that I have been told isn’t treatable. So I am living life with a solid 6 on the pain scale 24/7.

150mg Lyrica 3x

20mg Baclofen 3x

50mg Amitriptyline 1x

90mg Cymbalta 1x

None of them affect the pain.

[vinsanity1525 in reply to TravisWharam]

Have you tried taking clonazepam tablets before going to bed at night or increasing the dose?

[TravisWharam in reply to vinsanity1525]

I take it as well. It’s only to help you get to sleep, I have trouble sleeping longer times.

[monkeybus in reply to TravisWharam]

Sleep architecture, as we are all aware it is called.

Drugs to get to sleep, but there are drugs to stay asleep.

Assuming I didn't have spasms, Melatonin will get me off to sleep, but I'll be awake again in a couple of hours. Clonazepam will keep me sound asleep all night.

If I don't take anything to halt the spasms, the Clonazepam will simply render me dog-tired with my legs kicking away just as I am about to drift off

[TravisWharam in reply to monkeybus]

I don’t really experience the shaky spasticity when I’m laying down usually. It when I’m trying to walk that they get shaky and jumpy.

[Hillary]

hi monkey, I'm taking Lyrica 150mg x 3, last dose at bedtime. Also 50mg Amitriptyline at bed time. It helps greatly as when I lie flat my whole body goes into spasm. I have never seen anyone else post about this, is it just me?

[monkeybus in reply to Hillary]

That's all it takes it to lie down, not full body for me, but always the legs and usually the stomach as well. Stomach spasms I can handle, at least they aren't violent like the legs.

[TravisWharam in reply to Hillary]

I feel that my shaky issue is more so provoked by placing pressure on my feet. I have been experiencing huge pressure issues the last few years or so. I can get leg spasms by keeping pressure on my hip for too long when lying down.

[Hillary]

funny you say about the stomach spasms, I only get them if I'm constipated. I think I can safely say I've cracked it with my Degenerative Bowel Disfunction. I'm taking a drug called Procalapride, I was put on it at the beginning of the year when I was diagnosed with a Toxic Mega colon while in hospital. The Procalopride was a dramatic introduction and I had my bowels open every two hours over a period of 12 hours. I now have a plan to manage my bowels, devised with my continence nurse, from the Bowel and Bladder clinic.

[Aaron98]

Content warning: sexual health content below.

This is purely anecdotal, but I've heard from a couple of AMN guys that having an orgasm really calms down the leg spasms. It's definitely true for me. I've found that even if I get a really solid erection (with or without sexual activity or orgasm) right before trying to fall asleep, it seems to calm them down, too. My urologist tells me that a lot of the nerves "down there" are connected. Sometimes when my bladder starts spasming, it sends spasms shooting down my legs, too, so there is surely some connection between "below the belt" stuff and leg nerves.

I am interested in anyone else's take on this.