Sleep study

[martino]

I have been offered a date for a sleep study. This was first suggested 18 months ago. It has been said that I have to be off clonazepam by two weeks before the study. Do you have to be off all meds at the time of the study!

[Hidden]

They should have given you a list of all aspects of the trial. UCLA says for them anyway that you should bring along what meds you need and:

Should I take my medication as usual?

It is vital that your sleep specialist is aware of any medications that you are taking. This includes both prescription and non-prescription drugs. He or she should even know if you are taking common cold medicines or pain relievers. Certain drugs can affect your sleep and the results of the study. You may need to gradually stop taking some medications in the days leading up to a sleep study. Your doctor will let you know if this is something you need to do. Do not stop taking any prescription medication without first talking to your sleep specialist.

The caveat being that may be their protocol and might be different elsewhere.

Might help if you google sleep study and the plave you are having it most NHS trusts have a web site with plenty of info on it.

Good luck with the study.

[martino in reply to Hidden]

Hi Raffs

Thanks. The relevant info is on the way but I thought I would tap into knowledge on this site. If I can carry on taking the Gabapentin and Tramulief that I am currently on I will try to come off the 1mg of Clonazepam but I am very apprehensive about the other meds.

[Hidden in reply to martino]

I'd imagine you wont have to come off them, particularly if they are a long term drug.

The Clonazepam is used to aid sleep so I can see them asking you to stop that, (if you've been on it a long time its likely of little use to you as you would have developed tolerance so it MAY, (I said MAY) be hard because you fear it would be hard. I trust they gave you a plan on how to stop? Maybe drop to 1/2mg every other day then every day then drop to 1/2 every other day and then stop. Its not a huge dose so stopping SHOULD be relatively easy.

[martino in reply to Hidden]

Hi Raffs

The info has not arrived today but I can still make the reduction(theoretically!) by 0.25 a week. I came down from 4! which the doc had put me on but had been told by the neurologist to get to 0.5 but I couldn't get past 1. The date set is at the end of March and I have to be off it by a fortnight before. I would quite like to have the sleep study to prove the PLMD but not if I have to give up the other meds

[Hidden in reply to martino]

I'd imagine they'd have told you if you need to be off any more meds but it might be worth calling them to double check - no point going and them cancelling on you.

I know you wouldn't want to go drug free but it will only be a few weeks and if it meant better treatment it might be better taking as little as you can humanly tolerate so as to give the most accurate reading of your condition.

Best of luck with it all.

[Hidden]

Why are you having a sleep study done..?

[martino in reply to Hidden]

Hi Elisse

That is a good question. When it was first suggested in August 2015 the neurologist was reluctant to diagnose RLS. I ticked all the boxes but because I was in a lot of pain he was unsure. The sleep study, assuming it showed night movement indicative of PLMD, would point towards RLS. I have since had a somewhat hesitant diagnosis of RLS with the fact that the pain in my legs continues when I move around causing the hesitation. I now have a diagnosis of small fibre neuropathy as well as the RLS. If I can have the sleep study with only stopping clonazepam to worry about I am inclined to have it done. I don't expect it to make any difference to my treatment so the whole thing may be pointless apart from the fact that the Professor wants it done!

[Hidden]

The sleep study is done to see what happens while you are asleep. that can be PLMD or sleep apnea, a sleep study doesnt diagnose RLS, as you are wake with RLS. not asleep. So, having a sleep study done can be useful. If only to rule out any sleep issues while you are asleep. Have you all the criteria for RLS. ? The important part is the urge to move. Your pain is probably something else and and maybe the small fibre neuropathy. If you were to stop all your RLS meds then you of course wouldnt sleep, but even a little bit of sleep if you dropped off they can still pick up whats happening when you nodded off.

[martino]

Thanks Elisse

I think the Professor, accepting that RLS cannot be proven, thinks that PLMD might point in that direction. On the International Restless Leg Study Guide I either have severe or very severe RLS. It is the pain that continues after I give in to the urge to move that troubles him. I got the sleep study info today and all I have to do is come off the clonazepam by two weeks before the study. Starting with a 0.25 reduction tonight I have enough time to do this. We shall see!

Thanks for your help

Martin

[nightdancer]

PLMD and RLS are 2 separate conditions, techniically. It is true that 70% of RLSer's also have PLMD. But, I know lots of people who have PLMD only, or RLS only. Either way the same meds are used to treat both, most of the time. I have had 3 sleep studies done, and they never made me come off my meds. They want to see how your meds work, and they can get a lot of information in a sleep study. There are medicated sleep studies and unmedicated sleep studies, so that is the question you need to ask. Good luck!

[martino]

Thanks very much. As you say it seems they are very interested in the meds I am on. The only prohibition is the clonazepam which I have to stop at least two weeks before the study.