This is a great resource. I learn so much from it. I have RLS and PLMD and use a Neupro patch and gabapentin at bedtime to control symptoms. Curious how folks are monitoring the number of their nightly PLM episodes. This would be of great help when adjusting nightly gabapentin doses.
Thank you!
Lunadog
I think the only way you could monitor PLM episodes is to ask a partner or friend to stay awake at night & record the episodes or get a sleep study.
There's not really an accurate way to record limb movements outside of a sleep study. And limb movements vary to a degree from night to night. I know my medication is working when I awaken feeling relatively refreshed. I'm wondering why you're adjusting your dose of gabapentin on a nightly basis. Generally one would find the dose that works for them and stick with that.
_ Hi, all_ just to share my experience with RLS, PLMS, and UARS. Because this latter I use a BilevelCPAP since some 2.7 years ago, which generate a huge amount of data (flow rate, respiratory rate, tidal volume, minute ventilation, and so on), which, in turn, can be analysed using a web free software (OSCAR). By using such dataset one can have a very good idea on PLMS, arousals, awakenings, wake ups, and so on;
_ most importantly, in my case, I noticed I usually can sleep through my PLMS without awakenings (that is, > 15 secs). However, not always, quite often as well, they wake me up for some 1 minute to five minutes. Clonazepam 0.4 mg has been helping me a lot, increasing arousal threshold, quick back to sleep, increasing sleepness, and so on....
all the best and good luck
Thanks for sharing Cowbsky. That's great you can get so much data from your machine. It's a shame the technology can't be used in a standalone device to measure PLMs for those of us who don't require a CPAP.
I have used an actigraph at home to measure limb movements but that's generally as a precursor to a sleep study, just to see if there are limb movements. I'm told they're not particularly precise which is why I've had to follow up with sleep studies.
Amrob, to clarify, my doc just increased my nightly gabapentin and I wake less often but still wake feeling like I'm needing rest and have fatigue most days. It would be useful to measure limb movements on a nightly basis. Seems as though going by how you feel is the measure. Probably will have to increase the gabapentin after a bit and hope for improvement.
_ It is true, Amrob, however, you know what: based on What I know and learned by using my machine, I, particularly, would go for a bilevelCpap, even without any sign of sleep disorder breathing; _ such dataset and analysis of them has been the key to conduct rather sucessfully my treatment, all by myself, except for important somehelp of my ENT;
ALL the best and good luck
From what I have read and heard from doctors (including Stanford Sleep docs) about PLMS: many many people have them, they only matter if they cause significant arousals. So feeling bad that you can't count them isn't the point. Count arousals. If you can't feel them, it is not an issue from what I understand.
From what i understand that although you might not get aroused from a plmd you are not getting restful sleepwhich results in feeling tired the next day.
The arousals are what causes non-restorative sleep. An arousal doesn't necessarily mean that you're awake and aware of it. An arousal typically represents a shift from deep sleep, which is commonly known as REM sleep, to light sleep, known as NREM sleep, OR from sleep to wakefulness.
Yes, I have also heard that. It could well explain my tiredness when awakening, which I normally blame on the pregabalin. I'm off to the store to see if supplementing with ginger will help bring down the glutamate.
In my experience the fatigue is the Gabapentin itself!
I wear a device that records sleep times and periods of wakefulness. When I look at the result for each day the information provided largely accords with my thoughts about the night. It is interesting.
What Ignites the First Episode?
Home monitoring for RLS?
Gabapentin - occasional use?
Episodes of RLS months apart 
Gabapentin and Oral Iron
