REM Behavior disorder
Question:
Does anyone have any experience with REM behavior disorder and treatment for it? I’m going for a sleep study next week but have been told that I most likely have RBD and possibly sleep apnea. When I start dreaming my body doesn’t seem to realize that it’s just a dream so I act out my dreams. A couple of times I’ve actually leapt out of bed when I was dreaming . I ‘ve gotten a few nasty bumps and bruises and even hit my wife in my sleep while swinging my arms around in my sleep. I used to think that sleep walking was not actually possible but, what I’m doing seems to be worse as I’m injuring myself and others. Usually it’s not so extreme that I actually jump out of bed but just end up exhausted in the morning because my wife says my legs and arms are constantly moving all night. The doctor mentioned he plans on trying clonazepam if the results of the sleep study are RBD. Does anyone have any experience with this drug and what are the dosage ranges? My family doc has had me on ambien for a few weeks but he and the sleep doc say this is not good long term and besides although it helps me get to sleep and I’ve only jumped out of bed once since while taking it, it apparently does not prevent my body from acting out during sleep it just reduces it somewhat. I still wake up tired. Sorry didn’t mean to be so long winded I just wanted to know if there’s anyone else out there who’s been through this crazy stuff. TIA One other thing I’ve read that something like 40% of the people who suffer from RBD eventually are diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I ‘m hoping that the "eventually" means decades because I’m only 43! Anyone offer any data on this?
Response:
This may be interesting: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03344/249468.stm (I seem to have the reverse problem – my motor control gets "switched off" unexpectedly during waking times, which can be quite awkward! 
— David Ruether r…@cornell.edu http://www.ferrario.com/ruether "Old Enough to Know Better" <SpamSu…@NoSpam.com> wrote in message news:a7TSb.98227$f97.93757@fe3.columbus.rr.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Does anyone have any experience with REM behavior disorder and treatment for > it? > I’m going for a sleep study next week but have been told that I most likely > have RBD and possibly sleep apnea. > When I start dreaming my body doesn’t seem to realize that it’s just a dream > so I act out my dreams. A couple of times I’ve actually leapt out of bed > when I was dreaming . I ‘ve gotten a few nasty bumps and bruises and even > hit my wife in my sleep while swinging my arms around in my sleep. I used to > think that sleep walking was not actually possible but, what I’m doing seems > to be worse as I’m injuring myself and others. Usually it’s not so extreme > that I actually jump out of bed but just end up exhausted in the morning > because my wife says my legs and arms are constantly moving all night. The > doctor mentioned he plans on trying clonazepam if the results of the sleep > study are RBD. Does anyone have any experience with this drug and what are > the dosage ranges? My family doc has had me on ambien for a few weeks but he > and the sleep doc say this is not good long term and besides although it > helps me get to sleep and I’ve only jumped out of bed once since while > taking it, it apparently does not prevent my body from acting out during > sleep it just reduces it somewhat. I still wake up tired. > Sorry didn’t mean to be so long winded I just wanted to know if there’s > anyone else out there who’s been through this crazy stuff. > TIA > One other thing I’ve read that something like 40% of the people who suffer > from RBD eventually are diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I ‘m hoping that the > "eventually" means decades because I’m only 43! Anyone offer any data on > this?
Response:
My husband has something remarkably similar. He chooses not to get treatment. So, we deal with it an dhave a VERY large bed. Two of my three children have this, and occaisionally I have experienced it as well. I remember dreaming tha tthe house was burning down and ruinning to the bedroom window—only problem was that I was at my Mother’s house for a visit, and I ran to HER window, where the city street lights cast an orange glow—the "fire" in my dream. Mostly though I only experience PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder—the arms and legs making movements while asleep) and RLS (restless leg syndrome–the ‘leg jerk" thing as youf all asleep), some of which sounds like your situation. Many folks have several of these disorders together and don’t realize it. Be sure to tellyou doctor if you have itchyor "creepy" feeling legs, even during the day. I attributed MY itchiness to varicose veins before I knew better. You aren’t the first or onlyperson to beat up their spouse in bed: I once gave my husband a black eye—and woke up the moment the knuckle contanted the eye socket on his face. He was NOT a happy camper!!! I remember dreaming that someone was knockingon the door—and was very frustrated that no one would get out of bed and answer it, so I woke myself up to do just that, to discover that my hand, flung over my head in sleep, was knocking on the headboard. Clonazepam is a narcotic, and I had a very bad reaction to it (projectile vomiting, though I found out that I was initially given an extremely high dose. Sometimes VERY small doses of these are effective, and I would reccomend starting small and upping the prescription under doctor supervision if the initial small dose does not work well—but your sleep Doc will be the best source of information on this) , though most folks have wonderful results with it. There are other drugs in that family to try as well, so if it does not work for you, be willing to suggest to the doctor that you try somethign else. Good Luck Lis "Old Enough to Know Better" <SpamSu…@NoSpam.com> wrote in message news:a7TSb.98227$f97.93757@fe3.columbus.rr.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Does anyone have any experience with REM behavior disorder and treatment for > it? > I’m going for a sleep study next week but have been told that I most likely > have RBD and possibly sleep apnea. > When I start dreaming my body doesn’t seem to realize that it’s just a dream > so I act out my dreams. A couple of times I’ve actually leapt out of bed > when I was dreaming . I ‘ve gotten a few nasty bumps and bruises and even > hit my wife in my sleep while swinging my arms around in my sleep. I used to > think that sleep walking was not actually possible but, what I’m doing seems > to be worse as I’m injuring myself and others. Usually it’s not so extreme > that I actually jump out of bed but just end up exhausted in the morning > because my wife says my legs and arms are constantly moving all night. The > doctor mentioned he plans on trying clonazepam if the results of the sleep > study are RBD. Does anyone have any experience with this drug and what are > the dosage ranges? My family doc has had me on ambien for a few weeks but he > and the sleep doc say this is not good long term and besides although it > helps me get to sleep and I’ve only jumped out of bed once since while > taking it, it apparently does not prevent my body from acting out during > sleep it just reduces it somewhat. I still wake up tired. > Sorry didn’t mean to be so long winded I just wanted to know if there’s > anyone else out there who’s been through this crazy stuff. > TIA > One other thing I’ve read that something like 40% of the people who suffer > from RBD eventually are diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I ‘m hoping that the > "eventually" means decades because I’m only 43! Anyone offer any data on > this?
Response:
On Sun, 1 Feb 2004 20:19:25 -0500, Lis wrote: >Clonazepam is a narcotic
Clonazepam locks onto the GABA receptors. Narcotics lock into the opiate receptors. Big, big difference. OTOH, I was rather amused to find that a large pharmaceutical maker (who should know better!) put in the MSDS for bulk methylphenidate (Ritalin) that it was a "narcotic." Bigger, bigger difference. 
Response:
Thanks for your comments. I went for the sleep study but, I only slept mabye a couple hours all night with very little REM sleep which means I didn’t display any real symptoms. I haven’t had a follow up with the doctor yet so we’ll see what ’s next.
Response:
Lis wrote: > Clonazepam is a narcotic, and I had a very bad reaction to it (projectile > vomiting, though I found out that I was initially given an extremely high > dose.
It is not a narcotic. It is an anti-seizure med of the benzodiazepine family.
