Night twitching — help!
Question:
I don’t have a pat answer for you, but recommend you look at the Harvard Neurology Neuromuscular forums board. I am quite familiar with the twitches, of all types, and the tinglies too, and of course insomnia. No kids, I was up up up last night. neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/forum/ Go to the neuromuscular section. What you are describing sounds like fasciculations, and their cause is controversial. In article <3584824e.23007…@news.visi.com>, friodTAKETHIS…@visi.com (Froid) wrote: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Rowana, > I have RLS (Restless legs Syndrome) and have the same sort of feelings > you described. I only have them in my legs, but it can also occur in > other parts of the body, and usually occur at night, but not always. I > would see a doctor, but keep in mind, most doctors do not know about > RLS. I was lucky, mine did. > The web page for the org is > www.rls.org > Read their > Do you have restless legs syndrome? page to see if you have the same > symptoms. > Good luck > DJF > Remove the NOPSPAM in my address > On 14 Jun 1998 07:40:45 GMT, row…@aol.com (RowanA) wrote: > >Hi, I’m new here. And I’m terrified. What’s wrong with me? About a month > >ago, I began to notice small twitches in my hands –more felt than seen. I > >went to my doctor, frightened that it could be Parkinson’s or ALS or something > >terrible (I’m a female, 41). He couldn’t see the twitches, but saw my anxiety > >and prescribed Xanax, as I told him I was so scared I couldn’t sleep. I am not > >a great one for taking drugs of any kind, but one night the twitching — which > >by now had become worse and was in my legs and feet, too — was so bad that I > >finally got up and took a Xanax. The Xanax worked for about a week, but then > >I decided to go off it — and sufferered such terrible rebound anxiety that I > >knew I must have gotten myself a bit addicted to the stuff. Took about a week > >for me to feel normal again…and I WON’T take that again!! > >NOW — the "night twitches" are back, full force. I was sleepless three out of > >the past seven nights — and I mean no sleep at all — because of them. The > >moment I lie down and relax, the little "electrical" feelings start – in my > >hands, in my feet, in my legs, forearms, even the sides of my chest and in my > >neck. Pretty soon my hands and feet are visibly twitching, and my legs are > >jerking. Of course, it’s not like this during the day — then I can sometimes > >feel a twitch here and there, but maybe my mind isn’t on it or something, > >because days are better. > >Last night the twitching so terrified me (I mean, the doc can say whatever he > >wants about this not being ALS or Parkinson’s, but when you’re alone and > >scared at 4 a.m., none of that matters…) that I think I had a mild panic > >attack — I got up and my whole body just started trembling, and it took five > >minutes or so for me to calm down. I can’t believe this has only been going on > >a month — it seems like forever. SOMETHING must have caused this — but > >what?? I work at a fairly stressful job, I sit and type all day, and sometimes > >my legs feel numb at the end of the day. Also, my hands sometimes feel numbish > >from the typing. In addition, I just started early menopause, so my hormones > >are for sure imbalanced. I know that menopause can bring on insomnia, but > >muscle twitches?? Is this something common, or unusual in sleep disorders?? I > >took a Nytol about an hour ago, and it has had absolutely NO effect. Last > >night I took 8 mg melatonin (3 mgs used to knock me right out) with NO effect > >– I was still up all night. I’ve also tried Benedryl, Nyquil and valerian. > >No effect. What could be causing these muscle twitches and insomnia?? I am > >at a loss, and desperate for some sleep. Please help! What can I do for > >this?? > >:-) Rowana
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Response:
Rowana, I have RLS (Restless legs Syndrome) and have the same sort of feelings you described. I only have them in my legs, but it can also occur in other parts of the body, and usually occur at night, but not always. I would see a doctor, but keep in mind, most doctors do not know about RLS. I was lucky, mine did. The web page for the org is www.rls.org Read their Do you have restless legs syndrome? page to see if you have the same symptoms. Good luck DJF Remove the NOPSPAM in my address On 14 Jun 1998 07:40:45 GMT, row…@aol.com (RowanA) wrote: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hi, I’m new here. And I’m terrified. What’s wrong with me? About a month >ago, I began to notice small twitches in my hands –more felt than seen. I >went to my doctor, frightened that it could be Parkinson’s or ALS or something >terrible (I’m a female, 41). He couldn’t see the twitches, but saw my anxiety >and prescribed Xanax, as I told him I was so scared I couldn’t sleep. I am not >a great one for taking drugs of any kind, but one night the twitching — which >by now had become worse and was in my legs and feet, too — was so bad that I >finally got up and took a Xanax. The Xanax worked for about a week, but then >I decided to go off it — and sufferered such terrible rebound anxiety that I >knew I must have gotten myself a bit addicted to the stuff. Took about a week >for me to feel normal again…and I WON’T take that again!! >NOW — the "night twitches" are back, full force. I was sleepless three out of >the past seven nights — and I mean no sleep at all — because of them. The >moment I lie down and relax, the little "electrical" feelings start – in my >hands, in my feet, in my legs, forearms, even the sides of my chest and in my >neck. Pretty soon my hands and feet are visibly twitching, and my legs are >jerking. Of course, it’s not like this during the day — then I can sometimes >feel a twitch here and there, but maybe my mind isn’t on it or something, >because days are better. >Last night the twitching so terrified me (I mean, the doc can say whatever he >wants about this not being ALS or Parkinson’s, but when you’re alone and >scared at 4 a.m., none of that matters…) that I think I had a mild panic >attack — I got up and my whole body just started trembling, and it took five >minutes or so for me to calm down. I can’t believe this has only been going on >a month — it seems like forever. SOMETHING must have caused this — but >what?? I work at a fairly stressful job, I sit and type all day, and sometimes >my legs feel numb at the end of the day. Also, my hands sometimes feel numbish >from the typing. In addition, I just started early menopause, so my hormones >are for sure imbalanced. I know that menopause can bring on insomnia, but >muscle twitches?? Is this something common, or unusual in sleep disorders?? I >took a Nytol about an hour ago, and it has had absolutely NO effect. Last >night I took 8 mg melatonin (3 mgs used to knock me right out) with NO effect >– I was still up all night. I’ve also tried Benedryl, Nyquil and valerian. >No effect. What could be causing these muscle twitches and insomnia?? I am >at a loss, and desperate for some sleep. Please help! What can I do for >this?? >:-) Rowana
Response:
I tried to check out the boards which you indicate in this post, but was unable to obtain access. Does one have to be a Harvard student to obtain access? Perhaps you can tell us the route you used to see these boards. That would be helpful. Thanks, Elaine – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -dios…@iscweb.com wrote: > I don’t have a pat answer for you, but recommend you look at the Harvard > Neurology Neuromuscular forums board. I am quite familiar with the twitches, > of all types, and the tinglies too, and of course insomnia. No kids, I was up > up up last night. neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/forum/ Go to the neuromuscular > section. What you are describing sounds like fasciculations, and their cause > is controversial.
Response:
Hi, I’m new here. And I’m terrified. What’s wrong with me? About a month ago, I began to notice small twitches in my hands –more felt than seen. I went to my doctor, frightened that it could be Parkinson’s or ALS or something terrible (I’m a female, 41). He couldn’t see the twitches, but saw my anxiety and prescribed Xanax, as I told him I was so scared I couldn’t sleep. I am not a great one for taking drugs of any kind, but one night the twitching — which by now had become worse and was in my legs and feet, too — was so bad that I finally got up and took a Xanax. The Xanax worked for about a week, but then I decided to go off it — and sufferered such terrible rebound anxiety that I knew I must have gotten myself a bit addicted to the stuff. Took about a week for me to feel normal again…and I WON’T take that again!! NOW — the "night twitches" are back, full force. I was sleepless three out of the past seven nights — and I mean no sleep at all — because of them. The moment I lie down and relax, the little "electrical" feelings start – in my hands, in my feet, in my legs, forearms, even the sides of my chest and in my neck. Pretty soon my hands and feet are visibly twitching, and my legs are jerking. Of course, it’s not like this during the day — then I can sometimes feel a twitch here and there, but maybe my mind isn’t on it or something, because days are better. Last night the twitching so terrified me (I mean, the doc can say whatever he wants about this not being ALS or Parkinson’s, but when you’re alone and scared at 4 a.m., none of that matters…) that I think I had a mild panic attack — I got up and my whole body just started trembling, and it took five minutes or so for me to calm down. I can’t believe this has only been going on a month — it seems like forever. SOMETHING must have caused this — but what?? I work at a fairly stressful job, I sit and type all day, and sometimes my legs feel numb at the end of the day. Also, my hands sometimes feel numbish from the typing. In addition, I just started early menopause, so my hormones are for sure imbalanced. I know that menopause can bring on insomnia, but muscle twitches?? Is this something common, or unusual in sleep disorders?? I took a Nytol about an hour ago, and it has had absolutely NO effect. Last night I took 8 mg melatonin (3 mgs used to knock me right out) with NO effect — I was still up all night. I’ve also tried Benedryl, Nyquil and valerian. No effect. What could be causing these muscle twitches and insomnia?? I am at a loss, and desperate for some sleep. Please help! What can I do for this?? 
Rowana
