Thursday, October 9, 2008

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Over 6 years ago, I was on an anti-depressant that I needed to be taken off of, because it caused me to shake.  I couldn't sleep at night because of it.  It took awhile to quit shaking.  I'm not sure if I ever did totally.  For a number of years now, I have had problems with either my legs kicking, or whole or other parts of my body jerking or rocking as I'm going to sleep, when it's almost time to get up in the morning, and sometimes in the night.  

When the drug companies started advertising meds for restless leg syndrome, I thought maybe that's what I had.  In researching that, I found something called PLMD, that sounds more like what I have.  There doesn't seem to be a reason to get it diagnosed, as I do not plan on taking medication for something that it appears meds caused to begin with.  I also found aspertame and caffeine may affect PLMD.  I have pretty much taken myself off aspertame, and don't use much caffeine, as I have osteoporosis.  

Lately, I have a few big jerks as I go to sleep, but am not bothered in the night or toward morning as much.  Last night, we went out to eat, and, as I had a headache, decided to drink some diet Coke.  Caffeine helps me when I have a headache.  I awoke a little after midnight jerking, and with my headache back.  I am applying heat to my head, and hopefully will be able to get back to sleep.

If anyone reads this, I'd be interested in knowing if you have experience with this.

1 comment:

  1. I don't have it happen on a common basis, but every now and then, right before I fall asleep, I'll jerk involuntarily. I thought I read somewhere that it was just a natural occurrence of your body more or less "booting down" for the evening.

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