Myoclonus Jerks-Rick

[Guest guest]

Hi Rick

Yes, it does sound like you are also experiencing these " jerks. " (Such an

apropos name also.) Anyway, please let your doctor know about them and make

sure you mention the electrical sensation you get or they may get confused

with restless leg syndrome where yours only happen in the leg, and there's a

different treatment for that.

The only thing that scares me is how far they've progressed in a few months.

I went from only having them at night before I fell asleep, to having them

at night every time I was relaxed, to having them during the day and naps.

I read that they can be progressive and if they are, they can be

debilitating and can interfere with every aspect of a persons life and I can

never imagine taking this Klonapin all day. I'd be a zombie. I know I'm

borrowing trouble at this point, but it's scary to think that this stupid

condition can bring on something like this and make your life even more

worse than you ever dreamed it could.

Let us know how you make out, okay?

Kathy

Re: Myoclonus Jerks

> At 11:18 AM 9/25/2002 -0400, Moulton wrote:

> >For the past, oh, three months or so, as soon as I relax I get a quick,

> >electrical shooting sensation that makes that body part flail.

>

> I wonder if this is the same thing I am experiencing, I call them

" spasms " .

> Every night when I go to bed, as soon as I relax to the point of falling

> asleep, my right leg will " flail " every 8 seconds or so. Could say there

is

> a very mild electrical shooting sensation that sets it off, no pain unless

> I am laying on my stomach then my leg wants to jerk down which puts stress

> on my hip joint and sacrum. Kinda like Restless Leg Syndrome. This never

> happens to me in my arms, neck, or back.

>

> >I finally told my physiatrist about these yesterday at my visit and he

said

> >they're called Myoclonic Jerks and he prescribed Klonapin (sp) for them.

I

> >took the first one last night and it completely stopped the electrical

> >shocks, but wiped me out 'till nine this morning.

>

> Thats what I need, to be completely wiped out for 8-9 hours a night!! I

> will ask my rehab doc if this will help. She prescribes me Restoril or

> Ambien but I hate to take either one except as a last resort.

>

> >I love the fact that it stopped the jerks though. I dread going to bed

> >because of these.

>

> Me too, thats why frequently I am still up at 3-4 AM, I scheduled all my

> classes for noon or later. One thing that does help is to just get up and

> walk the treadmill for 3 minutes or so.

>

> >Once they start they don't stop until I fall asleep,

> >however, once five-seven hit me, I'm so awake I can't go to sleep, so I

have

> >to stay awake until I can't keep my eyes open any longer and then the

shocks

> >don't bother me as much.

> >

> >I sound like a Whiner, but they really are violent in nature

>

> Well Whiner, this is a good post, thanks for the info, you are not

> whining, discussion and sharing of ideas and problems is what this list is

> all about.

>

> The term Myoclonus is partially familiar to me, I used to have " Clonus "

> described by me as uncontrollable shaking of the foot if hanging free as

in

> sitting on the edge of an exercise table. Dr and PT called it Clonus. It

> seemed to go away when we started the sciatic nerve stretching and it

comes

> back when I havent been stretched in awhile.

>

> Thanks for the info Kathy,

> Rick

>

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