It started with my hand, then my arm, now my whole body. Over the course of a month, I've gone from trembling in my sleep to shuddering...almost convulsing. Now, at 4:43 in the morning, 'panicked' best describes how I feel. I don't want to go back to bed. I have no desire to see what happens next.
Sleep has always been my enemy. As a child, it plagued me with night terrors causing me to scream and violently throw up in my sheets. As an adult, it caused other problems: walking, talking, random insomnia, vivid horrible dreams. Looking back, it makes me wonder. Is it possible Lyme has been the culprit all along?
Desperate, I Google "tremors + sleep + Lyme," "convulsing in sleep," and "shuddering in sleep" looking for answers. The results bring up some familiar conditions: Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and yes, not surprisingly, Lyme.
"Myoclonus" they all point to; it's a symptom, not a sickness. At its most basic level, it's an involuntary contraction of muscles -- the jerk you feel before drifting off to sleep. At an exaggerated level, it's pretty nasty stuff, limiting your ability to talk, walk, eat, and even live.
For healthy people, mild Myoclonus is normal. For others, it presents as a result of other things: infection, head or spinal cord injury, stroke, brain tumors, kidney/liver failure, lipid storage disease, chemical/drug poisoning, or damage to the central nervous system. This, unfortunately, is the category I think I fall into.
Anxiously, I read about treatments aimed at reducing symptoms. 'Clonazepam' comes up -- a tranquilizer. Just the thought of one more drug makes me cringe. Please tell me this is just a passing phase.
Altered Today: Symptoms, Knowledge, Stuff to Discuss with my Doctor(s)
Geez Kath, that is scary stuff! I pray it is just a pasting phase too, just another symptom in the sea of many symptoms. Hopefully in a couple of days, it will be behind you without any other medication needed. Let me know if you need anything, OK? Love you!
Posted by: Melissa | 07/23/2011 at 07:59 AM
I do get the twitching when I lay down to sleep. It's quite annoying. As far as I know, I've not had it happen when I'm asleep. I'm pretty sure my hubby would tell me!
My jerks and convulsions are much, much better since I did Babesia treatment, and there was one medicine in particular that brought out the convulsions like nobody's business. I'm wondering if yours could be a co-infection, too. I can't remember if you have Babs or not.
Posted by: Alyson | 07/23/2011 at 08:09 AM
Oh Kathy, I am so very sorry. I just hate this for you! Love you baby sister!! XOXO
Posted by: Debbie Semarge | 07/23/2011 at 08:40 AM
Clonazepam is your standard, run of the mill benzo. Works well. Might not be a terrible thing to try for a good night's rest, but be weary of possible addiction. Love ya girl. I hope you will sleep well soon. Thinking about ya as always.
Posted by: Laina | 07/23/2011 at 04:22 PM
Thanks, guys. I have a doctor's appointment this week so I hope he has some more thoughts on this.
Alyson, that's interesting about Babs. My ART test said I have it and it was my number one problem right now (even though blood work didn't detect...lol). I know they sometimes give Mepron for it (ie: yellow paint). Is that the medicine you are speaking of??? My neuro stuff is through the roof right now...could be because of die off in the brain or something else, but very, very scary.
I Love you guys so much. Thanks for reading and listening.
Posted by: Alter Everything | 07/24/2011 at 01:00 PM
Pain meds, magnesium taurate and GABA. Gotta knock down the nerve impulses (CNS involvement). I also take isocort for adrenals and think it helps. Not 100 % sure but not stopping to find out.
Posted by: Caryn | 07/26/2011 at 12:13 AM
Thanks, Caryn. XOXOOX Let me know if it does.
Posted by: Alter Everything | 07/26/2011 at 07:00 PM