Left arm left leg/foot move, flutter, or flail

[staley]

While sleeping my left arm/hand or left leg/foot will move or jerk or flail.  When it happens it wakes me up, so I sleep rather poorly. I also noticed that after I awake in the morning, laying there before I get out of bed, my ankles, knees, and hips flex and unflex repeatedly without me trying, which is often accompanied by calf pain.  Any ideas what this could be or what I could take to alleviate/reduce severity. Thanks.

[KatEyes]

Everything you say sounds like textbook Periodic Limb Movement Disorder except it is not usual to have movements when awake enough to be aware. Any chance you're on any dopamine meds?

[staley]

Thanks for your post. I am not currently taking any meds, and have never taken any dopamine meds (although I was previously on bupropion for a few months.).  Do you think that I should ask my Dr. for a prescription. I don't feel very refreshed in the morning.

[KatEyes]

The meds for PLMD can have rough side effects.  Since there can be multiple sleep disorders at the same time, so I would want a sleep study to know exactly what I was dealing with before taking meds. Just the fact that you are on no meds is incredible in today's society. It can be a slippery slope, so if you do have to take them, start at a low dose and don't increase beyond what is really needed.

Having poor sleep is so unhealthy you may have to go the meds route. Also to consider, some limb movement problems are tied to iron in the body. It could be you're one of those people, in which case keeping your ferritin level around 50-60 is recommended.

[staley]

Thanks for your post. I agree. I don't want any nasty side effects. That being said, I often feel unrefreshed after sleeping with afternoon drowsiness. I'll check into that iron issue in the meantime. I recall in my early twenties, getting restless legs in the evenings, periodically, but nothing ever like I am having now.

[Suri123]

Hi staley, how are you? Is there anything that you do or these movement’s stops on its own? Usually, hypnic - sleep jerks or twitches are normal and can occur while you tend to fall asleep or when you try to wake up from sleep. You might also probably be suffering from severe stress and anxiety, which can also be a trigger factor. Also you might probably be having Rhythmic movement disorder. Have you noted your blood pressure readings? Do try to overcome the stress and relax. Physical therapy, body massage, regular stretches and warm bath before sleep can be helpful. Avoid smoking, excessive coffee/tea and alcohol. It is better to consult a neurologist and sleep specialist for further evaluation. Take care and update on your progress.

[staley]

Thanks for your post. The jerks stop by themselves, but do wake me up (these occur at the beginning of sleep). The repetitive ankle/knee/hip flexing (which occur in the morning as I am waking up) typically continues until I either get out of bed, become totally awake and alert, or fall back to sleep (at which time I don't know if they continue). Seems like something is going on with the transition to and from sleep. No history of smoking, no caffeine, occassional beer at home with dinner. Will try to relax. If you think of any other helpful advice, please post same.  

[KatEyes]

Hi again. It sure sounds like the movements are waking you up, so I wouldn't be surprised if you found out there are many more during your sleep you are not aware of, though they could still disrupt your sleep stages. I still think a sleep study could be beneficial in letting you know how seriously your sleep is affected.

[Suri123]

Hi staley, thanks for your reply and time for updating your thoughts. Hope you feel better soon. Although hypnic jerks or twitches, hypnagogic twitching -while falling asleep and hypnopompic twitching - while waking up is normal. It is always better to get a neurological examination done and to get a sleep study assessed to know the cause of the continuing jerks. Also Rhythmic movement disorder can be ruled out on necessary investigations. Physical therapy, massage therapy and heat therapy might be helpful. Do update on any doctor visit and share your thoughts. Take care.

[staley]

Had my appt. with a neurologist today. He did quite a bit of tests for reflex and balance and coordination, etc., which he said were normal. He also offered the sleep study to which you referred, but he didn't seem to concerned. Massage therapy sounds nice though. It does become hard to relax when constantly worrying about the symptoms. Oh well.

[Suri123]

Hi staley, thanks again for your reply and update. You need to be relaxed and try to overcome the stress just due to lots of worrying. Now that your neurological examination is normal, wait for the sleep study to know any cause that is triggering the jerks. Have you got an appointment for the sleep study? Alprazolam at bedtime may help you.  Keep physically active, try few sessions of physical and massage therapy. Keep updating of further tests and evaluations. Share your thoughts and take care.