Uncontrollable yawning and stretching

[Quixotic1]

Now it's my turn.  I sleep in a recliner, which keeps me from moving much at all for the 12 hours I sleep.  So, I do naturally stretch, especially my legs, in the morning.  But, this morning, I awakened earlier than usual (had to get up and go get my poor little boobitas squished - I want to see mandatory Man-O-Grams!).

But, I digress.  Every time I moved I had an uncontrollable full body stretch - the kind that you usually do once or twice, straight out with arms above your head, and that feels so good in the morning..  Each time it was accompanied by a yawn.  I usually yawn with my mouth open, but these caused my teeth to clench.  I did this maybe 2 dozen times.  It stopped when I got up.  This was very weird.  I have never heard of such a thing.  I don't think it is a side effect of the Tegretol.  And the teeth clenching started up the TN, so it has been a miserable day.

With each stretch I had trouble pulling my right leg out of it's spastic extension.  The spasticity has been the worst today that it's ever been and my right hip flexors are the weakest they have ever been.  I could barely walk even with my brace.

Has anyone ever had this happen to them???

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I also need to tell you that I will be hit and miss here on the forum until we get the "Information and Resources" section done.  If I get started answering on the forum it uses up all of my screen energy and so I will be taking every other day or so to work and getting the info to MedHelp so that they can make it available to everyone.  Then we won't have to rewrite all the same answers all the time, and I can use research energy to answer the harder questions.

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On Cog and Fog:

Two women with MS were driving to a lunch.  The passenger noticed that her friend had run 4 stop signs in a row.  "Elsie," she said, "Did you know that you didn't stop at any of the last 4 stop signs and just drove right through them?"

Elsie looked perplexed.  "Oh, dear, " she said, slightly stricken.  "Am I driving??"

Luv ya's, Quix

[Jaybeo]

I don’t have any answers but I’m terrified right now because Reo nights ago I had uncontrollable full body stretches that were so very painful and I couldn’t even control my car and had to stop. I got a pretty bad headache too and still don’t know why it happened. Could someone please help me.   I would be so grateful!!!  

[Allessior]

I have uncontrolled stretching, usually in the morning and night, but not exclusively.  I remember when my sister had brain trauma several years ago she would do uncontrolled stretches as she was in the hospital bed, and the neurologist said that was from damage to a particular part of the brain.  I don't have head trauma except from over 30 years ago when I played football and suffered a few concussions.  I am sure there can be several reasons for these stretches.

[Quixotic1]

Some of you mentioned that you had clonus with the stretching.  I always do, too - on my LEFT side which is my normal side.  The spasticity is on the left.

Also, uncontrollable yawning can be a side effect of the antidepressant meds and probably others.  the worst I ever had was on Zoloft.

weird

Q

[Quixotic1]

I have to remind you all that this post is two years old.  I had completely forgotten it. (Swiss cheese for brains)  I only had that stretching/yawning thing I think for two days, but it is interesting to see how it might relate to spasticity (which is typically a spinal problem in MS) and to spinal lesions.

Still clearly it is something I don't remember ever being discussed here before, so thank you for bumping it up.

Quix

[Erin0313]

Quix

  Sorry that I don't have any ideas on your yawning or stretching. I hope this is a one time fluke and not the beginning of some new thing for you.

Thanks very much the laugh I really needed it!!!

Hugs,
Erin :)

[jensequitur]

Yup, for a while my calves would cramp up - it got to the point where I was afraid to move!

[Chrsyvn]

Don't know anything about what causes it but i have had the yawning thing happen to me,It drives my boyfriend crazy cause he always thinks its because he's boring me.Lol,Wish I could help more,ooh and thanx for the laugh I needed it today:) Good luck to you hope your feeling better:)

[Sailorsong]

Quix,

   I go into yhe yawn and strech thing quite often after I have gotten out of breath for a while (mowing lawn, working in garden, etc). I suspect that is brought on by lack of O2 as someone else suggested. I also get this to occur after one of my sneezing fits last last about 1 hour no matter what I do. I much prefer the yawning to the sneezing BTW.

Dennis
PS loved the brain fog joke.

[Guitar_grrrl]

Jen,
I think you're onto something.  The morning reflexive stretching and resulting "Charlie Horse from He!!" is what brought me to the neurologist after putting up with it for 9 months (this was 2 years ago)!!  He watched me demonstrate the motions for him.  I started on my side (Quix, I know you sleep on your back on your recliner), went to turn onto my back when the stretch, clonus, and resulting spasms happened right in front of him.  His eyes got really big, and he scribbled some notes, and said, "yep, that's spinal lesions for ya".

Quix,
Thanks for all you do!  You're truly a wizard!  Treat yourself to some chocolate after that Man-O-Gram.  Maybe call your neuro about the stretch/yawn/spaz stuff.  If it's new, or ? maybe a flair?...

Hugs,
Guitar_grrrl

[jensequitur]

I have experienced something similar, although usually it's in the morning.  When I start moving around in bed, before I get up, my legs will stretch out uncontrollably, and will stay extended until I can talk them into relaxing.  This takes some effort on my part.  Then if I stay still for any length of time, when I do get up, my body and especially my back starts stretching out and stiffening up.  I'm sure this looks weird, because I'll get up, then stiffen up for a few seconds, and then start moving - but kind of an old person's walk, until everything gets going.

I haven't done the uncontrollable yawning thing though - I wonder if it's related to oxygen intake, or if it's just a misfiring nerve.

Now in the morning, when I move my legs start to stretch out, they start jerking around rhythmically.  This has gotten worse since I started running again.

Last year I was having this weird symptom.  I would get this odd sensation in my abdomen, which built up until all of a sudden, my back would arch and my head would snap back.  There were three or four days in a row when this kept happening, and I was just exhausted.  

My neuro thinks it's related to some spinal involvement, even though the (.7!) MRI didn't show anything.  He called it myoclonus.  

So I think there's a lesion in the spine, possibly two, that's causing spinal myoclonus.  It feels like there's a slow buildup of signal in the cord (my increasing tingly sensations,) that eventually fires off (my back arching,) rather like a sneeze.

[cainer]

next  victum      lol   no  more  man-o-grams  4  me-    they can  use ultra sound-  thats  nother story-
  hope  your  stretched back and  all is  well-- i have  done that  oh yea-  not  good   and
yawn   where  neck  it  so  tight  after yawn  wont  relax-  the  tn  gets  bad  too-

    but  tomorrow is another  day!!!   have a good one!!   tick

[grandmabob]

I've had the uncontrollable stretching twice, about a year part. When I do this my legs and feet go into 'charlie horse' cramps. My whole body is a wreck today from about 4 hrs of this. I've noticed the uncontrolable yawning also. DOES ANYONE HAVE A CLUE????????????

[hbananas]

I've had the uncontrollable yawning without the stretching for a long long time.  Sort of like the soft palate rising, ears popping part that you can even do with your mouth shut.  This often happens to me lying in bed, and it perversely keeps me FROM falling asleep.  Gollie gee whiz, is this something else to add to my possible symptoms list?  I hope you feel better very soon, Quix.

Holly

[gollie]

Hi Quix I havnt seen you on much but your post explains why now.  Any way I just wanted to say hope you feel better soon. and to tell you
that I have had a similar experience with the yawn thing just a couple of times awhile back, i wasnt laying down, i was sitting up and started to yawn but my mouth did not open enough so i was just breathing in little puffts of air instead of one long breath of air in a normal yawn. and right after i thought i was done with the abnormal yawn it happened again almost like a reflex type thing.  thinking back on it im prone to believe
it had more to do with the lower jaw muscel not opening properly right at the time of a yawn comming on but yet the yawn itself once in motion almost like a reflex that just dosnt stop right in the middlel. just because your jaw dosnt co operate by opening all the way.  that is the best way i can find to describe it.   (yawn like a reflex in the middle of a muscle not co operating)  if that makes any sence at all.
any how good to see you on   dont work to hard and hope your tn is better soon  Gollie

[ELT]

oops, sorry, my computer froze

[ELT]

   I have been having the uncontrollable need to stretch, and, I wasn't sure if what I was doing was yawning because, though it felt somewhat like a yawn, it seemed more that I was tightening my jaw hinge.

   Lately, when doing ANYthing, my hips, kneew, shoulders, wrists, jaw, have been tightening up.  I have had THE worst pains in some joints, but, I have not got arthritis, or anything like that.  After my walk yesterday, I couldn't walk, after sitting down for a bit.  The pain was agony, and my leg kept buckling under me, it went the opposite way (my knee) as I told it to.  Make sense?

   Oh, and I looked like the town drunk as I staggered through my house.  Had to shut the blinds, didn't want to give the neighbours something to talk about.  Haha

   All is well today, sort of, I lived through exercise class, mostly cause I listened to my body better today than I did yesterday.  Had to, had to go for coffee and a bowl of indian lentil soup after class.  Our bonus for the work.  Healthy enough, right?  

   Have to make up for the chicken wings and potatoe wedges from last night,   One of those quick effortless meals. lol  

   And, Hahaha to the Cog and Fog, I can SOOOOOO relate.  

   Erica

[Momzilla]

Hey~ I had my "girls" hard pressed yesterday.  Always gives me a curious hankering for pancakes when I'm done.....

I have never said anything, but I get this weird reaction whenever I yawn.  I get a spasm in my neck/throat something fierce!  This always leads me to think I don't have MS, too, because my spasms are EVERYWHERE, not just in my limbs.  My muscles are tight in my right leg, especially, but also in my other leg, feet neck, back....

My seven year old throws himself onto the floor sometimes with "toe cramps."  Now, I've never EVER fallen with toe cramps.  But apparently his toe cramps are worse than mine.  He is our little actor.  I don't know where he gets it!

I hope you have abetter day, Quix!

Zilla*

[Rena705]

P.s.  I can say that about being stupid to smoke only cause I have quit for 218 days today!  I have a counter on a Quit Smoking program on the net...in case anyone is wondering how I can keep count all the time!  PLUS I am PROUD to keep count!

Rena

[Rena705]

Hi Quix...sorry to hear that your TN is flairing up..don't wish that on anyone that is for sure...

Wondering if sllowe might be on to something though...I asked my dr. once (of course you would know) why I yawned more when I smoke?  She said that it might be because of a lack of oxygen to the brain...

Now I am not sure if she meant that because I was stupid enough to smoke she could knock it up to a lack of oxygen or not!  ha ha

Sorry to hear you had to (as my 80 years young Mother says) get your ******* pinched!  ha ha  None of us looks forward to THAT!

Hope you start to feel better soon!

Rena

[AMO]

dear quix,

sorry the nasty TN rage...how do you feel today?     bettter i hope.

now, i do yawn quiet alot  though the days. but what you discribe wiith closed mouth, no not that. Do you think youo hadof some thing like myoclonus?

i tend to gasp a breath and   have short of breath (sob). but that doesn't sound the same  since i don't stretch wwith them.
how did you wake this  am?

thanks for the giggles... that always get the O2 flow!
amo

[grannyhotwheels]

You can always make me laugh I guess that's what I love about you the most.  

I know exactly what you mean about the full body stretch.  Right when you get to the very end of the stretch do you jerk some?  I sure do.  The only thing is the stretching really hurts me.  It doesn't seem to stop until I take my morning meds.  By the way I also sleep in a recliner.  I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

Well I guess all I can say is "Stretch On".  Oh yea, I wanted to thank you for all the hard work that you are putting into the Med Help site to make it better for all of us.  You are truly an amazing woman.  I hope when I grow up I can be just like you, minus the tongs through my head. haahaaheehee

I'll be praying,
Carol

[sllowe]

Hi Quix,

I'm glad you've given us something other than our own bodies to think about.  My 1st thought was blood flow, however, you are use to that reclyner, and did not describe any numbing sensations w/the stretch and yawn.  

Being a smoker, I always felt that yawning had to do w/lack of oxygen and the bodies own way of trying to get more.  I have had such deep ones that I've had a shuttering type of body quake, but was not affected by it much, and can't remember when I even had one last.

So, it does sound to me though that the depths of that particular yawn and stretch, which was so out of the ordinary enough, jolting enough trigger the TN - YUCK.  

I hope it all relaxes up for you, the legs, and the jaw.  If not, give me the word, and I'll research you the Cadilac of all Reclyners, one that is "supe'd" up w/all the bells and whistles for lap tops, and MORE!!!!

wishing you well,
SL

[Heather3418]

I do not know about the stretch and yawn dealie.  I DO know about the man-o-grams.  I call them Smash-O-Grams.  It's hard to take a DD and smash it flatter than a pancake, but I have seen it done and lived to tell about the experience.

I would be most happy if they could make up such a test for men, where their testicular area could be smashed flatter than a piece of tread of an 18 wheeler re-tread, laying on the road.  That would make me a happy woman.  Well let me put that another way, for all "ex's" in our lives, that would be the perfect revenge....

I DO hope you feel better.  How you sleep in a chair every night I will never understand.  My back would be killing me....

HUGS, Heather

[Super_sally888]

I actually think of them as 'The Puppies".  Actually wrote an article for female athletes about proper sizing of sports bra called "Running with the Puppies!".  Lol!

S