Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho
The twitching is not epilepsy. I had it bad in the beginning. My doctor first treated it with clonazepam (a benzo) before bed. It made me sleepy the next day. He switched me to gabapentin and it worked great.
I never got a full explanation from my neuro but the gist is that it is just a benign event that is sort of a nerve restlessness as the motor nerves and proprioception nerves let go as one transitions from awake to sleep.
For me, there appeared to be a neck inflammation component. Once I learned how to mitigate my upper neck inflammation, the twitching all but ended. I get it on rare occasions now but they are few and far between. I still take 300 mgs of gabapentin before bed because my nervous system seems to want to stay on alert status if I don't.
Some of my sleep disturbance issues are due to sleep apnea. I can stop breathing properly even when I am awake.
I have had many different seizure like symptoms since my bad concussion at 10 years old in 1965. Every neuro told me these were not epilepsy. At most, they were a trauma related intermittent seizure disorder.
A hypnagogic jerk is an involuntary muscle spasm that occurs as a person is drifting off to sleep. The phenomenon is so named in reference to the hypnagogic state — the transitional period between wakefulness and sleep. Hypnagogic jerks, are also commonly known as hypnic jerks or sleep starts.
Hypnic Jerks - The Reason Why We Twitch Before Falling Asleep |
Alright. Thanks for the answer Mark. I'm sorry about your accident, and that/if the damage went permanent.
Well, for my symptoms you might be right. But i don't twitch one time, my head can shake from side to side, etc. And press on the pillow with one side. But still, it can be the nerves...
I have also been under ALLOT of STRESS since this accident. My first weekend where i can drink like 5 beers since 8 months. puh. Some release actually.
I have also made a mistake on how i lay at the computer on my side and hold up my head with my neck muscle. And many many hours a day. So my right side of the neck probably have knots or is very stiff. I should try and loosen that up for blood flow, and going to get a computer chair like "normal people" sit at the computer later on.
Got the keyboard on my bed. It's lazy, but not good for my neck. Need that to be massaged out some day. Probably good to have loose neck muscles for blood circulation to the brain in the best way..
Anyways. I have had normal twitches when falling asleep when younger, but these are more violent sometimes. But i bet it's stress and the nerves.. Or when i rest sometimes. Maybe hypnagogic jerks, etc. You might be right.
Anyways. I appreciate your answer mark. Thank you. Will look up the link. Also, try looking into lions mane if you have not heard of it. Seems very good, and maybe it can make some things better for you, i don't know. Keep on keeping on. Peace
Lion's Mane, Supportive to Brain and Nerve Functions - YouTube
edit: Also sounds good that your twitching went better, and has almost stopped.
Lions mane should help against twitching to i think. Or CBD hemp oil. (Or cannabis CBD oil.)
One month i tried meditating every morning, and that made me feel better also. Learning to meditate, but now it's been a while. A month maybe..
Feels like meditation helps also, if one can get the time to do so. I will try and continue learning that, i got side tracked and almost forgot about it. Trying sometimes.