Hi Mary,
I am so sorry you dealing with these symptoms. Jerking, spasms, jolts, are common symptoms of RSD. The only thing that helped me was neurotin or the newer drug lyrica. I had pretty violent electric jolts waking me up-going thru my brain, plus constant leg jerks when I would relax to watch tv or sleep. I was on 3200 mg of neurotin and they totally stopped. I was on it several years, but slowly went off starting last October. I've only had a couple jerks since January this year.
I was going weeks with not getting to sleep until 5-6 a.m. Was falling apart, no life, sleep till afternoon. My Dr. is a neurologist, psychiatrist and pharmacologist. He does trial studies for a couple of pharmaceutical companies. One study he is just finishing with 200 patients is seroquel. This drug is used in high dose for bipolar and or schizophrenia. I don't have either. But his study was for a new use for the drug, given in low dosage of 300 mg. for fibromyalgia. The results were very good plus a side benefit of restorative sleep. So about 6 weeks ago I went on it. I'm absolutely amazed at the results. I take the med at 7 pm and sleep a solid 9 hours, good restorative sleep. He cut my antii-anxiety med in half and left it up to me on the vicodin. I'm now taking 2 vicodin instead of 6 and 2mg. of lorazepam instead of 6 mg. (anti-anxiety) The sound sleep, is giving me my life back. I've had RSD 14 years and full body now. I'm driving again, grocery shopping, dry cleaners, errands. It's wonderful. I think I can travel again. I'm planning a trip this fall to Bellingham, Washington to visit friends.
I wanted to go off the Neurotin because of weight gain. I don't have the leg problem so will continue to stay off neurotin or lyrica. This med is also given for the nerve burning pain. Before you try scs or pain pump, do your research, as the outcome isn't always what we expect.
I truly hope to go on this wonderful trip with the best possible health. Anti-anxiety med is one I like as it calms down the sympathetic nervous system, thus the pain level is more controlled.
Take care, loretta