Have a look at the Dystonia Medical Research foundation
http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/p...i_have_/27.php

That will help claim which animal you have.

There are 2 main aspects of helping the painful involuntary muscle contractions:

1. Seeing the neuro re: medication adjustments - may be as simple as adjusting the time dose(s) are taken or the addition of more sinemet (splitting some doses) or adjusting the agonist dose.
Note: a sudden change in amount of physical activity can trigger a dystonic reaction i.e. you've just gone on vacation and suddenly walk more than usual - the muscles may react to the increased use.

1. B sometimes meds defy logic. When I started increasing Sinemet which is supposed to help with dystonia the doc suggest I take 2 100/25s in the morning and afternoon - bingo - right after the increase I had the same contraction and turning in of my left foot that you described. Sometimes the foot would contract even when standing. As soon as I split the sinemet doses to smaller and more frequent ones my left foot and bunched up sore calf muscle relaxed. My current spread out drug list follows:

Zantac 150mg 08:00 23:00 stomach acidity

Requip .50mg 08:00 12:00 17:00 agonist

Alertec 100mg 08:00 12:00 stimulant b/c Requip so sedating

Sinemet 100/25mg 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 17:00 20:00
- plus 1-2 doses PRN

Amantadine 100mg
- may increase to 2 doses = 200mg 08:00 tremor

Flonase 2 inhalations per nostril 08:00 sinus

Trazodone 50mg 23:00 sleep

Multivitamin

2. The painful contraction or cramp that wont stop
This advice is given with the proviso – ask your physiotherapist or doc and have a helper in case you get stuck

- keep an approved stretching exercise on hand to deal with the offending body part if and when it acts up
- gently stretch – if you stretch correctly you can loosen or supple up the muscle
- partner preferred – take a hot bath – partner to get you unstuck as necessary
- once out of bath gently stretch again

Absolutely not recommended but I’ve done it:
- I have hopped around on 1 good leg while the other is in a dytonic flex and managed to make a cup of tea with 1 oz rum in between leg stretches, hot bath and more stretches (happened when I had no GP and my neuro was on vacation. Picture that in your underwear in broad daylight).
Lastly, when the doc is on board he or she may leave you with one of the Anticholinergics i.e. cogentin 2mg prn or on an as needed basis. You’ll have to listen to your own body and test the waters. Guy
See - Dolph Lundgren Exercise Video - The Warm-up
End of clip – stretching leg muscles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WX-UFCX9Kc
we know what else they’re selling but the stretches are correct…