how to get rid of this jerking problem?
 

I have this for 6 months now. It was very bad at the beginning of my PCS. When my condition improved i felt that my mind was also calming down and the jerks happened only rarely. But after my condition worsened extremely, the jerking problem reached its climax. I cannot sleep during the day. Any time I am about to fall asleep a part of my body jerks. I developed anxiety that prevents me from falling asleep in most cases. I found out that it always happens when i start to dream, without being fully asleep. Any movement or excitement in this dream results in a jerk.

What could I do against it?

I Also have this symptom since 6 months. It started 10 months after the injury. I don't know what caused it out of the blue but I took some antibiotics ,cinnarizine and Dimendydrinate for vertigovertigo after which it started. I am still not able to figure out if its anxiety and stress or a real symptom of PCS

I take gabapentin and it helps reduce this jerking. For me, it also helps to not have on any clothes that have any annoying tactile sensations. I usually wear all cotton. If my feet are colder than the rest of my body, I will jerk or have tense leg muscles. I get cold hands and used to need to wear chenille gloves so my hands would be able to settle down.

So, when you are trying to sleep, pay attention to every little tactile sensation and try to reduce it so you are comfortable. When you can lay there and feel like you are being suspended in the air because all of your sensations are the same, these jerks will likely go away.

For me, once they start, I need to get up and do something before trying to go back to bed/sleep.

I've been living with this for 14 years. Finding that comfortable position and clothing/covers makes all the difference for me.

Hi Chris2828, you mentioned on another thread that you are supplementing with 2000 mcg of B12 daily. If this is still the case, it is possible that your body may be low in potassium, as this is sometimes a side effect of taking a high dosage of B12.

Low levels of potassium can cause muscle spasms and muscle weakness. I’ve also been supplementing with B12 and after three months began experiencing muscle jerks in my legs, especially when I tried to sleep at night. I added higher potassium foods to my diet and found it was effective in calming down my spasms, but it did not completely eliminate them.

I to have this problem. Sense dec 12/2014, it seems like if I want to nap during the day or if I wake up at like 7 am and want to go back to sleep. A limb or so thing will jerk..
I jerk and twitch thru out the day too

My neurologist told me the "full body shudder" when drifting off to sleep in fairly common in TBI patients. This is not something you can will away. It may well diminish with time. Otherwise, you may want to go the medication route, as Mark suggests. I opted just to live with it.

Myoclonus Fact Sheet
 

I think we are referring to myoclonus.
At least some of us, if not all, deal with sleep myoclonus.
I use clonazepam for this and I sometimes have it day and night. It gets much worse for me when I have not slept well or am under a lot of stress.

See the myoclonus fact sheet if interested:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/m..._myoclonus.htm

:grouphug:
DejaVu

I had this real bad for about 4-5 months. It started 10 months after the injury. But gradually it has faded and I don't get them so much now. Very rarely they would happen when I am very tired or sleepy but its 90% gone!

DejaVu,

My doc had me on clonazepam for this jerking for quite some time but switched me to the gabapentin. I did better with the gabapentin (1200 mgs then, only 600 mgs now) The clonazepam is very risky for long term use.

I had it also....turned into a huge anxiety and fear issue, major battle.

Bud