I had been up all night, again( still reeling from IME doc visit)...and will have to take a nap,today! I am sooooo tired.The fog is starting to lift here this morning;however, the humidity and downcast weather remains.

Early this morning, I had a jerking spasm so harsh that it turned my computer chair over on my right side, with me in the chair! What a pain,literally !!! Also, scared me to have no control over the jerking episode.

My right side(ribs) hurts where I jerked against the right side of the arm of chair and hit the floor..nothing broken, just bruised some. My pride more than anything else..what if that happens in public? OMG!

Once on the floor, I was crying and had 3 cats that were all around me looking confused. Hubby and son were asleep. They didn't hear me crying or yelling for help. Getting up off the floor was a nightmare. The chair is an office chair on wheels..so you see the scenario better.

Now, since I told my fellas what happened, they keep asking me if I am ok...like every 15 min. Getting on my last nervy.

I have experienced the trembles in my hands,dropping things, minor leg jerks..but never such a jerk that would knock me sideways in a chair to the floor!

Have any of you experienced this form of spasm?



Dew

Hi Dew
Im glad to hear that you were not seriously injured. Rsd wouldve loved to find another spot to invade,,About the jerks getting more violent,,my guess is either ,your progressing farther into the disease,,,but my money and gut feeling dew is telling me that your meds have alot to do with it,,,when i change [for which i think you just modified something in your regimen] i get jerks and spasms,,even percocet causes spasms,and thats a minor med ,comparivlty to others,,and our livers when they are under stress cause spasms and tremors as well as different meds causes spasms,,be carefull,and im glad your ok,,i'd investigate and reajust and maybe even lower the amount of the meds,,just to do the process of elimination,,,much love and prayers to you Dew,,,,,,,,,bobber

I've had some very high amplitude "ticks". When I finally gave up trying to lead a normal life it was because I was jerking several inches while trying to walk. I haven't fallen from one but it does sound easy enough to do.

Dew Im glad to hear you are not hurt worse than you are,, i have had abdominal spasms that have moved me a few inches in the bed, they were very strong but that is the worst of it for me. Those are bad enough.Becareful , cz

Dear Dew,

I am so happy that you did not hurt yourself when you fell. I am sorry too about the spasm. Do you think you should contact your doctor's office? I get the jolts inside my stomach and chest in the evening, but they've never really made my whole body twitch.

Can you try going to bed every night at the same time, even if you aren't that tired yet? Bring your laptop, the newspaper or a book and your cats with you and try to relax. I take Skelaxin and Ambien CR 12.5 mg at bedtime (Skel at 8 pm and Ambien at 9 pm) so that I ensure that I fall sleep. I may wake up periodically from pain, but at least my body is in the habit of "bedtime" and gets rested. My script for Skelaxin is for 3 a day, but I only take it a bedtime because it makes me so tired. It is a muscle relaxer.

Please take care and try to chill. I liked FMichael's suggestion of the "mindfulness based stress reduction" programs and actually just ordered a few books in that topic that my therapist recommended. I am hoping that by learning some of this stuff I can start to try to reduce the pain and other symptoms of RSD. Like you, I struggle with the sadness almost every day of what I've lost. My therapist has asked me in the past why I am not mad - I can't figure that one out. My RSD just makes me cry a lot. Anyway, I hope you get some much needed rest soon and that your spasms settle down.

XOXOX Sandy

awww sweety,
I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you. I know you are so frustriated. It seems as if things are getting worse. I'm sorry. wish there was something I could do for you. I know somewhat about the jerks. My dr. put me on Requip. which they used for restless legs. It has made a difference in the amt of jerks that I've been getting. My legs are a little quieter, and all the other jerks are a little less strong. THe jerking is one of the main reasons I want to get a pain pump. THey can put meds in it that will stop the jerkig. Please take care of yourself. I know what you mean about the constant "are you ok?" it does get on ones nerves. I've had a few bad weeks also. 3 months ago 2 of my old dogs passed over, within 8 days of each other. Then the next month one of my old horses passed over. then 3 wks ago we found out from our vet that one of our other dogs had about 2 wks left due to a liver tumor. She made it exactly 2 wks. She was sent to the rainbow bridge this past Sat. Then sat afternoon, we went to the smokey mts. and adopted 2 sister doxies. Oh, also became long term fosters to another senior horse for another sancatuary group. I've been sick with a cold/flu for almost 3 wks, and now hubby has it. I haven't been on here in a while, but now I'm back. I'm glad to be back with you.

Hugs
Mary

Dew,
So sorry this has happened.
Could you have been dozing off when this happened?
I think that would make it a myoclonic jerk.
I'm not a doc, as you know.

But, I think I'd say you should call yours!
Report this oddity, before it fades from memory!

I hate to feel as if I'm trying to goad you into action when you're not feeling well.
With all that you're going through, Your Doc needs to know what's going on with you!
If you can't, have Hubby call for you.
(we can have so many little oddities, ticks, jerks, swelling, pain that's like a ghost moving through you) that it's difficult to get this across to your doctor.
Especially if he's not an RSD specialist.

I'm lucky enough to have one, every time I think I'm telling him something new, he says,"He knows I've got that". Just by looking at me and talking to me.

I wish everyone had a doc like him.

Be well,

pete

Hi Dew! So sorry to read this! I just popped in to see what is going on with everyone and read your post. I also see you haven't replied so I was wondering if you are ok, now? Please let us know.
To answer some of your questions I do get very bad spasms in all extremities and on both sides of my body by my ribs. I have been half way in and out of my car (a Jeep) and got totally frozen with rib area spasms and pain. Not capable of getting in or out of my car till the pain subsided enough for me to call for help. I take baclofin for this when at home and NOT driving.
What if this happens in public, you ask? Three weeks ago, my son wanted lunch at the mall. I NEVER go to the mall. But just to pick up food in the food court, I said ok. Barely 30 feet inside...at lunch and in front of the whole darn town..instant weakness and down I went on both knees, right hip and my face 2 inches from the hard tile floor that instantly seared pain to the point of me almost passing out. It has taken three plus weeks for the bruised ego and body to heal. Thank God my son was there. (EMT)
I really don't know what to tell you.... I don't want to stop living and sometimes take risks with a body that just loses control. The spasms.. they take my breath away. The painful spasms in the arches of my feet send all my toes pointing to the heavens and they are painful. I am a mess at 57, but trying to make the best of it.
You will sleep better and be somewhat in more control when you are through with all this WC stuff. It can take its toll! I hope you are ok, now. Take care...di

I am sorry to hear that this happened to you. I hope that you do start feeling better here soon.

The first time I had spasms and couldn't move was at my computer the first year of the RSDS. Bill had taken meds and went to sleep and I sat at that damn computer for hours until I could get myself to bed. I called the Dr. that put me in the mess I am in today. She was an Osteopathic idiot. She had worked on me that day and told me that if I needed her to call her. I called her and she just acted like it wasn't anything and told me to go to bed and I would feel better the next day. I did as I said, finally got myself to bed.

I have spasms in my hand and foot a lot too. Right now, I am dealing with them in my pelvic area. OMG.

Back to you though, Bobber may be right about the meds. I do believe that the Sevella got my pelvic pain going two weeks ago when I started on it. I do think some of the meds effect us the wrong way too. I believe the Sevella started the spasms in my left hip and pelvic area. So you might think about checking out your meds.

I do hope you start seeing some better days soon.

Ada

Hi Dew,

Sorry to hear about your spasm! I hope you are feeling better now.

I have Myoclonic spasms where my leg will jerk around in the air on it's own uncontrolabley. The spasms started after I had an ingrown toenail removed from my RSD leg in April 2008 and I still have them to this day, despite trying many medications to try and get rid of them. Thankfully, they have calmed down a little bit though, through the help of intense Physical Therapy.

On top of the Myoclonic Spasms, I also have Dystonia which means I can't move my foot at all. My PTs are wanting to try Botox to see if that will help however, i'm not sure if I want to try that at the moment as my body doesn't respond well to any injections/needles.

I'm not sure if you have seen this already, but here is a link to a video of the myoclonic spasms I have in my leg that may help - you can also see the Dystonia in my foot (my foot is rotated out to the side).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE_OwuilOew

Are you on any medications (muscle relaxants etc) that may help you? I tried Baclofen, Diazepam, Kenadrin and loads of other meds but unfortunatley, none worked in my case and I had horrible side effects from them.

I know what you mean about how bad it would be to get the spasms out in public. My leg spasms like in the video all of the time sometimes which is REALLY embarrassing. I am already self conscious as a teenager, without those! At one point, I wouldn't even go out of the house as I was so scared that people might say something because of how I looked. I still get really embarrassed about them now and it really hurts me when I get comments from people about how my leg looks etc.

Try and get some rest and don't overdo it too much. I tend to find that my spasms are worse if I have done too much or haven't been getting much sleep.

I hope you feel better soon. I know how hard and painful the spasms can be to deal with!

Take care,
Alison