Sleep Problems
Welcome to Spine-health’s Sleep Problems patient community. You can also read doctor approved Sleep Articles.
- Most Popular Sleep Articles
- Choosing the Best Mattress for Lower Back Pain
- Chronic Pain and Insomnia: Breaking the Cycle
- Most Popular Sleep Videos
- Pillows and Positions for Easing Neck Pain Video
September 12, 2011 - 3:44am
Involuntary twitching anyone?
Ive been taking a sustained release morphine in conjunction with a rapid release morphine for about 10-11 months. When i crawl (and i mean crawl) into bed i begin my daily routine of waking my wife up every other minute with huge involuntary twiches. its not a constant thing as it might start with an arm then a leg then a whole body like a convulsion. It is very weird as i only twitch when im in bed trying to do this thing that ive heard is really good for you called sleep.
Im guessing this is just a side effect of the morphine, but does anyone else experience it and is there anything i can do about it?
_____________
Snowboarding accident left me with compressed and split T11,12&L1. Had surgery to fuse T11&T12 on 15th September 2011. Once the surgeon got in there he said he was shocked at the damage to the nerves and ligaments and facet joints that had not shown up on the MRI scans. To follow my progress through recovery check out my blog at : http://alimcewen.wordpress.com
User login
advertisement
New forum topics
Clinical Trials
Who's online
There are currently 9 users and 699 guests online.
Connect with Us
Oh yeah, I have this too. It was worse when I was taking methadone but I have had twitches for years now. Mine is mostly in the legs, just kicking all over the place after I get in bed. Sometimes my whole body contorts. Usually stops after a few minutes.
One time recently I got into bed and lay on my back and folded my arms across my chest like I was in a casket...........next thing I now I delivered a karate chop to my chin!
Do you ever feel like you could stop them? For some reason I think I can but it never works.
In 1995 I fell from a height of about 10 feet and landed on my butt with my legs outstretched. Crushed T9 into a wedge shape plus undetermined injury to tailbone. Since then have added numb feet, a cyst,arthritis and bone spurs at T9, chronic pain, muscle spasms and nausea, scoliosis, and pins and needles. It hurts if I sit so I stand all day long.
Hi and welcome. If you never had the twitching before untill taking this drug then i guess it could be side affect of some sort,
I had the same kind of twitching in both of my legs for years when i would lay down.
Along with back pain for many years soon as i would lay down to rest, lower part of my body would spazm almost to the point where i thought it would cause my lower back to break in half.
After many Dr,s could not find any serious spine issues, i was forced to see a neuro at one of the top hospitals in the world. Mayo clinic in rochester M.N.
They tested for everything under the sun and finaly confirmed it was autoimmune dissorder called Proprial Spinal Myoclonus. Antibodies were attacking the spinal cord not protecting it as whats it is ment to do.
I am not saying you have this, but if its not from the drugs you are taking then this might be something to keep in mind and talk to your neuro about.
Good luck
L4 L5 disc replacement in 2004=causing nerve damage'Flexicore disc. 2006 fusion same level leaving adr in. Fusion did nothing to releive the nerve pain.Pain clinic=every injection procedure avalable inc,razadamy, ablation, nerve stimulater trial,morphine pump trial all failed. Pain can be described as burning pain in lower spine penetrating in to left buttock,down left leg. Refuse to take lyrica or nuorontin do to its side effect,Leaving me with norco,valume,and flexiril at night.Which these medications only help with the muscle aches and stiffnes does nothing for the nerve pain from the nerve damage sustained from the adr surgery.Coming up nov.19th 2009 Lami, and hardware removal from fusion,for hardware just causing more pain in other areas.Hardware block comfirmed hardware is also causing pain in diferent area aside from the severe nerve pain on left side.Emg showed some posible problem above surgery are at L3 L4.
I think it is from the pain meds but to be honest I don't remember what life was like before my injury. I'm going in for fusion surgery on Thursday 15th so I've got everything crossed that it helps give me some relief.
Thanks guys
Snowboarding accident left me with compressed and split T11,12&L1. Had surgery to fuse T11&T12 on 15th September 2011. Once the surgeon got in there he said he was shocked at the damage to the nerves and ligaments and facet joints that had not shown up on the MRI scans. To follow my progress through recovery check out my blog at : http://alimcewen.wordpress.com
I have also have them!!! Wohoooo! Well I don't have them anymore but I think it was my meds, anxiety and especially it happened more when I did not sleep well.
I also think but this might be a crazy thought, that is your body trying to adjust the electricity in your spine, since we have spine changes.
Z
you said sustained release morphine. do you mean sustained release dilaudid (hydromorph contin)? i think they might be the same, dilaudid is just a synthetic morphine. i happen to get pretty violent leg and arm jerks to the point where i kicked my cat once and hit my hand on the tv on the nightstand. i never really thought of it being medication associated, but perhaps it is. maybe i should check the side effects, but anyway, yeah i get these jerks too, in both my arms and legs
"Two men looking through prison bars, one sees the mud, one sees the stars" - Frederick Langbridge
I sometimes sit, or say...lay down for a tiny nap, and I get the occasional "arm or leg" jump or twitch. Not sure if I am ticking off a nerve or what the deal is. It is not rhythmic, it just..."occurs?"
I think some of it sure can be our meds....but sometimes just fussy nerves! See what your doctor says based on what is kicking on your spine issues... *HUG*
Brenda
ACDF C5/6 2/08 - C6/7 8/09 - Neuropathy right arm and both legs - Cervical Myelopathy
10-11-11 PCF C4-T2 - C4-C7 Lamies; Surgery #2 Emergent removal large Hematoma!
L2/3/4 & L5/S1 fusions and Laminectomy on hold till neck fused.
For the full "Cliff Notes" please click my name!
"Life can knock us down, but we can choose whether or not to get up!!"
Well i will be able to find out soon as the doctor is going to start weening me off the morphine. The sustained release morphine is called E-mslon. Not sure if it's synthetic or not but I'm in New Zealand so we may well have different drugs.
Twitching is still going strong even after operation but as I say the doc is pulling me off the morphine so fingers crossed I might get some sleep without kicking my partner out of bed hahahahaha
Snowboarding accident left me with compressed and split T11,12&L1. Had surgery to fuse T11&T12 on 15th September 2011. Once the surgeon got in there he said he was shocked at the damage to the nerves and ligaments and facet joints that had not shown up on the MRI scans. To follow my progress through recovery check out my blog at : http://alimcewen.wordpress.com