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User offline. Last seen 17 weeks 5 days ago. Offline
Joined: 11/04/2009
Posts: 10
Points: 20
"Falling" sensation and legs jerking waking me up.

You know those dreams where you fall and you wake up with your heart pounding.

Its happening to me very frequently, and I don't recall a dream. Sometimes it happens several times a night.

I also experience my leg jerking and waking me up. This happens in the middle of the day while I'm fully awake too.

Once in awhile I take an ambien for sleep, and it doesn't seem to stop these things.

anyone going through anything similar?

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~Age 33.
~Single mother of 4 children, ages 1-17.
~Employed and trying to fight going out on disability. =/
~Chronic lower back pain for 13 years.
~2000 - Sideswiped on the right-hand side
~2001 - Animal Control truck backed into me while I was standing between my car door and the car's frame unfastening a infant car seat. Smashed me in between the door and frame.
~2003 - Was at full stop when a fully loaded 18-wheeler rear ended me at approx. 40 mph, pushing me into an SUV in front of me who also hit the vehicle in front of them. Older vehicle, no airbags for protection.
~ Former victim of spousal abuse.

~ Broken bone fragments in neck and lower back, bone spurs, nerve canal narrowing, degenerative disk disease.

and to top it all off...gall bladder disease/stones (gall bladder was removed in 2008) and am still having pain in that area (why did I have it removed again?) - plus a all new host of other related GI issues. May have to go under
the knife again.

~ Have tried all sorts of things for my neck and back: PT, massage therapy, Spinal steroid injections, medication, chiropractic...as of three years ago not a surgery candidate. New doctor as of 11/4/09 and being worked up all over again...wish me luck.

straker's picture
User offline. Last seen 6 hours 10 min ago. Offline
Joined: 06/27/2008
Posts: 1394
Points: 2828
i get it a lot

its called myoclonic jerks /{IT WONT HARM YOU}
STRAKER

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WAITING FOR TESTS TO SEE IF A FUSION IS POSSIBLE THIS YEAR 2010

straker's picture
User offline. Last seen 6 hours 10 min ago. Offline
Joined: 06/27/2008
Posts: 1394
Points: 2828
i get it a lot

its called myoclonic jerks /{IT WONT HARM YOU}
STRAKER

_____________

WAITING FOR TESTS TO SEE IF A FUSION IS POSSIBLE THIS YEAR 2010

awalker819's picture
User offline. Last seen 1 hour 15 min ago. Offline
Joined: 08/11/2009
Posts: 135
Points: 270
same here

Straker's totally right. And while they are annoying they're basically harmless, though they can be be a sign of neurological problems. I had them many times a day/night prior to my fusion surgery. Which makes sense given that my nerves/spinal cord were being squished. But within a week of my surgery they had all but stopped. Now it only happens occasionally as I'm falling asleep, which is totally normal. Given your spinal issues, I'd say it's pretty normal.

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Herniations at L4/5 & L5/S1 – severe stenosis, thecal sac impression, sciatica/radiculopathy

Surgery- October 5, 2009 – Open TLIF w/hardware L4-S1 (6 screws, 2 rods, cages, allograft and bone marrow)

Better and stronger every day and pain (AND MED) free!

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