Involuntary "jerks or spasms" anybody?!

[Nan]

SINCE....I have gone into kidney failure, I have noticed that I have these involuntary jerks and spasm's. They seen to be internal, and over my entire body, fingers, hands, arms, thighs, legs, even stomach.  Sometimes these are quit annoying, and embarrassing, like when I am holding something in my hands and I am jerking. I have mentioned this to my dialysis nurses, my nephr, and my internist.  I have just been told it is probably from the toxins that have not been removed from my system from dialysis. I do find that this problem is worse at times than others. Just wondering if others have found this problem?

[Rerun]

Yours sounds extreme.  What I've noticed while on dialysis is when I start to stretch.......I can't quit.  I can't just life one arm or something.  I have to stretch and then my whole body goes into it.  I look like a spaz.  Also, when I almost fall asleep I'll jerk awake.

[Fighter]

On the night following dialysis (I do evening sessions), I often get these little spasm-like movements in my calf. It doesn't really bother me but it's strange and I can't stop it even if I try to keep my leg really still. I think it only happens when I'm slightly under my dry weight, so it could be cramp-related. I feel like sometimes these tiny spasms are preludes to cramps, though most of the time I get through the night without cramping.

[angela515]

Sometimes I get like little cramp like spasms inside my tummy where my PD cath is. Usually it happens when I bend over to tie my shoes or pick something up... idunno why... it dont hurt though, its wierd.

[angieskidney]

I have jumped awake at times when I am sleeping. Annoying when you are having a real good dream and then go back to sleep and you dream a sucky dream

[knmiller]

I've had similar situations where my legs will start twitching.  I'm concerned at first thinking that a massive cramp is coming down the pipe, but they usually don't progress that far....just twitch.  It's annoying as hell.  It's usally in my lower thigh or right calf.  Nowhere else...strange.

[jonn r]

welcome to my world........i get this every night while i am in bed it happnes the most....i HATE it...i joke about it sometimes with my girlfriend....it helps me forget about it atleast for a little while

[Joe Paul]

I guess in a way I'm lucky in that its just fingers or my thumbs that go into "jerking" spells. Seems to be more in my right arm, thats where my fistula is.

[angela515]

I have RLS, and what yu describe happening sounds lie RLs, but if it's not, it still sounds like what happens to me sometimes, but hasn't in a long time beause I take Requip, which is for RLS.. don't kow if you have tried that but it works wonders. I ued to take a medicine for Parkinsons Disease (i dont got it, but they gave it to me for RLS before Requip came out..) and it helped with that jerking problem too, b/c as you know ppl with Parkinsons have a lot of jerking and twitching, and that medicine stops it. Ask your doctor. There is something they can give you to help you.. you shouldnt have to suffer evrynight. 

[AlasdairUK]

If this happens, what are your sodium, calcium levels? As this could be causing the cramps.

If I go a bit dry I get a spasm in my ribcage.

[Ken Shelmerdine]

My wife Rita says I twitch a lot in my sleep.

[billable]

My wife had such severe jerking while she was on PD that neither of us could sleep.  I found the following information very helpful.  I printed it for our doctor and highlighted the parts that I felt were helpful.

I wasn't comfortable with requip because it was fairly new and hadn't been tested in ESRD.

http://www.rls.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?&id=6.

The treatment recommendations in here were what our doctor used and it worked.  I hope it helps you

[angieskidney]

My wife Rita says I twitch a lot in my sleep.

Ya I didn't realize how much I jump and twitch in my sleep til Sandman told me just how bad I am! I really didn't realize!! 

My wife had such severe jerking while she was on PD that neither of us could sleep. I found the following information very helpful. I printed it for our doctor and highlighted the parts that I felt were helpful.

I wasn't comfortable with requip because it was fairly new and hadn't been tested in ESRD.

http://www.rls.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?&id=6.

The treatment recommendations in here were what our doctor used and it worked. I hope it helps you

WOW thank you for that link!! 

[nextnoel]

I dated an involuntary jerk once.

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

[sandman]

Wow.  I was just reading that link and I came across this....

Because RLS may be the only clinical indication of iron deficiency, clinicians should determine the serum ferritin level in all patients with RLS, especially those with a history of gastrointestinal blood loss, disorders or medications predisposing to gastrointestinal blood loss, menorrhagia, frequent blood donation, or recent onset or worsening of symptoms. If the serum ferritin level concentration is in the abnormal range for the specific laboratory (usually <20mcg/L) or percent iron saturation is low (generally <20%), a cause of iron deficiency should be pursued and replacement treatment instituted. A serum ferritin concentration lower than 45 to 50mcg/L has been associated with an increased severity of RLS,80,81 and therapy can be attempted in patients with levels in this range on a case-by-case basis. A common regimen is 325 mg of ferrous sulphate three times a day in combination with 100 to 200 mg of vitamin C with each dose to enhance absorption.

[Zach]

Wow.  I was just reading that link and I came across this....

Because RLS may be the only clinical indication of iron deficiency, clinicians should determine the serum ferritin level in all patients with RLS, especially those with a history of gastrointestinal blood loss, disorders or medications predisposing to gastrointestinal blood loss, menorrhagia, frequent blood donation, or recent onset or worsening of symptoms. If the serum ferritin level concentration is in the abnormal range for the specific laboratory (usually <20mcg/L) or percent iron saturation is low (generally <20%), a cause of iron deficiency should be pursued and replacement treatment instituted. A serum ferritin concentration lower than 45 to 50mcg/L has been associated with an increased severity of RLS,80,81 and therapy can be attempted in patients with levels in this range on a case-by-case basis. A common regimen is 325 mg of ferrous sulphate three times a day in combination with 100 to 200 mg of vitamin C with each dose to enhance absorption.

Is this for hemodialysis patients?  The vitamin C dose is a bit high for us.

[sandman]

Actually, im not sure zach.  But I got that from the link that billable posted so....