PLMD Anyone?

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:07 pm

In addition to OSA, I have been told my larger problem is PLMD, or Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, which so far no one has addressed. I just got my CPAP machine and am waiting for the mask to arrive tomorrow, but what good will that do me when they said during my sleep study, I awakened four times an hour from the respiratory arousal and 14 times an hour from the PLMD? I am a bit overwhelmed right now since I don't know what to do for the PLMD. I have a call in to my useless doctor, who I will be switching as soon as I find a referral of a better PCP from someone else. I just feel so defeated treating one problem when there is another one larger disturbing my sleep that I don't know how to go about dealing with. Hey, such is life, I guess. Every time you think you're dealing with one thing, another ten pop up and bite you in the butt...have a nice weekend, all.

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:27 pm

Hi Lori,

There are lots of previous posts here on the forum under PLMS and PLMD and RLS (They're all the same thing.) Click on the word: Search
at the top of this page. Then enter: PLMS
and you'll get 13 threads on the subject! Lots of reading, but definitely worth it!

Any topic you're curious about can usually obtained through the Search function.

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:36 pm

Hi Lori, me again,

This article is pretty good. (I just googled PLMS.) Click on:

http://www.helpguide.org/aging/restless ... me_rls.htm

Hang in there! You will get through this!!!!!!

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 5:11 pm

Thank you. I'm going to go check all the info you gave me. Pleasant dreams. And I hope you can change your name to Always-sleeps real soon.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:13 pm

Hey Sleepless,

I was told I have PLMD when I went in for my sleep study, although I didn't need the lab to tell me that. It is something that has kept me up at night for sometime now.

I mentioned it to my doctor a few months ago and he started treating me for it. We started with Clonazepam, which didn't do much for me, so the sleep specialist started me on Mirapex. The jury is still out on that. I've been on that medication for about a week now. Hopefully, it will do some good. Regardless of if the medication works, being on a CPAP has made a difference for me. I've been able to breath alot better at night, although I'm still getting used to using the machine. And as the sleep specialist said, the PLMD won't hurt you physically, but not treating the OSA can hurt you in the form of high blood pressure, stroke, or heart disease.

So, regardless of if you can get the leg movements under control, it is still worth using the CPAP machine to treat the OSA.

Take care, and I hope that it gets better for you.

texan27028 · Post by **texan27028** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:14 pm

Oops, I seem to have 'guested' myself on the last post. My bad.....

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:22 pm

Thanks for your info. My concern was that the PLMD seems to far outnumber the amount of arousals I had of OSA. So even if I was able to get the OSA under control and bring down my BP, which is a problem, although not that bad, I will still be exhausted if I'm having a lot of arousals due to the PLMD (all these acronyms!!!). Then I just read that CPAP therapy (another acronym) can help alleviate, in some cases, PLMD episodes. After reading some of the other postings, I guess 14 PLMDs per hour is not that bad. I read where some people have over 50. I guess I just have to wait and see what happens. This is a very stressful and scary time in my life and baby steps are what I have to resign myself to take at the moment. Sort of like what they say in AA, one day at a time. Thanks for your input.

sleepwalker103 · Post by **sleepwalker103** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:07 pm

Hi, sorry to learn you have what I refer to as RLS. I have it too, and it's bugging me this very moment. It mostly bothers me when I am trying to sleep, but often pops up during the daytime, too. I took a med called Clonazepam for a while, and it really worked great for me. When I had to switch doctors about a year ago, the new one said he did not want me to take it - go figure... So I just deal with it without meds. My daughter has the same problem, and she is on Clonazepam and likes it. When it gets really bothersome, I get up and walk in place a lot, or sometimes go for a walk, or even just stand and shake my legs. This helps me to cope with it. I hope you get some relief very soon. I've been on CPAP for 4 years, but had the RLS thing for more than ten years. I have found that CPAP has no impact on RLS, but LOTS OF IMPACT on my overall well being, so stay with the treatment, no matter what.

Best regards,
Patricia

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:39 am

Thank you, Pat, for the info and encouragement. My husband, who has RSD and some other ailments, although none of the ones to which these messages boards are dedicated, takes Clonazepam, too. I know some doctors do not like to prescribe it as it is very habit-forming. Perhaps this doctor is like the one I go to, who does everything in her power to keep from writing any prescriptions that are of that type, habit-forming. Unfortunately, it was helping you and now you are not getting any help at all. Maybe you could seek out a specialist who would write the script for you. I spoke with my doctor last night who said, in some cases, CPAP will help with the PLMD. They want to try that route first before they prescribe anything for it. I agree, the less chemicals in my body, the better.
Best of luck to you. Keep your spirits up!!!

christinequilts · Post by **christinequilts** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:43 am

My mom was Dxed with PLMD along with OSA and like you she had a lot more arousals from PLMD then OSA. When she went back for her titration she hardly had any- for some reason CPAP can really make a difference. She did try Miraplex but didn't like the side effects. She is taking an iron supplement- there have been some studies that show a higher blood level of iron can help with PLMD. She gets her iron checked every so many months- it has to be on the high end of normal which can be confusing if the person reviewing your results doesn't realize it so she always request a copy of the lab work.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:55 am

Wow, I will talk to my doctor about what you said about the iron count. Thank you so much for that info. And it was comforting to hear that the CPAP did, in fact, seem to help as far as the study went in even seeing that she did, in fact, have PLMD after being on the therapy. Thanks for giving me some concrete hope. I truly appreciate it.

Ann N. · Post by **Ann N.** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 11:42 am

Hi Sleepless- Welcome to the board! I also have both OSA and PLMS (PLMD). When I was first tested nearly two years ago, my AHI was 98 (severe is 30 or above) and my PLMI (ave. hourly Periodic Limb Movement Index) was 78 (severe is 50 or above). My pulmonologist thought that we should wait to treat the PLMS until I had been on xPAP for awhile because sometimes treating OSA also decreases PLMS.

This past spring after I had been on BiPAP at high pressure for 1 1/2 years, and still not feeling as good as I should, I had another sleep test, and while my treated AHI was reduced to less than two from 98, my PLMI was still at 75. This is evidently what accounted for my not feeling as well as I should-- still tired or sleepy a couple of hours after I wake up. PLMS, thought to be neurological in origin, is treated with medicine usually used for Parkinson's disease. So, two weeks or so ago my pulmonologist put me on a low dose of Requip, a Parkinson's medicine, which was recently approved by the FDA for RLS. The directions were that if I saw no improvement within a few days I was to double my dosage. However, I read several places on the internet that it might take a few or several weeks for it to start making a difference. Since I prefer not to take any more medicine than necessary, I have not increased it even though I do not feel any improvement yet. There are several medicines available to treat PLMS but I gather from the boards that a person soon develops a tolerance to a particular medicine, and has to then keep increasing the dosage. I think that I will learning more to the next several weeks to come.

I want to make one adjustment to one of the previous posts where the poster inferred that there is not as much risk to someone with PLMS as there is with OSA. PLMS also causes sleep disturbances (as given by the PLMI) similar to OSA. PLMS can lead to sleep deprivation, perhaps even severe sleep deprivation, thus could also cause many of the problems that OSA does. Both need to be taken seriously and treated appropriately as necessary.
Ann

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 11:51 am

Ann, my heart goes out to you. You sound like you are going through a living hell. I really hope this medicine is your answer. To have both situations be so severe. I am glad to hear your OSA is much better. I'm sure they will find the right medication to help you deal with the PLMD. I read somewhere that a TENS unit used 10-15 minutes before bedtime helps some people with it. Have you spoken with your doctor about that? It would be an alternative to meds. in the body. I agree, the less chemicals the better. My situation seems to be far less drastic than a lot that I've read. My respiratory arousals per hour were 4 point something and PLMD arousals were 14 point something, totaling 19 per hour. When I read what others are suffering with, I'm ashamed to feel sorry for myself at all. But I guess sleep deprivation at any level is horrible.
I wish you the best in trying to solve this problem. Please post and let us know how you make out. Good luck.

Ann N. · Post by **Ann N.** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:08 pm

Sleepless Guest-

Thanks for your compassionate response-- and to think I didn't even mention my severe asthma, and my arthritis, etc. in my above post!!

We all do what we have to do. We have to play the hand we are dealt. I am still working full time and hope to continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Sometimes that is problematic though.

Good luck with your quest for better health. At least you are addressing your sleep related problems before then get too much out of control.

Ann

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