Restless legs along with Cpap

chrisp...

Apparently, anything from the posterior down to the feet can affect the nerves being pinched. Couple this with a dietary deficiency and it's really aggravating.

newsgrouper,


I'm scheduled for the sleep study next thursday. I already know I'm stopping breathing, and then I jerk my limbs when I re-awaken. I'm wondering what more the study will determine.

Do they measure things like heart rate, blood pressure, etc?

Hi. If you google SLEEP STUDY you'll find tons of information. Like:

How It Is Done

Sleep studies are usually monitored by a trained sleep lab technician and are usually scheduled for evening and night hours (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) in a specially designed sleep laboratory. You will be given a private room, much like a hotel room.

Arrive at the sleep lab a few hours before testing begins to allow time for the technician to prepare you for the study.

You will be asked to complete a questionnaire about your sleep habits and patterns before the sleep study, and you will be asked to complete another questionnaire after the study about the quality of your sleep during the study.

Polysomnographic study
For a polysomnographic (PSG) study, small metal discs called electrodes will be attached with an adhesive to your head and body. (After the study, the technician may use a dissolver to remove the adhesive from your skin.) The electrodes record your brain activity, eye movements, muscle movements, heart rhythm and rate, leg and chest movements, blood carbon dioxide levels, and snoring. The number of electrodes depends on the type of sleep study being done.

Elastic belts will be placed around your chest and abdomen to measure your breathing. Your blood oxygen levels will be monitored by a small clip (called an oximeter) placed either on the tip of your index finger or on your earlobe.

The electrodes, elastic belts, and oximeter are designed to be as comfortable as possible and should not interfere with your ability to sleep. At the beginning of the test, you will be asked to perform a few tasks, such as blinking your eyes and holding your breath. This is done to make sure the equipment is operating correctly. Polysomnographic recording equipment and video monitors will record your movements and activities while you sleep; the technician will be in a separate room monitoring the data being recorded.

If your doctor suspects you may have a breathing problem during sleep (such as sleep apnea), you may need to wear a device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. A CPAP machine increases air pressure in your throat, keeping tissues in the airway from collapsing when you breathe in. The CPAP machine delivers air or extra oxygen through a mask that fits either around your nose or around your nose and mouth. The mask over the nose is used most frequently.

For most polysomnographic studies, you will be required to spend at least 6 hours overnight in the sleep lab.

See http://my.webmd.com/hw/sleep_disorders/aa80509.asp
for the entire article.

RLS sufferers frequently also have PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder) as well, but it is possible to have PLMD with out RLS.

There are some other medications that can help with RLS/PLMD, although Mirapex and Requip are probably the best. Talk to your doc and see about adding others or trying others...usually like neurontin or an opiate...you want to stay away from the diazepams as it will not be good for the OSA (relaxes your throat etc. even more when you sleep).

There are two excellent sites about RLS/PLMD, one is the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation and the other is the Southern California RLS website. I would suggest checking them out. They have a great deal of information including (especially southern california) medical info and a doc who answers questions etc.

Rock and Roll-- In addition to my severe OSA (AHI = 98) and asthma (sometimes hospitalized), etc., I was recently diagnosed with severe Periodic Limb Movement in Sleep (PLMI = 75; above 50 is considered severe). About 3 weeks ago I was started on Requip (.25 MG before bedtime), with instructions to double the dose in a few days if it did not help. I actually waited for two weeks before increasing the dosage. Now after having been on .50 MG/day for a week, I still haven't noticed much of a difference. However, I read that it takes a few weeks before the effect is felt, in which case, perhaps I was too hasty to increase the dosage. (Requip, a drug usually used for Parkinson's, was just recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for use with RLS in the U.S.)

I believe that RLS and PLMS are officially considered two different, but similar, conditions, and that an individual often has both. In my case, I noticeably experience the daytime condition RLS sometimes when I am sitting for awhile. Unpleasant but usually not too bad, however the PLMS is very active at night, causing sleep deprivation, general daytime tiredness, etc. I live alone so it is only my subjective judgement about whether the PLMS has diminished or not, as I don't consciously wake up when it happens, just like most of us don't fully wake up when we have apneas. Maybe I should arrange to videotape myself while sleeping? Has anyone done that?

Anyway, I also would like to know what others have done about RLS and PLMS. Thank you, Rock and Roll, for starting this string, and thanks to those to contribute to it.

Ann.

Re; my last post above--

At least I can smile about my AHI = 98 !!

Ann

I always thought my restless legs were just another symptom of being hyperactive. But my sleep study said otherwise. After a YEAR and THREE sleep studies, THEN my sleep doc suggested I "try" some medication for RLS. I have just starting taking the anti-spasmodic Gabapentin(generic)used for this and I am playing around with the dosage. If I take too little it does nothing. If I take too much, I am groggy all the next day. I also have to try to take it not too late at night, or I wake up groggy.

I HATE being "strung out" on anything, but dang it, the meds combined with CPAP seems to be working.

I HAVE been testing for iron level, at the request of the sleep doc and i am ok. I also take all sorts of other supplements too, so its likely NOT a lack of anything. I was HOPING for to be low iron, which indeed is a common cause.

Sort of seems worrisome when they can't tell you what is CAUSING it though, when the meds are the same as for Parkinson and the symptoms are very similar.

Snork, you have that right. My Mirapex is also a Parkinsons as well and I can tell when I am two hours late taking it.

I was on Requip 1mg 3 pills in am, 2 pills 4pm and 3 pills bedtime.

Mirapex 2 pils .25mg in am, 1 pill in pm and 2 pills bedtime.

This holds me for at least 6 to 8 hours depending how active I am.

Maybe I should arrange to videotape myself while sleeping? Has anyone done that?

Hi Ann,

I video taped myself sleeping a few weeks ago, after being diagnosed with OSA. Was just curious as to what was going on while asleep. To be honest, in my case, it was nothing dramatic, just alot of snoring and then tossing and turning, not staying in one position for more than a few minutes at a time. I do not have PLMS, so there really wasn't much to see.

The worst part about it was having to sleep with a small light on (my camcorder does not have any kind of night vision) about 25watts, I think, for the camera. One mistake I did make, was the light was behind me, meaning, I was between the camera and the light, making some of the taping difficult to see at all due to shadows.

I hooked the camera up to my VCR and set the VCR (I had to remove the tape from the camera, before I could get a signal out of the camera, not sure why, but that's the only way it would work) to ELP mode, for 6 hrs., then connected the VCR to the TV so I could make sure I was getting the view I wanted. Had most of the lights on when I did that, so didn't realize the problem with the lighting, at the time.

Hope this helps,

Boomer

Umm... Neversleeps??

Monitors CO2 levels? That is a blood gas. This was not done during any of my sleep studies (3 so far that were valid tests) The only accurate way to do this is with ABG testing (arterial blood gasses). Some have tried it by recording how much CO2 is exhaled as compared to the O2 taken in, but this has been found to be unreliable.

(Sure would be nice and make life a lot easier for many of us if they could do that - accurately - without sticking you!)

- JB

I haven't taped myself sleeping yet, but I'm thinking about it. The longest I've ever kept my mask on is three hours. I don't remember taking it off, and I have no idea why I do. So, obviously, I don't know what needs correcting.

Very frustrating.

Boomer-

Thanks for sharing your video taping experience. It sounds as though it can be done. Now I will have to see if I can borrow a camcorder, then see if I can get it to work!

Ann

ahujudybear,

You're right! It is odd they mentioned the C02 level monitoring--I certainly didn't have ABG testing done at my sleep study!

I just copied and pasted the info from the article listed at the bottom of the post you are referring to. Apparently they made an error? Or they know something we don't? Beats me!!

rock and roll wrote:I am getting really achey restless legs of late, they actually hurt and while I sleep and after a strong dose of Mirapex, they relax but I am getting them during the day now. I had my annual checkup today and he did say that I am getting symptoms of type two diabetes and did the blood work which I will get results of next week. Question is for those whom have the same thing is have you found anything to relieve these aches generally and especially waiting for the Mirapex or what ever you take to take effect?

All I needed was another ailment to deal with,

Hey, RR -- I have found two things that help: hot water and massage. If I get a bad attack, I fill up my tub with hot water and soak in that, or apply my electric massager. The hot water seems to work better, but the massager helps too. Taking a walk around the block actually helps, but only while I'm walking ... Min