Myoclonic jerks is keeping me from sleep!

[headinthecloud]

Hi there I'm new to this and not sure how to go about. I've posted a thread here in 'Health Anxiety' but thinking now that this is a better place for it. After all it is a symptom!

About two months ago I was under a lot of stress (a health scare) for which I was hospitalised for a night and put on some strong antibiotics. Soon as I started the medication I've had these 'hypnic jerks'. It feels like an electric current going up my spine into my head inside somewhere. Every time I try to drift off to sleep I get jerked right out.

That sent me into a tail spin and I went into full anxiety disorder mode: stomach churning, hyperventilating, adrenaline surges... Was VERY UNPLEASANT! I went to see a CBT psychiatrist and he put me on some anti depressants (Mirtazapine) and sleeping tablets (Zopiclone) to help me sleep.

Since then, six weeks into treatment, my anxiety is manageable... But the jerks are STILL THERE! I notice that I'm being jerked OUT of sleep in the morning when the action of the sleeping tablets had worn off.

I think what's bothering me is this: no anxiety disorder textbook list myoclonic jerk as a typical symptom. are the jerks PART OF the disorder, or am I dealing with something that CAUSED it and is completely separate?

My psychiatrist would have me believe that it's a psychological problem. But I can't help thinking there might be a possibility that it's physiological? I don't have a lot of time to investigate as I've already been on sleeping tablets for a month. I just can't sit here and wait another month...

Any suggestions much appreciated!!

[PanchoGoz]

It's not necessarily psychological. He's a psychiatrist, it's his job to give absolutely everything a psychological cause, even if it's a bad case of hiccups.
It sounds like a side effect of the medication you were on - are you still on that medication? Other causes I've heard of: disrupted sleep pattern, high sugar diet, eating alot just before bed (bad for so many reasons).
I've not seen it listed as an anxiety symptom either as it's just one of those things people have in life. I get them a cople of times a month, but you clearly get it more than that. It may be purely your fear of having the jerks that is putting you in a nervous position before sleep.

[Sal W]

Hi headinthecloud! I had exactly the same thing back in march. I convinced myself I had a brain tumour, saw a neurologist, had a sleep study,have had further health scares and had a cytoscopy, ultrasound scans etc, all fine. My jerks are down to anxiety and being perimenopausal. I lost both my parents four months apart and was working flat out. I have always been anxious on occasion and have suffered panic attacks on and off for years (I am 48). My nervous system has gone into overdrive and my sleep neurologist said that jerks and twitches are perfectly normal at night and most people don't notice them. If you suffer from anxiety they seem more noticeable, generate more adrenaline and so a vicious circle. I really don't think there is anything to worry about. I am on 6mg diazepam a day and is still wake up in the night and morning with adrenaline jerks. They are much less now but still there. The nervous system takes time to settle and I believe they will go in time and I will taper off the diazepam. If you want to pm me please do, I am happy to share anything that might help as I know how scary this is. Sal x:)

[headinthecloud]

Hi Sal, your experience sounds just like mine. I've been diagnosed as having Health Anxiety with a touch of Generalise Anxiety Disorder. My anxiety disorder is much better and the stomach churning is much reduced. My sleep is also better. It used to be broken up a lot through the night but now a night's sleep feels more or less like what it used to be. Except for the fact that I'm having to take a zopiclone to fall asleep.

I'm seeing a neurologist at a Sleep clinic this afternoon and see what he says. I just want to rule out things like epilepsy, stroke, and serotonin syndrome etc. I WAS hyper tense and anxious when it first happened, but that was also the same time I had a bad reaction to antibiotic given to me.

I'm 42 and all this started on my birthday two months ago. I find myself thinking 'only if I'd looked after myself better' and 'I'd like to have my old self back'. I've been off work for a while and don't know how to be around cheerful people when this is hanging over me. Doesn't help that sleeping pill dependancy is one of the issues that's giving me anxiety (I've been using them now for over 6 weeks). I sort of pains me every night to have to take them. I've experimented with not using them, giving myself an hour to see if I can drift off naturally - but I always encounter the jerk.

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I'm now also taking supplements like magnesium and vitamins and omega 3 tablets like my life depends on them, hearing that that may help. so far can't say I've noticed a lot of difference.