Rem sleep rapid movement disorder

Posted by cfo @cfo, 3 days ago

Husband has been diagnosed with REM sleep rapid movement disorder. Treatments? Could serotonin poisoning be a cause? Symptoms , not being able to sleep without medication. Tremors and spasmodic movements during sleep. Verbal during sleep. Some muscle spasms when awake? Full discussion verbally during sleep, neurologist said not Parkinson without brain scan. Another neurologist said common white matter disease after mri. Treatment? Curative? What to do? Not really overly concerned about his hitting me occasionally during sleep with no injury.

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starbabyoh | @starbabyoh | 2 days ago

Hi! It's one of three sleep disorders I have - lucky me! I've had it for decades. It manifests as sleep talking and acting out dreams, Thank goodness I've never experienced sleep walking, unless I did as a child and wasn't told.

It wasn't until my last neurologist who simply prescribed 10 mg Melatonin, along with the med I always take for chronic insomnia, that I finally was able to get through the night without breaking something, throwing myself off the bed (ouch!), or being reminded of the ridiculous things I was saying as I slept.

I didn't believe her at first. That seemed way too simple of a suggestion, but she sent me studies about it. Yes, I'm stubborn and I've been gaslight by so many medical professionals in the past because I my medical history doesn't fit neatly into a box marked "cured". But I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, just so I could tell her I'd tried it and it didn't work. 😉 But damned if it did! And if I forget to take the Melatonin one night, my REM Movement Disorder is back again.

It's ridiculous how simple the answer was, especially being that I'm on quite a lot of pharmaceuticals for other conditions. All I know is that it works, and to already be in bed by the time I mix my sleep med & the melatonin, because I'm out before I know it. I hope that helps you!

Cheryl D | @nmrcdigman | 2 days ago

My husband was diagnosed with REM disorder about 10 years ago. He would get violent. The sleep doc explained that during REM sleep your body is actually paralyzed and you think you are falling off a cliff, that someone is chasing you, you are trying to open a door that won’t open..... When you break out of this you are acting out what you should be unable to do normally. Unfortunately, it is sometimes a signal that there could be neurological things that crop up decades later. My husband was told he could develop Alzheimer’s or Lewy Body Dementia. He has been diagnosed with LBD. It sucks.
His sleep doc has him on Melatonin (it comes from a compound pharmacy, not off the shelf at the drug store) and Clonazepam. She is very careful and monitors the dosage because with elders/dementia patients you must proceed with caution. But, at least we can sleep in the same bed and he gets good rest at night.
Good luck! Cheryl