Does anyone else have these? Mine start in the early hours about 2am and continue till I get up around 7am. They start in my left flank with spasms and then work their way round to the front. It's like I've got triplets inside kicking the living daylights out of me! I try to think of it as brain re-wiring but the pain is overwhelming till I get up and start moving. After that, it goes away till the next morning. I'm hoping that when I start my neuro-physio week after next, they can do something to help. It's a recent thing too. Normally, the muscle spasms are in my left leg and foot but 4 weeks ago it started in my back just above my waistline on the left side. Sometimes it's so strong, my back lifts off the bed in a jerk.
I have not had these, but quite early on, when my weak hand came back to life, I got terrible throbbing pain in my fingers in bed at night. I was prescribed Baclofen, which helped, but this medicine has some pretty nasty side effects if you take a high dose. Fortunately, I was on the lowest dose. One night I decided to go without medication and see how long the pain lasted. It lasted an hour and a half and then stopped. I came off Baclofen, because I decided to let my brain do it’s work. That pain stopped in time, but my brain still does occasionally what I call ‘testing’. It will move muscles on my weak side and lift my arm or send what feels like an electric shock down my fingers or toes. I find this quite intriguing. Nowadays, I sleep quite well but the blooming fatigue is still with me and I could do without it.
You describe it perfectly! Whatever it is that happens causes involuntary movement and shocks through the body. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my kidney because it always starts in that area but having googled just about everything related to back spasms, I've convinced myself it must be brain wiring going on! If I get any sense out of the neuro-physiotherapist next week, I'll let you know!
Just found & registered with site .
after suffering a RH side posterior stroke causing loss of some peripheral LH side vision I was diagnosed and MRI ‘D 2 months after date of stroke
2 years on I still struggle with sleep pattern only managing 4hours max at a time.
Butmy major problem is chronic back spasms which last around 4 to 5 hours daily which cause lots of pain .Any one else got any tips.
The only thing I've found that helps muscle spasms is a soak in a hot bath.
Janet
Dear Snoopy
I am 2 years ahead of you. I start by saying that everything does improve, even though its slow.
If you dont get good sleep then other recovery is very hard.
I have a very firm mattress and woke up with pain every day. I switched for a softer mattress (quite firm, just not as firm as the other one !) and this helped quite a bit. Its a good mattress, being pocket sprung, but was not expensive and bought for the spare bedroom.
I did some gentle yoga and the yogi was just so knowledgeable. She got me standing in odd ways and hey presto, some of the compalining muscles released and the pains fell away. She suggested there were burnt nerve endings. There is so much to learn about our body and help is pretty good.
BTW gentle yoga does not include strange stances and in fact hardly involves standing at all. Might also be referred to as seated yoga.
Best wishes
Clin
Thanks Colin
very reassuring
Thanks Janet
that helps me too along with multiple hot water bottles