Restless and Moving Muscles During Sleep
There are two separate sleep disorders that are confused, not only by patients, but by sleep doctors themselves! “Restless leg syndrome“ (RLS) and “Periodic leg movements in sleep.” (PLMS)
Restless leg syndrome is when people have creeping sensations in their legs and feel that they must move their legs.
Periodic leg movements in sleep are when the leg muscles twitch and jerk on their own.
In the Encyclopedia of Polio and PPS you can find our articles on periodic leg movements in sleep that we call Generalized Random Myoclonus, since in polio survivors muscles can twitch and jump not just in the legs but in the arms, hands, chest and abdomen.
We found that the treatment for muscles twitching and jumping is a low dose of alprazolam 30 minutes before sleep. Sleep doctors will often try to give you dopamine stimulating drugs like Mirapex or Provigil. Polio survivors should never take anything that either stimulates or blocks dopamine receptors in the brain because the dopamine system was severely damaged by the poliovirus and dopamine receptors on neurons either multiply and turn up their sensitivity, or hide and turn down their sensitivity, depending on the medication that is given. These drugs can cause marked fatigue and a permanent movement disorder with a Parkinson's-like tremor.
Talk to your doctor or sleep specialist and make sure that they know the difference between RLS and PLMS and how to treat these conditions in a polio survivor.
Bottom line: Polio survivors should never mess with dopamine in the brain!
The Encyclopedia of Polio and Post-Polio Sequelae contains all of Dr. Richard Bruno’s articles, monographs, commentaries and “Bruno Bytes”