I did some reading on this as well a friend who is also living with arachnoiditis sent me some info on it, it might be something called restless leg syndrome. I will have to talk with my doc some more to see what she thinks as I do not get pain in the right leg but it is the one that has the reflex actions while the left leg does not have the reflex action, just the pain and numbness. It looks like two of the causes are caffeine and elavil. I have cut back on the caffeine but the elavil is something that I take to help me sleep. I was actually thinking of asking the doc to increase the dosage of the elavil to 50mg to help me sleep better. I guess that might not be such a good idea if it is one of the causes of the problem waking me up. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I will see what she says on the 15th.
Restless Leg Syndrome At A Glance
Restless leg syndrome is a condition marked by unpleasant leg sensations at bedtime.
Restless leg syndrome frequency leads to insomnia.
The cause of restless leg syndrome is unknown in most patients, but many conditions have been associated with it.
Treatment of restless leg syndrome is directed toward any underlying illness, if known.
Medications are available for restless leg syndrome.
These are some of the symptoms of the restless leg syndrome and the site shows that elavil is one suspect in the cause of this. They do list some meds that can help in controlling this including darvocet which I prefer not take because of it's tylenol content, neurontin which I will not take because of side effects and the current pending civil suit. One of the drugs they mention diazepam more commonly known as valium but I have concerns about it as well because of it is apparently considered highly addictive. I know I have talked about the pain factor negating the addiction factors but it is still a concern. The site also lists Ultram which I was on after my surgery and did not like. It is also something that can cause seizures if used in conjunction with meds like elavil. Of course if that was something she decided to prescribe we would certainly need to change the elavil as it is what is known as a Tri-Cyclic antidepressants and when taken with some other drugs it can cause seizures.
See, one aspect that having some thing like this brings to light is that you really need to get on the web and read all you can on the possible meds they have available and any contraindications they might have. Since many people see more then one doctor it gets risky getting meds. Some docs will ask what else you are on and some will not and this can be a huge problem. You would think by filling all the prescriptions at the same pharmacy the pharmacist would catch it, but they don't. I had this problem with the elavil, neurontin and ultram after my surgery. I had them prescribed by 3 different doctors and the pharmacy certainly did not catch it. When I asked the pharmacist about it he said not to worry, but it wasn't his life so why should he care? Bottom line is it is up to you to pay attention to all your meds and what harm they may cause when taken with other meds. If you think there may be contraindications between 2 make sure you talk to your doctor about it before taking them. Even then if you feel uncomfortable about taking them express this to your doctor, and if they refuse to change meds with what you think is a reasonable request then it is time to find a new doctor.
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