No more robitussin!

Well the cold I have been trying to avoid has arrived. My head feels like it is about to explode and I am so congested it hurts. I did however learn something, when you are on MS-Contin (Morphine) robitussin CM will KICK YOUR BUTT! I could not get to sleep last night as every time I tried to lay down the congestion made it difficult to breathe. I finally said screw it and took the robitussin and seconds later my entire body got that warm flushed feeling. I guess I need to run to the pharmacy and grab a different cold medicine.

Since we are talking about sleep I thought I would give some coverage to restless leg syndrome, which for some odd reason I seem to have developed in conjunction with the arachnoiditis. If you have never heard of this basically what happens (at least for me) is that while trying to sleep your legs basically spasm and kick almost like if hit with the reflex mallet. It wakes you up often or worse it prevents you from falling asleep.

Restless Leg Syndrome

What is Restless Legs Syndrome?


Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations of the legs and an urge to move them for relief. Because symptoms are intensified by inactivity and lying down, RLS patients often have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Left untreated, RLS causes exhaustion and fatigue, which can affect occupational performance, social activities, and family life. Most prevalence estimates are around 2 to 5 percent of the population, although many more may be affected because the disorder is often not diagnosed. Severe RLS is more common in the elderly, affecting an estimated 10 to 11 percent, although symptoms may develop at any age. One cause for RLS is probably a defect in brain mechanisms that rely on the signaling chemical, dopamine. Dopamine levels follow a circadian cycle, and are at their lowest at night when RLS symptoms are the worst.

There is often a positive family history of the disorder. Individuals affected with the disorder describe the sensations as pulling, drawing, crawling, wormy, boring, tingling, pins and needles, prickly, and sometimes painful sensations that are usually accompanied by an overwhelming urge to move the legs.Movement provides temporary relief from the discomfort. About 80 percent of RLS patients also have periodic limb movement disorder, which is characterized by repetitive stereotyped movements of the limbs, primarily the legs, during sleep. Periodic limb movement disorder is also referred to as periodic leg movements (PLMs), nocturnal myoclonus, periodic movements in sleep (PMS), and leg jerks. These movements typically occur every 20 to 40 seconds and may be associated with repeated arousal and severely fragmented sleep.

Is there any treatment?

Treatment for restless legs syndrome is symptomatic. Massage and application of cold compresses may provide temporary relief. Medications such as temazepam, levodopa/carbidopa, bromocriptine, pergolide mesylate, oxycodone, propoxyphene, and codeine are effective in relieving the symptoms. However, many of these medications have side effects. Current research suggests correction of iron deficiency may improve symptoms for some patients.

What is the prognosis?

Restless legs syndrome is a life-long condition for which there is no cure. Symptoms may gradually worsen with age, and their most disabling feature is the sleep onset insomnia they cause, which can be severe.