sleep

[Kristina1]

I have trouble falling asleep mainly due to my hand. When I lay down to sleep I get strong fasiculations that shoot down my arm and jerk my fingers. My hand also will involuntarily clench to the point of my nails painfully digging into my palm. If I lay my hand palm down on the bed it hurts my fingers (they can't straighten comfortably). But other positions give me pins and needles. I end up having to use a whole pillow to prop my arm and hand on and then find a position for my fingers that both doesn't hurt and doesn't start pins and needles. Between all that it can be really hard to fall asleep.

My neuro suggested medical marijuana to help with this but I'm not comfortable going that route. I do take gabapentin right now, which helps me fall asleep, but I seem to build a tolerance to it quickly so we are constantly upping the dose which I don't think is a longterm solution. I am also taking magnesium but haven't noticed an effect.

Any ideas?

 

[Nikki J]

Maybe you should try a nighttime splint for your hand if it can put you in a comfortable position? Or even a rolled wash cloth?

I am currently using Magnesium spray for sleep. I do think it helps in a different way than oral magnesium which I have taken for a couple of years. I have been spraying it on my lower legs as they are the location of my twitching and rare cramping. I am not sure if it helps that or if I simply don't notice it as much as I fall asleep faster

 

[KW1234]

There is a topical CBD product called FLOW which is popular here in the Northwest for joint and muscle issues. I have a finger that likes to curl that when I splint it throbs. I am going to try this stuff to see if it helps.

 

[KimT]

Most people take in too much calcium and not enough magnesium. I would use both topical and oral magnesium. Titrate the oral up until your bowels are loose, then back off by a little. When I up my dairy consumption, cramping gets much worse. Calcium makes your muscles contract while magnesium makes them relax.

 

[Kristina1]

What is a nighttime splint?

I will look into the magnesium spray. Kim, very interesting about calcium and worse cramps. I do consume a good amount of dairy.

 

[affected]

Splints are used to keep the fingers from curling. You can get single finger splints or entire hand splints.

It may help to understand why the fingers are curling - it is atrophy of the muscles in the forearm. Possibly having a good massage of the forearms and hands with a magnesium product just before bed, then splinting the hand and using a pillow to support it could help a lot?

 

[Suzannah]

Hi Kristina,

Here's a picture of the nighttime splint that I use for both of my hands.
Restorative hand - Neurorehabdirectory.comNeurorehabdirectory.com

The padding is soft so it is comfortable to wear, but the inside is rigid and keeps my hands from curling up too much. They bring a lot of relief when I put them on at night, but I often end up ripping them off in the middle of the night (I presume. I often wake up without them, without memory of having taken them off).

I got mine from my occupational therapist. She knew the right type that I needed and adjusted them correctly. Do you have an OT or PT to ask?

--Suzannah

 

[bkite]

Early in my diagnosis I had clawing or clenching into fists of both hands. The ALS Clinic Doctor ordered hand splints that were custom made at the local occupational therapy clinic. These really helped me at night to have comfort.

Bruce