Think My BoyFriend Has PLMD, Does He Need To Get Checked/Medicated?

[btek1018]

My boyfriend and I have been sleeping in the same bed every night for almost 3 years. Occasionally, I've noticed that when he starts to fall asleep his body will twitch consistently for a few minutes. I sort of compare it to a car when you're done driving it and it begins to cool down and it sort of makes that light cracking noise for a few minutes.

The twitching isn't really violent--not like when you're startled awake for a second, although sometimes that happens too. Mostly it's like a little pulse that will travel from his shoulders to finger tips or cause his legs to twitch or flex his feet. I know it's been happening at least a few years because I can remember back several years when it was happening and I was not particularly worried. It also doesn't happen every night because I think I would have been more cognizant of that too. Once he's fully asleep, the twitching stops and he's completely still. The only other times of the night I have noticed is either if he's awakened and is falling back to sleep or in the early morning hours (perhaps coming out of deep sleep?).

Lately I've noticed it a bit more frequently. For example, it's happened every night this week. I don't know why but all the sudden I got really anxious about it and started googling everything. I even took a video of him one night that shows his subtle leg twitch because he didn't believe me. After reading some of the stuff I saw online about PLMD he says that sometimes he'll wake up with sore calves and not know why.

We are both very active and work out several times per week but lately our schedules have been really hectic and stressful and neither one of us has gotten to the gym enough. I am wondering if there is a correlation between stress and flare ups of PLMD because he's also been really worried about his job for about a month because of the economy. Also, if it's at all relevant, we're both normal height and weight so not sure this would be sleep apnea. He rarely snores--usually only if we've been drinking.

I don't want him to take meds for this if really the only reason would be to keep me from noticing because it hasn't been a huge deal. And he isn't fatigued consistently during the day. There have been occasional times when he's said, "I am really tired today" even if we've gotten a full night sleep so I am thinking perhaps this is related, but it's not a regular thing.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I think now that we're both on edge about this a little and trying to be vigilant about noticing when it's happening that we need some outside advice. Thank you in advance if you take the time to answer my post.

[wendy olmeda]

Hi there,
Just joined and saw your post.
if the kicks/jerking have continued since your last post on here, he prob. needs a chat with the doc, video eviidence would help support the diagnosis.
I take an rx for mine, but what helps me a lot is soaking in epsom salt baths. for some reason, the magnesium sulfate, really penetrates well and helps soothe musles and calm them down a lot. Also, many people swear by a bar of soap under the sheets, around the foot of the bed (don't know how, but supposedly it does work).
Hope it helps you guys some,
w.