For over three months I have been dealing with spasms in my left ankle. They always happen at night, usually around 3 or 4 in the morning. Once the spasms start, they come about 20 seconds apart, which makes it impossible to sleep. Each spasm starts with a tightening of a muscle (or tendon?) just below the ankle bone (bottom of the fibula). After a couple of seconds, there's a very quick spasm, which is a dorsiflexion of the foot. After the spasm, I can feel a relaxation of the muscles in that area until it starts all over again.
I have tried several different approaches to eliminate the spasms.
▪ Raising the foot of the bed
▪ Raising the foot and head of the bed
▪ Placing a bolster under my knee
▪ Placing a folded blanket under my calf
▪ Taking 2 ibuprofen earlier in the evening
▪ Increasing my baclofen from 60 mg to 80 mg per day
▪ Taking a Benadryl to help sleep through the spasms
▪ ? and various combinations of the above
On occasion, I've gone through 1-3 nights without spasms and thought that I had it licked. So far, they've always come back.
Just for reference, I have a C2-C3 incomplete injury. I stand every day using a bar attached to the wall that I hang on to for balance. I also use a modified spinning bike to exercise my legs about 2 or 3 times a week. (I sit behind the bike in a cushioned chair and use bicycle shoes that latch onto the pedals.) While sleeping, I have cushions at the bottom of the bed to prevent ankle drop. My wife has examined my foot every night and has found no swelling or redness in that area. I have absolutely no discomfort during the day. I've had my podiatrist and physiatrist examine the area and they did not see or feel anything unusual.
Any ideas? I'm not sure what my next steps should be. Possibly get an x-ray? Could this be an RLS issue?
I have tried several different approaches to eliminate the spasms.
▪ Raising the foot of the bed
▪ Raising the foot and head of the bed
▪ Placing a bolster under my knee
▪ Placing a folded blanket under my calf
▪ Taking 2 ibuprofen earlier in the evening
▪ Increasing my baclofen from 60 mg to 80 mg per day
▪ Taking a Benadryl to help sleep through the spasms
▪ ? and various combinations of the above
On occasion, I've gone through 1-3 nights without spasms and thought that I had it licked. So far, they've always come back.
Just for reference, I have a C2-C3 incomplete injury. I stand every day using a bar attached to the wall that I hang on to for balance. I also use a modified spinning bike to exercise my legs about 2 or 3 times a week. (I sit behind the bike in a cushioned chair and use bicycle shoes that latch onto the pedals.) While sleeping, I have cushions at the bottom of the bed to prevent ankle drop. My wife has examined my foot every night and has found no swelling or redness in that area. I have absolutely no discomfort during the day. I've had my podiatrist and physiatrist examine the area and they did not see or feel anything unusual.
Any ideas? I'm not sure what my next steps should be. Possibly get an x-ray? Could this be an RLS issue?
Nighttime Foot/Ankle Spasm
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