Spaz
Neurology Now arrived today.
I read through parts that looked interesting. Something or another mentioned spasticity, or at least something relating to it.
So I loaded up the ol' Wikipedia, and through some expert hypertexting (if I do say so myself), came across spasmodic torticollis (which is basically involuntary jerkiness of the neck). One of the treatments - the most effective oral med, it seems - is the class called anticholinergics (inhibits acetylcholine - look it up!).
I happen to have ready access to an OTC anticholinergic, which is also an antihistamine (inhibits histamine - look it up!): diphenhydramine (known best by the brand name of "Benadryl"). I took 3 25mg pills earlier this evening (a normal 4-6 hour dose is 1-2, 25-50mg), in hopes of conducting an experiment.
I think that they've had a beneficial effect on my neck. I still feel a tightness in the left muscles, and there's almost an underlying urge to spaz, but actual spazzing has been limited (if present).
The downside - diphenhydramine has sedative effects. I feel drowsy. I'm not sure if the trade off is significant enough to attempt a regimen, but it may be effective enough to limit spazzing while reading or at the computer.
The further effect of this is that while it may be effective in reducing spazziness, the sedating effect makes it ineffective as a means of mitigating spazzing while driving - sedatives and automobiles don't mix. I'll need another solution here.
Sidenote - since I'm also self-medicating to help myself sleep (3-5 diphen pills most evenings, when I try to stick to a schedule, anyway, means 75-125mg a night), this is just another temporary stopgap. It's difficult to manage appointments, and more difficult still to make them productive, but I need to resolve both sleep and spaz issues. I can function only poorly, generally, socially, professionally, when my sleep schedule is erratic and dysfunctional, and while in many cases spazzing is just "annoying" (apart from the severe neck pains it causes, etc), it's downright dangerous when driving (an attack, a string of spasms, can easily eat up enough time and concentration to make the difference between safety and a collision), and combining the neck spasms with facial ticking, it's debilitating in social and professional situations (and terribly annoying and bothersome - and gets in the way of productivity - in various other situations).
I read through parts that looked interesting. Something or another mentioned spasticity, or at least something relating to it.
So I loaded up the ol' Wikipedia, and through some expert hypertexting (if I do say so myself), came across spasmodic torticollis (which is basically involuntary jerkiness of the neck). One of the treatments - the most effective oral med, it seems - is the class called anticholinergics (inhibits acetylcholine - look it up!).
I happen to have ready access to an OTC anticholinergic, which is also an antihistamine (inhibits histamine - look it up!): diphenhydramine (known best by the brand name of "Benadryl"). I took 3 25mg pills earlier this evening (a normal 4-6 hour dose is 1-2, 25-50mg), in hopes of conducting an experiment.
I think that they've had a beneficial effect on my neck. I still feel a tightness in the left muscles, and there's almost an underlying urge to spaz, but actual spazzing has been limited (if present).
The downside - diphenhydramine has sedative effects. I feel drowsy. I'm not sure if the trade off is significant enough to attempt a regimen, but it may be effective enough to limit spazzing while reading or at the computer.
The further effect of this is that while it may be effective in reducing spazziness, the sedating effect makes it ineffective as a means of mitigating spazzing while driving - sedatives and automobiles don't mix. I'll need another solution here.
Sidenote - since I'm also self-medicating to help myself sleep (3-5 diphen pills most evenings, when I try to stick to a schedule, anyway, means 75-125mg a night), this is just another temporary stopgap. It's difficult to manage appointments, and more difficult still to make them productive, but I need to resolve both sleep and spaz issues. I can function only poorly, generally, socially, professionally, when my sleep schedule is erratic and dysfunctional, and while in many cases spazzing is just "annoying" (apart from the severe neck pains it causes, etc), it's downright dangerous when driving (an attack, a string of spasms, can easily eat up enough time and concentration to make the difference between safety and a collision), and combining the neck spasms with facial ticking, it's debilitating in social and professional situations (and terribly annoying and bothersome - and gets in the way of productivity - in various other situations).