Sleep Disorder Case

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Zenman1

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Soldier in mid 30's came in 2 weeks ago with some anxiety who had been seen recently by neurologist. She diagnosed him with RLS and prescribed pramipexole. He was having numbness and tingling which would start on his thighs and go down. He would also have same in upper extremities. This would not only occur at bedtime but anytime he sat in one position for 15 minutes or so. He would then get the urge to move.

Over the last 7 years he started having sleep problems including initial insomnia. He would kick and thrash around so much in bed that he would eventually wind up on the couch so he wouldn't hurt his spouse. One of the movements he described as raising both legs straight up while lying on his back, then slamming them down. He knows this because his wife has video taped him. He does not remember any dreams and doesn't make any vocalizations other than talking in his sleep.

He has had bruxism since childhood, so severe that by mid-20's had a full set of dentures.

He had not yet started the primipexole so I told him to go home and try it and return in 2 weeks. He came back today and said it did nothing for him. He had been denied 3 sleep studies, the last one a few weeks ago. I had told him I know how to word the referrals, and he now has a consult with sleep medicine next week.

I don't think he has RLS, but REM sleep disorder is high on my radar, even though he doesn't remember any dreams. He has some mild DJD in lower back but denies any pain there or in his neck, and has no physical limitations. I started him on Klonopin 1 mg qhs till he sees the sleep doc next week.

Any thoughts?
 
Sleep study is obviously step 1 which you have identified.

Rule out PTSD with nightmares resulting in restlessness while sleeping.

Rule out seizure d/o. While unlikely, I am a magnet for rare seizure disorders. Some have a high occurrence rate during the middle of the night.

Any military trauma that may have caused spine damage - numbness/tingling
 
The bruxism is easy - OSA. Klonopin will make it worse. RBD isn't common in that age group, otherwise you're saying that he has an alpha-synucleopathy (PD, MSA, DLB).

May need to get a MRI of his spine and sacrum as he's got several pinched nerves causing the parathesias. Might do better on gabapentin instead but this can cause EDS.
 

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The bruxism is easy - OSA. Klonopin will make it worse. RBD isn't common in that age group, otherwise you're saying that he has an alpha-synucleopathy (PD, MSA, DLB).

May need to get a MRI of his spine and sacrum as he's got several pinched nerves causing the parathesias. Might do better on gabapentin instead but this can cause EDS.

Severe bruxism equals OSA?
 
The bruxism is easy - OSA. Klonopin will make it worse. RBD isn't common in that age group, otherwise you're saying that he has an alpha-synucleopathy (PD, MSA, DLB).

May need to get a MRI of his spine and sacrum as he's got several pinched nerves causing the parathesias. Might do better on gabapentin instead but this can cause EDS.

Why will Klonopin make bruxism worse? He says his kids have it also and he can hear them grinding coming down the hall.
 
Bruxism has multiple factors and it's from an arousal process. Arousals can be from OSA or from one sleep dentist and other papers, pressure triggering masseter and external pyterigoid muscles. Drugs and medications can cause bruxism - specifically amphetamines and psychotropics. Anxiety can cause bruxism too - but if children are doing it, then they likely need a tonsilectomy which means dad has OSA (crowded airway). BTW, snoring in children is NOT normal and needs to be treated as such with a sleep study and then ENT for a T&A.

Remember, daytime bruxism has different etiology than nighttime bruxism.

Klonopin and all benzos make OSA/snoring worse just like alcohol. GABA stimulation. It causes more relaxing of skeletal muscles in the upper airway and suppresses REM (leading to REM rebound later on in the night).

Snoring is best explained by referring back to Bernoulli's principle and the upper airway.
 
Bruxism has multiple factors and it's from an arousal process. Arousals can be from OSA or from one sleep dentist and other papers, pressure triggering masseter and external pyterigoid muscles. Drugs and medications can cause bruxism - specifically amphetamines and psychotropics. Anxiety can cause bruxism too - but if children are doing it, then they likely need a tonsilectomy which means dad has OSA (crowded airway). BTW, snoring in children is NOT normal and needs to be treated as such with a sleep study and then ENT for a T&A.

Remember, daytime bruxism has different etiology than nighttime bruxism.

Klonopin and all benzos make OSA/snoring worse just like alcohol. GABA stimulation. It causes more relaxing of skeletal muscles in the upper airway and suppresses REM (leading to REM rebound later on in the night).

Snoring is best explained by referring back to Bernoulli's principle and the upper airway.

Can you point me to any good references on the difference between nightime and daytime bruxism? I know nothing about this and definitely need to read up more on my sleep medicine.
 
So uh, asking for a friend, who has some minor, but noticeable by dentist, wear on their teeth. Previously had much more severe bruxism in childhood and now it is intermittent and seemingly asymptomatic outside of the teeth wear the dentist notices. Worth it to get an occlusion guard?

Depends. Would your friend prefer to soak his/her dentures or brush his/her teeth?
If you're really concerned, ask your...I mean, have your friend ask their dentist.
 
So uh, asking for a friend, who has some minor, but noticeable by dentist, wear on their teeth. Previously had much more severe bruxism in childhood and now it is intermittent and seemingly asymptomatic outside of the teeth wear the dentist notices. Worth it to get an occlusion guard?

Have your friend to get one of those cheapo sport mouth guards to wear at night and complete a sleep study just to be sure there isn't OSA.

Had a patient, she had been bruxing and working with her dentist on an occlusal guard for many years because she had TMJ. I asked her to get a sleep study just for S&Gs and explained how OSA causes nocturnal mouth movements through arousals. Came back her AHI was like in the 70s (severe range), started with PAP and she's blown away how she doesn't need it adjusted, no more TMJ pain and is doing better with depression/anxiety symptoms just by getting better quality of sleep.

Our visits now are more about her being amazed at how I knew what the cause was of her bruxism and how giddy she is from the good quality of sleep. It's funny to talk with her... does brighten my day.
 
Have your friend to get one of those cheapo sport mouth guards to wear at night and complete a sleep study just to be sure there isn't OSA.

Need a full sleep study or would one of those at home pulse ox things do?
 
Home sleep study since it is likely your friend wouldn't have the comorbidities to exclude this (Stroke, Seizure, COPD, MI, etc)

How'd you know!? He doesn't! :banana:
 
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