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My Husband Experiences Involuntary Jerky Movements During The Night. Is It Possible He Has Parkinsons And Not Alzheimers?

A myALZteam Member asked a question 💭
Mount Desert, ME
February 5, 2019
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Answer Summary

Members confirmed that involuntary jerky movements and twitching during sleep are common symptoms in Alzheimer's disease, with several noting... Read more

Members confirmed that involuntary jerky movements and twitching during sleep are common symptoms in Alzheimer's disease, with several noting their loved ones experience similar nighttime restlessness, leg thrashing, and muscle spasms that can be stress-triggered or related to the same brain areas affected by Parkinsonian symptoms. Many members shared that their partners also display shuffling walks and tremors, reinforcing that overlapping Alzheimer's and Parkinson's-like symptoms are not unusual, though proper diagnosis remains important since conditions like sleep apnea or Posterior Cortical Atrophy can complicate the picture. A recurring theme was the emotional challenge of acceptance, with caregivers describing the difficulty of getting accurate diagnoses, managing nighttime disturbances without effective interventions, and navigating their loved ones' resistance to helpful treatments like CPAP machines.

A myALZteam Member

Sleep apnea causes blood oxygen to go too low...can affect the brain (leg spasms) and heart (angina)….really needs to have mask on.

February 19, 2019 (edited)
A myALZteam Member

Hi @A myALZteam Member....twitches also may be that Parkinsonian type because Alz affects same part of brain....makes sense stress could trigger the twitches

February 11, 2019
A myALZteam Member

Would have to ask dr but many folks with Alz have some Parkinsons like symptoms as well such as shuffling slow walk and involuntary muscle movements.

February 5, 2019
A myALZteam Member

I agree, that’s what I was trying to say.

February 11, 2019
A myALZteam Member

My husband does the same. I believe that it is just another symptom. He has early onset. Symptoms started when he was 46. The medical profession put us through the ringer. Four neurologists, physiologists, psychiatrists and intense testing twelve years later a geriatric specialist finally listened to us and agreed that there was a problem. He was diagnosed two years ago at age 58.

February 5, 2019

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