Feel better at night

[laura383]

Hello all,

I have noticed that sometimes I feel better at night: walk better, better balance, hand moves easier, etc.

Just once in a while, and I don't know why. Though I have read of "Night Walkers" i.e. people in wheelchairs who could walk at night.

Two questions: does it happen to anyone else? And does anyone know what our bodies produce in the evening (not during sleep) that could cause this?

Laura

[cheerleader]

Hi Laura--
My husband used to feel worse in the morning, better at night. Had a hard time getting out of bed.
One thought might be that by lying down flat at night while you sleep, circulation is not as good. Being upright lends itself to better circulation, due to gravity and motion. just a thought- (if interested you could look into inclined bed or CCSVI)
take care,
cheer

[laura383]

thanks, cheer. Actually mornings I'm okay for several hours, sleeping seems to help. By night I guess really I mean evening, from like 7 pm on. The same day, improved over that afternoon. I did have CCSVI, but this evening thing seems unrelated.

[debp]

I feel better at night too. I think it isn't just an MS thing. There are morning people and night owls, so could it be a hormone balance thing?

I think Melatonin levels are night specific. I don't know if there are others? Or maybe there is a hormone that rises in the morning?

[debp]

http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-1606.html

Apparently been discussed before

[tzootsi]

My wife has the same syndrome - on occasion her heavy leg is almost back to normal at bedtime. No doctor as of yet has been able to come up with a reason why.

[laura383]

Thanks, all and debp--I searched but never checked melatonin since my "second wind" starts around 7 pm if I get one, so I never connected it. Still not sure, but I'm going to try supplementing GABA which helps the body to make melatonin.

[debp]

Great now I have to google GABA.

I read entirely too much about Melatonin last night.

http://www.healingtherapies.info/PinealGland2.htm

That is a page talking about melatonin and upper cervical spinal cord injury. Apparently giving Melatonin to rats before you injure their spinal cord makes the injury less severe. (poor rats )

[laura383]

tzootsi: a person on a different board said she felt bettter late at night too and her neuro had no reason for it.
So it's the case for a few (me, your wife, and this person from yahoo). If only we knew why!
But as I told the other person, I will take the grace I am given. Carpe diem! If I feel good, so much the better.

debp: great article.

[elegantlyabsurd]

Hello all,

I have noticed that sometimes I feel better at night: walk better, better balance, hand moves easier, etc.

Just once in a while, and I don't know why. Though I have read of "Night Walkers" i.e. people in wheelchairs who could walk at night.

Two questions: does it happen to anyone else? And does anyone know what our bodies produce in the evening (not during sleep) that could cause this?

Laura

YES, mood, movement, all. Been laughed at, " i don't know", hormones seems it but too much cortisol bad

[THX1138]

Some evenings my balance and ability to move improve a lot, such that I can walk about 5 steps unaided.
Until very recently, the cause of this was a total mystery to me.
But now I have noticed under-eating causes greatly increased spasticity and all around doing much worse.
Once I have had 3-4 meals (about 700 calories each) during the day, my hands go from being cool to nice and warm with their blood veins sticking out nicely. My fingers tingle too. It seems I can bring these affects on any time of the day, if I can just eat enough food. This often does not happen in a given day as I am struggling to eat a consistent, regular 3 meals per day, but when it does, it is usually in the evening since it takes me all day to eat enough calories.
My thoughts on this matter are: 1) Foods contain natural nitrates and nitrites which support the production of nitric oxide which plays a role in vaso-relaxation 2) When one doesn't eat enough (I believe) the body sends out adrenaline and cortisol, which cause vasoconstriction.
I have found vaso constriction to be something that makes many of my symptoms much worse.

I am one of the people that improves greatly during a strong niacin flush. Transdermal Mg treatments also help a lot (such as with a Mg IV)

Anyway, that's my take on it.

[SeanReynolds]

Circadian rhythms of hormone production etc in the human body.

Most heart attacks occur early in the morning, just before or after awakening, as a number of hormones change in an adverse direction.

[THX1138]

Some evenings my balance and ability to move improve a lot, such that I can walk about 5 steps unaided.
Until very recently, the cause of this was a total mystery to me.
But now I have noticed under-eating causes greatly increased spasticity and all around doing much worse.
Once I have had 3-4 meals (about 700 calories each) during the day, my hands go from being cool to nice and warm with their blood veins sticking out nicely. My fingers tingle too. It seems I can bring these affects on any time of the day, if I can just eat enough food. This often does not happen in a given day as I am struggling to eat a consistent, regular 3 meals per day, but when it does, it is usually in the evening since it takes me all day to eat enough calories.
My thoughts on this matter are: 1) Foods contain natural nitrates and nitrites which support the production of nitric oxide which plays a role in vaso-relaxation 2) When one doesn't eat enough (I believe) the body sends out adrenaline and cortisol, which cause vasoconstriction.
I have found vaso constriction to be something that makes many of my symptoms much worse.

I am one of the people that improves greatly during a strong niacin flush. Transdermal Mg treatments also help a lot (such as with a Mg IV)

Anyway, that's my take on it.