Muscle Twitching

[JFK43]

Hello all,

I trying to find out if some of you have experienced muscle twitches that are MS related. Most of my MS symptoms are sensory with burning and tingling in the feet and legs, but I started to have a muscle twitch in more forearm two weeks ago. I recently started to get small twitches in other areas like the legs and trunk. The arm twitch is the most persistent and annoying, can this be MS related? I'm having an EMG next week and fear that the twitches are a sign of something more serious.

[heliotrope]

I assume so. Since my diagnosis, I've periodically gotten small muscle twitches, usually in my arms. Only one part of the muscle moves. It's gone after a few minutes, so I usually just ignore it.

[deescee]

Twitches

I've had the muscle twitches since I was dx'd over 10 years ago. Since they don't cause pain, I just look at them as small annoyances. Hope all is well with your tests.

[Waydwnsouth1]

I get muscle twitches also. LIke most of the posters I consider them more an annoyance than anything else. I did mention them to my neuro and he said that twitches are quite common. He chuckled and said "They are annoying as hell aren't they?"

[JFK43]

I've had the muscle twitches since I was dx'd over 10 years ago. Since they don't cause pain, I just look at them as small annoyances. Hope all is well with your tests.

Thanks for the good wishes

[REG53]

Hello JFK,

I have muscle twitches also. I have them in my feet, legs, and hands.

I have bad muscle spasms in my legs at night. I take baclofen which helps some, for me all of these are MS sx's.

[jumpinjiminy]

Ah yes, the nightly muscle twitch parade. Maybe I'm odd, but they can be quite entertaining at times - as if Stomp has come to give a concert inside your body.

What cracks me up is when a twitch will hit at opposite ends of the body at the same time, like an eye and the foot on the same side, then it switches sides, then both sides at the same time, then all of them along with an abdominal twitch.

I find them a bit hilarious.

[Lendi]

I've had trouble figuring out exactly what spasms are, too. The twitches I understand. I had back spasms once and they were horrible but now it's kind of the same but different in my legs and lower back.

[jumpinjiminy]

I may be wrong in this, but this is how I define them regarding my own body:

Twitches are super fast spasms that release right away.

Cramps involve the whole muscle or body part and come on quickly but stick around for a few minutes. They can be relieved fairly quickly with a simple stretch and result from a mineral imbalance of some sort.

Spasms are longer lasting, sneaky (sometimes can't tell you have them - like in the back or neck until they cause pain), and don't always involve the whole muscle or body part - like a finger instead of a hand, or one small section of the hamstring instead of the whole thing. They can last hours, days, weeks or months without relief.

I don't know if this is how they're dx by a doc, but that's how I think of them.

[knuckle]

Twitches, myoclonic jerks, can often be calmed downed by supplementing with magnesium, calcium and potassium.

Specifically, magnesium improves nerve conduction and most people are magnesium deficient. Magnesium, along with calcium and vitamin D protects your myelin.

Google: multiple sclerosis magnesium

Multiple sclerosis: decreased relapse rate through dietary supplementation with calcium, magnesium and vitamin D.
Goldberg P, Fleming MC, Picard EH.

Abstract

A group of young patients having multiple sclerosis was treated with dietary supplements containing calcium, magnesium and vitamin D for a period of one to two years. The experimental design employed self-pairing: the response of each patient was compared with his/her own case history as control. The number of exacerbations observed during the program was less than one half the number expected from case histories. No side effects were apparent. The dietary regimen may offer a new means of controlling the exacerbation rate in MS, at least for younger patients. The results tend to support a theory of MS which states that calcium and magnesium are important in the development, structure and stability of myelin.

[sevilla]

Twitches, myoclonic jerks, can often be calmed downed by supplementing with magnesium, calcium and potassium.

Specifically, magnesium improves nerve conduction and most people are magnesium deficient. Magnesium, along with calcium and vitamin D protects your myelin.

Google: multiple sclerosis magnesium

Multiple sclerosis: decreased relapse rate through dietary supplementation with calcium, magnesium and vitamin D.
Goldberg P, Fleming MC, Picard EH.

Abstract

A group of young patients having multiple sclerosis was treated with dietary supplements containing calcium, magnesium and vitamin D for a period of one to two years. The experimental design employed self-pairing: the response of each patient was compared with his/her own case history as control. The number of exacerbations observed during the program was less than one half the number expected from case histories. No side effects were apparent. The dietary regimen may offer a new means of controlling the exacerbation rate in MS, at least for younger patients. The results tend to support a theory of MS which states that calcium and magnesium are important in the development, structure and stability of myelin.

I'm actually not on any medications. My MS doctor has had me make dietary changes only. She said she wanted to do this for a few reasons, I was young, it was caught early, and I have RRMS. I also have chronic migraines since I was 11. She ran a study regarding supplements and dietary changes ( I really don't remember all the details) but the outcome was same as above.

Since the change in diet and added supplements (she originally had me on so many I had to change to 2 prenatals pills because I could not remember to take the separate ones). I my excerbations occur less frequently and less severe, and end sooner.

So at least for RRMS it seems to work for me.

She also wanted to control what she felt was the main stressor for me which was my chronic migraines, so the only medication I am on is Topamax. The less migraines the less stress on my body. I also have to exercise and watch my weight. She is quite strict about that.

[asiel1]

I got my first visit from the twitches a few weeks ago. They lasted about 18 hours and they were gone. I had another one day but it happened twice and left. ( hopefully for good)

This is my most annoying symptom. I hope it does not happen a lot.