Muscle Spasms

[mizgahobin]

Does anyone diagonased with lupus suffer from crazy muscle spasms and twitching.

[curlyq3]

I too just recently started to have muscle spasms with lupus.  I noticed you posted a couple of months ago - are you still having them?  Did you talk to MD about it?  Any info?

[dauphins8]

I have not yet been diagnosed but I also get some crazy muscle spasms. I notice it more when I am sitting on the couch or laying in bed.

[lily_kitty]

Yes! I get muscle spasms and twitching with my Lupus. It drives me nuts. It's usually when I'm laying in bed and I've just fallen asleep and I get a twitch or spasm and it wakes me up again. I don't know whether it's a side effect of one of my medications, or if it's just part of having Lupus though.

[Jlisa]

Count me in, too. Doc took me off Plaquinel to see if they'd stop but they didn't. It has been going on for over a year now, maybe two. The muscle spasms are called Benign Fasciculation Syndrome or BFS, benign being the operative word. Still, it can result in atrophy of the muscle group so I started doing strength training to counter-act that when I started losing sensation in my left leg. It was my own idea but it seems to be working better then I had even hoped for.

[empressofq13]

Hi, I too have muscle spasms.  Severe!  My Pain management Doc put me on Zanaflex 4mg. One usually does it and 2 knocks you out!  Try 2mg first.  Pretty strong.  Have tried flexeril but not strong enough.  This is a controlled substance so you have to have a hand delivered script to get it which is a pain (no pun intended, lol) but it is worth it.  I only use it when I have too.  Won't stop the reason but will help the symptom.  Good Luck

Cindy

[zmombomb]

I was diagnosed with Lupus a few years ago, and went through a remission where I had very little symptoms, but about a year ago started getting muscle spasms.  First they were in my heart area, so I was running to the ER many times with "heart trouble" only to be told that there was nothing wrong with my heart.  I then finally got a new doc that seemed to understand what was going on, and he put me on Methocarbomal, 750mg, twice a day.  They help immensely.  The spasms had started to run the gammut around my body and when they grabbed the lower back, I would scream out in pain and couldn't move.  The medicine took all that away.  I still get a few here and there, but they are mild and cause a mild pain throughout my body that I can usually handle.  I also take Darvon for the pain, around 130 mg, twice a day.  I'm happy to find others that have spasms with the Lupus.  I was worried I also had MS.  I have a lot of MS symptoms and assumed the spasms were from MS.  

[Krickett81]

I have been fighting with Lupus since I was 15 I am now 28.  I was diagnosed and then was un -diagnosed   several times.... I have recently been diagnosed again for the final time, and i have been getting muscle spasms very often. I get them when I am laying down, sitting, I even have had them standing up.  I am on Methotrexate which is a low dose chemo because I also have Psoriatic Arthritis and can not be on the Plaquinel because it will make the other worse.  Why am I having muscle spasms?  should I be concerned?

[TrudieC]

With Lupus your muscles can be affected.  Spasms can happen more when you are low in potassium and magnesium.  You may want to up your intake of bananas, potatoes, etc. or look at taking a magnesium supplement to help.

[scaredguy309]

In some cases a demylinating illness and lupus do overlap which seems to be whats happening with me. This is why some people with lupus have many MS symptoms including optic neuritis and muscle fasiculations.

[karajo]

Could this be a connection w/ lupus of the nervous system?


Common manifestations are:

1.not thinking clearly

2.headache

3.seizure

4.altered mental alertness

5.movement disorders (tremor, writhing motions, or balance problems)

6.stroke (they result from high blood pressure, low platelet counts, antiphospholipid antibodies and long term steroid use.)

7.peripheral neuropathy

8.movement disordersparalysis

9.altered behavior

10.visual changes

11.autonomic neuropathy (flushing, mottled skin, raynaud's, lupus headache, cognitive impairment, mitral valve prolapse, numbness and tingling)


I quickly read up on this, I hope I'm giving correct information.  Give me your take on this.
Kara

[babyde]

Hi Karajo,
Yes, all of these can be connected to Lupus. The mental impairment is the Brain Fog.  I am like a sponge and have read so much on Lupus, autoimmune , etc... everything I can get my hands on. Clinical trial reports, you name it. I also have muscle spasms, mostly when I am sitting in bed or lyind down. For a while I was suffering with "charlie horses". The doctor tested my aldolase level and it was high, but now it's back to normal but I still have treamors and spasms. They are a nuisance. Hope things are good with you right now.

[karajo]

I would love for you to share what you know about lupus.  We are always open to fresh knowledge.

I am doing quite well.  Really I can't complain compared to what I was when I was so  very sick.  How are you doing?

I told someone on MedHelp that I didn't have these muscle jerks, but then the other day I had one.  They certainly don't happen very often.  I have the ripple feeling in various parts of my body, but they are certainly nothing I'm going to worry about.