Carpopedal Spasms

[lgang]

Hi there,
I am a 20 year old female, and have a question about carpopedal spasms.  Over three years I have gotten three very intense spasms.  The first was on vacation in Vegas, I was at a show before it started and I felt my hands begin to curl up.  It was as if the muscles were clenching themselves all on their own, and I had absolutley no way to unclench them.  The thumb went underneath my fingers, and my fingers were flexed down to my palm.  It happened in both hands.  Next year it happened while in a hot tub, and it just happened to the hands again, exact same as in Las Vegas.  Then just a month ago I got the worst.  I was at a gas station and I felt tingles in my fingers.  They began to curl up and I felt my legs do the same, the muscle clenching and I could barely walk out of the station.  I was driven to the doctors office.  During the trip my face went numb, I could barely speak, I couldn't move my hands or legs.
The doctor told me it was from hyperventilation, but I started hyperventilating AFTER the tingles and spasms began.  He then did a test were he tapped my jaw bone and the spot underneath my lower lip on the corner twitched.

What is wrong with me?  They took blood tests but all my levels were normal.  Is this bad, should I talk to a specialist or just tough it out?

[kitkat748]

Hi there

I am trying to research this for a close friend that it happened to recently as they don't want to investigate further - let alone do any searching on the internet in case it sends them down the wrong path. As I removed from it - just witnessed the spasm which was scary enough to behold let alone be the one experiencing it - I want to look for answers to feel more comfortable that it won't happen again - eg when driving.

It was diagnosed as a carpopedal spasm however calcium levels were normal. First spasm was some years ago and just in the hands. These ones (there were two of similar intensity in the space of 3 hours then none since) were up the arms, legs and even to the chest and face. He was left unable to move or walk for a short time. Then the muscles relaxed - taking longer to do so second time around though.

Bloods came back clear and the docs told us it was a bad reaction to the virus in the form of a chemical imbalance resulting from bad flu which meant he hadn't eaten for 24 hours. A bad headache (I think part of the virus/flu bug) preceded the spasms but disappeared with the onset of spasm thankfully. Kitkats/food seemed to stop them when he had the tingling sensation later and before he was put on the drip for Phosphate (these levels were low but definitely no relation to low calcium if docs are to believed).

Does any of this sound familiar - would love to hear anything further you have learnt.

Thank you.

[lgang]

Hi Jackie,
Since the three incidents I have had one more major spasm. It happened after an early shift at work 9am while I was driving, and it was just my hands.
Although few times I have felt myself panicking, or beginning to breath really hard, and I could feel the pins and needles beginning in my hands. In those instances I can control it and force myself to breath very deeply and slowly, like I'm calming myself down.
But, for the first 4 incidents (including the one I posted here) none of them began with me breathing too fast, they just came on.
So if you find that yours are starting with irregular breathing, forcefully calm your breathing. You have to be in control of it physically and mentally.
Since most of mine weren't controllable, I'm thinking of researching a specialist somewhere, and not just going to a regular doctor or the hospital.

[jackie18610]

Hi, I just came across your post and have experienced the exact same symptoms, only to be told that is was stress. I think there is something more, but I wanted to ask about you and your experience. What if anything happened with your spasms?
Thanks,
Jackie