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Twitches
I have been suffering from twiches for five months. At first it was just my head and now my whole body twitches. I went to the doctor for it but they don't know exactly what is wrong with me. It's hard me to sleep. It affects my asthma and it has only gotten worse. I will have what I call twitch fits and then I will pass out after these. No medicine helps and it's getting to the point to where it is ruining my life. I want to know ,could this be life threatening?
neurologists have zero understanding of lyme disese--get to a lyme literate physician and get checked out--you may well have lyme disease.
I have suffered from lots of twitches too after taking an antibiotic called LEVAQUIN. I still have them over a month better. Antibiotics belonging to the quinolone class are known to have serious side effects, some that may be IRREVERSIBLE.
Don't know what to do about all the neurological problems I am suffering. Are there any drugs that can regenerate nerves? Does Acetyl-L-Carnitine work?
Or maybe I'll try umbilical stem cell blood transfusions...
Don't know what to do about all the neurological problems I am suffering. Are there any drugs that can regenerate nerves? Does Acetyl-L-Carnitine work?
Or maybe I'll try umbilical stem cell blood transfusions...
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a detailed history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is or how to treat them. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
“Twitches” are a common manifestation that can be seen in the general normal population, however they are concerning in some patients as they may be associated with other conditions. The first problem when evaluating “twitches” is that many people call “twitches" to something different, and so some patients have fasciculations, some have myoclonus, some others have muscle cramps, and some other patients may have other type of movement abnormality. Therefore it is very important to see what the patient calls a “twitch” in order to be able to tell what is the problem.
Myoclonus is an involuntary movement which is jerk-like and the patient will have movement of part of most of the limb. It is normal when people is falling asleep, but they can represent seizures or other central nervous system abnormality.
Fasciculations are small, local, involuntary muscle contraction (twitching) visible under the skin arising from the spontaneous discharge of a bundle of skeletal muscle fibers. Fasciculations have a variety of causes, the majority of which are benign, but can also be due to disease of the motor neurons.
The main concern patients have when they have fasciculations is the possibility of Motor Neuron disease, of which ALS is one of them (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Actually very few of the patients who seek medical attention for fasciculations turn to have this condition. In order to make a diagnosis of ALS, the patient needs to have findings of upper motor neuron and lower motor neuron disease in various segments of the body. This is difficult to explain, but basically a physician will be able to determine findings of upper and lower motor neuron based on history and neurologic exam. For this diagnosis, patients usually have symptoms like weakness, fatigue, muscle pains and cramps, voice changes, problems with swallowing, and other motor problems. Fasciculations by themselves do not make a diagnosis of motor neuron disease.
Common more benign conditions associated with fasciculations or twitches include caffeine use, anxiety, electrolyte abnormalities like changes in the calcium and potassium, thyroid disorders, or other endocrinologic disorders. Most of the time, the history and physical exam helps to determine the presence of one of these conditions, or blood tests may be needed.
There is a condition called Benign Fasciculations, in which spontaneous fasciculations occur and some people may have a widespread or relatively focal presence of fasciculations accompanied by cramps. On long term studies of these patients, it is found that this is a truly benign condition and does not confer a risk for motor neuron disease.
Medications, like stimulants, bronchodilators, amphetamines among others, may also produce muscle twitches, and this is easy to determine based on the history of what the patient is taking. Asthmatic patients using bronchodilators can have fasciculations or twitches.
Fasciculations are not associated with “passing out”. I am not exactly sure what you mean by passing out, however patients with anxiety can have episodes of lightheadedness and near-syncope.
I am not sure neither if the twitches you describe can represent something else like seizures, and “passing out” is a manifestation of this as well.
As I said, without being able to obtain a detail history, and perform a good physical and neurologic examination, I cannot tell you what your diagnosis is or how to treat it. Without seeing the “twitches” it is difficult for me to say what type of problem they represent.
I think you should discuss your findings with a neurologist to find out what the cause of your problem is, and find out if further tests are needed.
I hope this information is useful.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a detailed history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is or how to treat them. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
“Twitches” are a common manifestation that can be seen in the general normal population, however they are concerning in some patients as they may be associated with other conditions. The first problem when evaluating “twitches” is that many people call “twitches" to something different, and so some patients have fasciculations, some have myoclonus, some others have muscle cramps, and some other patients may have other type of movement abnormality. Therefore it is very important to see what the patient calls a “twitch” in order to be able to tell what is the problem.
Myoclonus is an involuntary movement which is jerk-like and the patient will have movement of part of most of the limb. It is normal when people is falling asleep, but they can represent seizures or other central nervous system abnormality.
Fasciculations are small, local, involuntary muscle contraction (twitching) visible under the skin arising from the spontaneous discharge of a bundle of skeletal muscle fibers. Fasciculations have a variety of causes, the majority of which are benign, but can also be due to disease of the motor neurons.
The main concern patients have when they have fasciculations is the possibility of Motor Neuron disease, of which ALS is one of them (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Actually very few of the patients who seek medical attention for fasciculations turn to have this condition. In order to make a diagnosis of ALS, the patient needs to have findings of upper motor neuron and lower motor neuron disease in various segments of the body. This is difficult to explain, but basically a physician will be able to determine findings of upper and lower motor neuron based on history and neurologic exam. For this diagnosis, patients usually have symptoms like weakness, fatigue, muscle pains and cramps, voice changes, problems with swallowing, and other motor problems. Fasciculations by themselves do not make a diagnosis of motor neuron disease.
Common more benign conditions associated with fasciculations or twitches include caffeine use, anxiety, electrolyte abnormalities like changes in the calcium and potassium, thyroid disorders, or other endocrinologic disorders. Most of the time, the history and physical exam helps to determine the presence of one of these conditions, or blood tests may be needed.
There is a condition called Benign Fasciculations, in which spontaneous fasciculations occur and some people may have a widespread or relatively focal presence of fasciculations accompanied by cramps. On long term studies of these patients, it is found that this is a truly benign condition and does not confer a risk for motor neuron disease.
Medications, like stimulants, bronchodilators, amphetamines among others, may also produce muscle twitches, and this is easy to determine based on the history of what the patient is taking. Asthmatic patients using bronchodilators can have fasciculations or twitches.
Fasciculations are not associated with “passing out”. I am not exactly sure what you mean by passing out, however patients with anxiety can have episodes of lightheadedness and near-syncope.
I am not sure neither if the twitches you describe can represent something else like seizures, and “passing out” is a manifestation of this as well.
As I said, without being able to obtain a detail history, and perform a good physical and neurologic examination, I cannot tell you what your diagnosis is or how to treat it. Without seeing the “twitches” it is difficult for me to say what type of problem they represent.
I think you should discuss your findings with a neurologist to find out what the cause of your problem is, and find out if further tests are needed.
I hope this information is useful.
ive been having full body twitches for over a year now and they still dont know why!they drive me crazy life treatning i wonder my self!i dont know why you pass out that part i dont understand!
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