Muscle Twitching Differentation

[Bruce29]

How can you differentiate between benign muscle twitching and muscle twitching experienced in Multiple Sclerosis?

[supermum_ms]

"So, I guess I should be happy that my muscle twitches are all over my body and are the only symptom I'm experiencing, huh?"

hmm happy is such a subjective word, id go more with.....I can stop worrying its something more and start working on improving my diet, fitness levels and mental well being because it won't hurt and may help.

Cheers.......JJ

ps your welcome!  

[Bruce29]

Wow!!! Thank you so much for such an informative post!!! It really clarifies what I've been confused about!!!

So, I guess I should be happy that my muscle twitches are all over my body and are the only symptom I'm experiencing, huh?

My lack of knowledge and fear of the unknown has been my biggest enemy, but you totally cleared that up for me! Thanks again! I really, really appreciate it!!!

Take care!

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome,

Benign muscle twitching.........

"Muscle twitching, which is medically known as fasciculation, refers to small, involuntary muscle contractions that could affect any muscle in the human body. These contractions usually affect a small segment of a muscle. At times, such uncontrolled movements of the muscle fibers can even be seen under the skin.

More often than not, fasciculations are benign and transient. However, medical help must be sought if these occur frequently, and are also accompanied by other symptoms such as spasms, cramps, and muscle weakness."
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/muscle-twitching-causes-of-muscle-twitches-all-over-the-body.html

MS Muscle issues........

"Muscle Spasms (Tonic Spasms)
Spasticity is one of the most common symptoms of MS. Muscle spasms can belong to one of two categories. First, spastic hypertonia results from an upper motor neuron injury and is not unique to MS. The condition is usually permanent after injury and is characterized by stiffened muscles (tone) and sudden, jerking muscle movements. Spastic hypertonia does not come and go, but rather, refers to the “everyday” spasticity associated with neurological dysfunction. This is not a paroxysmal symptom, but rather, a core symptom of MS, and is treated by medications such as baclofen and tizanidine.

Researchers refer to the second type of spasm as “paroxysmal dystonia” or tonic spasms. Tonic spasms are short, but frequent, muscle spasms that often result in pain. MS researchers further classify paroxysmal spasms as stereotyped, meaning they occur over and over again with little variation until they eventually go away. Hyperventilation seems to be a key trigger in initiating this type of spasm (Honig, Wasserstein, & Adornato, 1991). When tonic spasms occur in the torso muscles, we call them “MS hugs” since it feels like a person is gripping the patient around the torso for the length of the spasm."
http://www.unitedspinal.org/msscene/2008/11/18/paroxysmal-symptoms-of-multiple-sclerosis-they-come-and-they-go/

Muscle twitching is a very very common experience in general populations, and it's typically 'not' associated with a disease when there are no other sx's but the twitching of muscles (as you've mention in a prior post), most common causes are psychological, exercise, vit deficiency, medication, injury etc.

In MS sx's are typically experienced in the same place(s) and one pwMS may only have one area where the muscle flutters or spasms and another may have multiple areas but that specific sx's doesn't move around, or happen randomly etc and they typically have other muscle related issues too eg cramp, spasticity, pain, weakness etc.    

Cheers.........JJ  

[Bruce29]

You have been SO helpful, thank you SO much!!!

One last question if you don't mind. You said your twitches were not among your first symptoms, but when they do occur, do they only affected deteriorated muscles/muscle groups affected by the disease?

[kwarendorf]

No, twitches were not among my initial symptoms, not were they among those that lead to my diagnosis. They are, at their worst, interesting anomalies.

Kyle

[kwarendorf]

No, titches were not among my initial symptoms, not were they among those that lead to my diagnosis. They are, at their worst, interesting anomalies.

Kyle

[Bruce29]

Were they among your initial symptoms? Muscle Twitching is the only symptom that I am experiencing and I have ready many differing perspectives: some say muscle twitching occurs in MS and some say it doesn't. I believe that it does, but at what point in the progress of the disease? Did you experience any symptoms prior to the twitches occurring?

[kwarendorf]

The explanation to which I referred was my own. As is the case with some of my favorite Christmas gifts it was From: Me To: Me :-) My assumption is that MS causes faulty messages to be distributed throughout my central nervous system. These twitches must be a result of some of these messages.

I get them all over as well; back, arms, legs etc.

Kyle

[Bruce29]

Thank you for your reply!
You mentioned that you received an explanation? If you don't mind me asking, what was it?

Also, where did your twitches occur? Mine are all over my body from head to toe.

Thanks!

[kwarendorf]

Hi Bruce - Welcome to our group.

With any luck someone more smarter then me will see your question. It may have to do with severity of twitch?

I have for years experienced minor/moderate muscle twitching while the muscles in question were at rest. The feel little a mini electrical storm. You can even see the muscles dance about half of the time.

Once I was diagnosed I had the explanation for these little outbursts. Having one confirmed dx, I am not in the market for another. So I choose to chalk all twitching activity up to MS :-)

Kyle

[kwarendorf]

Hi Bruce - Welcome to our group.

With any luck someone more smarter then me will see your question. It may have to do with severity of twitch?

I have for years experienced minor/moderate muscle twitching while the muscles in question were at rest. The feel little a mini electrical storm. You can even see the muscles dance about half of the time.

Once I was diagnosed I had the explanation for these little outbursts. Having one confirmed dx, I am not in the market for another. So I choose to chalk all twitching activity up to MS :-)

Kyle