Muscle twitching after exercise ?

[figuerpa]

Hi everyone how have you been? I am doing ok, still moving along with my weight loss and learning to live with MS. Still waiting to start Copaxone tho. Hopefully soon.

My question for you all is, I know twitching is normal with MS and I have it off and on all the time, but when I get on the treadmill and walk for just a little while at a slow pace, when I am done the muscle in my leg goes crazy. So is this because I am overdoing it or is it just something I need to embrace?

I cant see it as overdoing it because I really do walk at a slow pace and not for long I am up to about 10 minutes before my leg starts up but it is better than the 5 minutes I started out with lol.

[bubbles_04]

I get this too, def after alittle excerise. I never had it as bad as it is now before my recent "MS" attack, so I think mine is related to my MS. It doesn't hurt and so far I'm just carrying on with the excerising as I think its very important to stay fit :)

It feels like buzzing or pulsing to me...

[baslhicks]

I had Guillain Barre Syndrome about 22 months ago which causes demyelination of peripheral nerves.  It caused permanent peripheral neuropathy and since then I have these crazy muscle twitches after exercise.  They are all over my legs, mostly upper legs, and there are hundreds or thousands of them and they last about 10 minutes.  I read somewhere that when the some of the nerves are destroyed or aren't working, then the nerves that do work get overloaded with impulses from the brain.  This is what causes these twitches.  I do have regular twitches too, everywhere, but these after exercise are more crazy.

[heartfelt77]

I think that you gave a great definition of twitching/ muscle spasms.

Very well said.....  And thanks I wondered about that myself.

This was a good question with a good answer.

I hope all is well with everyone.

Take care
        Misty

[JaneK1975]

P.S.
Barring sound scientific research on the phenomenon, I am choosing to believe the "fat cells popping" explanation. Pop away, butt! Pop away!

I hope everyone is having a great week :)

[JaneK1975]

I have had this for years and years and years. It happens to me after a long walk. I'm pretty sure it's normal and it has to do with circulation.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Exercise--Fitness/Light-Tingling---Popping-Sensation-in-Legs-After-Jogging/show/8347

[figuerpa]

Thanks everyone,

They feel like twitches to me but they occur in both my thighs and bottom. I am not sure they are spasms due to the fact that they don't hurt and they are not stopping me from doing things. maybe they are spasms. I will talk to my neuro tomorrow when I see him and see what he has to say about it.

I was just curious what was causing it. lol.

hope everyone is having a great day!

Paula

[Nancy T]

I do not have MS (though no explanation for my symptoms over 12 years) but I DO have this.

Or, at least I used to--when I was still able to walk fast enough to generate the twitches.

I would walk almost two miles, fast (ten years ago), and when I got home and stopped moving (sat down), the muscles all across my rear and hips would twitch wildly, like popcorn popping. This would last a couple minutes at most, maybe.

Never got any answer for this. Now I cannot walk for two blocks or be on the exercise bike more than half a minute before I have to stop and rest my legs. Not enough to generate the twitching.

If anyone gets a good answer for the post-exercise twitching, I'd love to hear it. Is this NORMAL??

Nancy

[supermum_ms]

Are you talking muscle twitching or muscle spasms?

What is a muscle twitch?
Muscle twitches, also known as fasciculations, are involuntary muscle contractions that are minimal in force and localized to one area. Muscle twitches occur in small muscle groups that are connected to a single motor nerve fiber. This differentiates muscle twitches from muscle cramps, which generally affect multiple muscle groups in a given area (for instance, many muscles in the calf) at the same time).

Muscle twitches can occur in anyone and in any skeletal muscle. While they can sometimes be due to nervous system disorders or other underlying conditions, most frequently they are a normal body reaction. Abnormally high levels of stress or anxiety may increase the frequency with which you experience muscle twitches.

Muscle twitches are generally naturally occurring events that are not serious.

What are muscle spasms?
A muscle spasm is a painful, involuntary movement or contraction of a muscle. A muscle spasm is also known as a muscle cramp. Muscle spasms and cramps are not the same as muscle twitching, which refers to very fine involuntary movements (fasciculations) of a small segment of muscle.

Skeletal muscles are muscles attached to bones that you control to move your body. Normally your skeletal muscles create movement by voluntary contraction. This occurs when muscles respond to a message sent from the brain through the nerves, which causes the muscles to contract, then relax. Normal voluntary muscle contraction involves a series of steps and requires normal amounts of oxygen, electrolytes (such as potassium and calcium), and glucose, all of which are supplied by your blood. Problems with the brain and nervous system, as well as the other required elements, may result in muscle spasms.

Skeletal muscle spasms are common and most people experience a temporary skeletal muscle spasm at some point in their life. The skeletal muscles that most commonly contract involuntarily include:

Back of thigh (hamstrings)

Calf muscle (gastrocnemius)

Front of thigh (quadriceps)

Skeletal muscle spasms and cramps are usually caused by overuse of the muscle, either from exercise or a repetitive motion. Spasms can also occur if a muscle is overstretched or held in the same position for too long. The muscle essentially becomes hyperexcitable and fails to relax. In some cases, the muscle may need to be massaged in order to release the contraction. Muscle cramps are often caused by or worsened when you are dehydrated and not getting enough fluids.

Muscle spasms and cramps can also be caused by neuromuscular disorders, such as multiple sclerosis or a spinal cord injury. Movement disorders called dystonias also lead to forceful contractions. Dystonias can also be a complication of stroke. Certain medications can cause involuntary muscle contractions as well.

[see http://www.bettermedicine.com]

Repetition is usually the catalyst for my spasms, they are violent and i have little control over the limb whilst its happening, often not being able to get any signal through for quite awhile afterwards, limp noodle sort of fits. It might be worth trying to breaking it up into shorter sessions and see if you can pre-empt it from starting. Our health pages have a good article by Quix on muscle tone that might be worth reading.

Cheers.........JJ

[Deb61]

I think that this is common when your core body temperature increases.  

[figuerpa]

Yeah I have had muscle twitches off and on. My neuro said it is normal. It is just so much worse after exercise. I just wasn't sure if I was over doing it or if it is something that is normal.

Hopefully we get some answers!

[Sidesteps]

I am looking forward to this answer. I was told muscle twitches is an atypical presentation.

I have had this too --- I've had it so bad on four occassions that it felt like a popcorn was popping out of my legs. It literally was ALL over my legs. It didn't hurt but the sensation weird to say the least. It took about 10 minutes to settle down. I think that was a parasthesia.

I do get the actual increase in muscle twitches as well, they settle when I cool off.