twitches and Fasciculation

[jc2]

I have a couple of questions.
What is the difference between Fasciculation and twitches?I have been having Fasciculation(feels like bubbles under my skin) all over, for three months and I'm noticing my fingers jerk when I'm in a light sleep. It make me a little worried. Lastly- when I hold out my hand and spread my fingers someetimes a couple of my fingers are shaking.  Is this just my nerves being on edge??

[Z1GG]

to schoolgirl,

sounds like you've got something simple.
Its called benign fasciculations.
Basically muscle twitching which is not serious.
Many people have this and especially in the legs.
My advice would be to seek an appointment with your doctor.
Your reflexes will be tested as part of the examination and he or she maight refer you to a specialist called a neurologist (a doctor who looks after the central a peripheral nervous system).

yours faithfully,

ZIGG

[school girl]

Help, I'm a 17 year school student. I live quite a fairly healthy, active life and take good care of myself. However recently I started off by having severe twitches in my left calf mainly occuring in the evenings. Now the twitches have developed to the other leg as well, occuring any time of the day, and the other day I had clearly visible (much to my horror) twitches on my right upper arm. Its really stressing me out, I've booked an appointment to see the doctor about this next week, but before I go I would be extremely grateful if anyone has had any similar experiences or any advice on my 'unknown' condition to please reply this message.

Thanks for your time!!

[dystonia]

I have a number of problems .Four years ago I was diagnosed with
DRD [DOPA RESPONSIVE DYSTONIA ].I have been on sinemet parlodel
and aulin [anti inflamitory].Most of my symptoms have eased but none have gone.The one that has not improved is slowness i.e.litterally with every thing that I do espescially walking,during which I sieze up usually starting at my neck.The symptoms that improved are severe spasms and cramps,pain in my back [between my shoulder blades],and TWITCHES [VISIBLE],I was told that they are fasciculations.Ihave not found any reference to any connection between these, sometimes horrible sensations,which occur any where in my body [worst when over tired,and resting]and Dopamine.Recently they seem to be increasing again together with electic shock type sensations.I have recently seen another Neurologist who suggests that I probably dont have DRD but some other form of Dystonia.I am a lot happier with this because a number of things did not add up e.g.my age .I am now 53 years.He also thinks that I have "SPINE DISEASE".There is abnormal degeneration ,spondylosis ,fusion of CI and C2 [maybe congenital] and to complicate things a slipped disc,I forgot to ask which.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

A twitch is NOT necessarily a fasciculation, which is defined physiologically as an involuntary firing of a single muscle nerve cell that results in a muscle contraction typically not strong enough to move a whole joint. There is a specific pattern seen on EMG of a fasciculation and many neurologists can distinguish the two on examination. Fasciculations can happen in completely normal individuals after exercise and with certain medications among other causes. If you have persistent fasiculations in the absence of weakness and wasting, then it's likely you could have benign fasciculation syndrome, which is not a serious disease is and is described as such. Your fingers shaking with outstretched hands is common and unless there is wasting of your hand muscles, or any muscles for that matter along with progressive weakness, then you shouldn't worry about it. Hope that helps.

[jan]

I think I may have fasciculation by what you described, only I would describe it a bit different. It is a gross feeling, it feels like a worm is crawling under my skin and I get vibrating with it, too. Does yours feel like that? I just started getting this and it is only in one area, on the farthest right side of my back.
Do you know why people get this? I thought maybe it was from my seizure med which I have only been taking for a couple of months or maybe from the brain lesion which is causing right sided probs (abnormal sensations). (My epilept. thinks that the abnormal sensations could be from seizure activity, although I am not having a seizure and I can have it for weeks - months at a time). Does anybody know why people get this?