Muscle tremors when exposed to cold

[incirc1es]

I've been dealing for months with quad and calf muscles that get overly sore and achy. My previously rigorous exercise routine has been reduced to walking and physical therapy. That said, I've been gradually improving as I've learned what are apparently my new limits. I might have slightly exceeded those limits this week, due to a concert, tourism, and Halloween. I went ahead and walked around a few hours last night despite sore legs, felt fine, went into a friend's warm house, emerged into the cold an hour later, and experienced what could only be compared to worms crawling under my skin and making my muscles percolate. I'm not talking simple shivers. I mean full tremors that made driving home almost impossible. Torture. By the time I got home, my legs were shaking and spasming as though I were having a seizure. I took a muscle relaxant, got in a hot bath, and felt okay.

Anyone have any idea what might make tired muscles this sensitive to cold? I'm seeing a neurologist, but he doesn't know what's going on. Does this sound like it might be cardiological?

[incirc1es]

Thank you for your response. It's troubling, as I've never had shivering this violent before (and I lived in Rochester for two years!); the only time my muscles have spasmed like that was when the myalgia first began... and that was in late May. That said, I suppose it's possible for weakened muscles to be more susceptible to the effects of cold...

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hi,

I must assure you that it has got nothing to do with the heart. Probably, it is due to the sudden changes in the temperature which your body/muscles were exposed to. You see, this is a normal physiological response of the body when you are exposed to a cold environment from a warm environment. Our muscles contract vigorously and the hairs on our body also get raised which are attempts to raise the body temperature and keep it warm Sometimes the mild tremors may convert into vigorous contractions of the muscles. I don’t think you need to worry about the same and I don’t see any pathology in it. In future, make sure that you are not exposed to sudden changes in the temperatures.

I hope that helps. Please do keep me posted.

Warm regards.