Why Is My Arm Twitching!? An Inquiry.
Biology 103
2005 Second Paper
On Serendip
Why Is My Arm Twitching!? An Inquiry.
Matthew Lowe
For several days now, and as I write this paper, a muscle in my left forearm has been twitching vigorously on a regular basis. It is not painful, but I am always able to feel it while it is happening. In general, an episode of spasms begins suddenly and with great rapidity; about ten contractions per second. It then usually slows to irregularly-spaced single spasms, with the occasional double-twitch. All individual spasms are very quick; the contraction and release taking a fraction of a second. The twitch is visible: it appears that a narrow section on the right side of the large anterior muscle (the one that lifts the wrist) is being pulled forward about a quarter-inch. The visibly affected area extends over the inner elbow and about four inches up the upper arm. I had originally attributed the twitch to caffeine or stress, as I find that my left eye twitches in a similar way during periods where I am forced to drink lots of coffee and skimp on sleep. However, for the past few days I have consumed no caffeine and gotten a reasonable amount of sleep. I got some light exercise, and was moderately nervous for a musical performance last night. One possible strain on my left arm was a pain in my wrist from probably straining too hard, playing guitar for a more extended period of time than I am accustomed. Extensive stretching, massage, and more aggressive tactics have done nothing to slow the spasms, indeed, direct pressure on the area will not even stop spasms as they are occurring.The first step in diagnosing this annoying and increasingly distressing affliction seems to be to determine what is actually twitching. It seems that only the muscle itself has the ability to actually move a part of the body, but of course muscles respond to nerve impulses. Could ligaments or tendons be malfunctioning and triggering these movements? It appears that this would not be the case, as ligaments merely connect bone to bone and tendons muscle to bone. They are made of soft collagenous tissue, and classification of these tissues are based on stiffness of the "crimp" of the tissue and its resistance to load under pressure (1). These characteristics do not seem to suggest the capability of autonomous movement. The same is the case for actual nerves. The action, therefore, must be in the muscle. Something, therefore, is triggering the irregular bonding and release of myosin heads to the actin filaments. This action is also, at a certain level, uncoordinated, because though the movement of the actual muscle is large, there is no visible translation to a bone, moving a limb. Perhaps the "power stroke" of the muscle is so short, and in a small enough section of the muscle that it overcomes the deformation curve of the tendon. However, the timescale of this phenomenon is far shorter than the muscular action I am experiencing. Perhaps the muscle in question serves another purpose. The two strongest possibilities for identity of the offending muscle, based on the line the spasms trace, are pronator teres or the flexor digitalum superficialis (2). There is little reason to suspect the second, as it is a deeper muscle, and much more of it would likely move if it were to misfire. The pronator teres appears exactly the proper size and shape. This muscle originates at the Medial epicondyle of the humerus and at the coronoid process of the ulna, and inserts at the middle of the lateral surface of the radius. In other words, at the very bottom of the humerus, a few inches down the ulna, and between them on the radius, respectively. The muscle pronates and flexes (rotates and bends) the forearm at the elbow. Though it appears that the bulk of forearm flexion is performed by the Brachialis, most pronation is done by the pronator teres, further confusing the question of why my arm remains still when the muscle twitches (3). The muscle is innervated by the median nerve, a common site of nerve compression and repetitive stress syndromes. There exists a pronator teres compression syndrome, but it is fairly rare and its symptoms include pain in the area, weakness in the hand, certain types of palsy in the fingers, and do not include twitching of the muscle (4). None of these apply to my situation.
A visit to a medical reference site querying "muscle twitch" yielded information I had assumed at the beginning of my inquiry. Barring neurological disorders such as Lou Gehrig's disease and Muscular Dystrophy, causes of muscle twitching were simple: caffeine, excessive exercise, stress, a diet deficiency. The former three I was willing to rule out in my situation, but it is possible that there has been a deficiency in my diet. Returning to institutional food has greatly increased the proportion of meat in my diet, which had been significantly reduced during the summer, and it seemed particularly high in the past week. Further research suggested that spasms and cramps could be caused by a calcium deficiency resulting from high protein or phosphate intake. A deficiency in pantothenic acid (Vitamin B) were pointed to as a cause, but several prime sources of the vitamin were part of my diet in the period in question. A high Magnesium-to-Calcium ratio in the body was another cause. It is true that most recently, green vegetables and legumes, the major sources of magnesium, had not been in adequate proportions in my diet, but this would presumably result in, if anything, a low Mg/Ca ratio Consuming foods containing lactic acid was pointed to as a possible strategy (6). In the end, it was unclear exactly what could be done on a dietary level to correct this ratio, as consuming more of one mineral would block absorption of another in a complex web, and it would be impossible to be certain of the proportions in my body without knowing the proportions in the foods I ate, without having kept careful track of what I had eaten in the period in question.
Would there, then, be anything that could be done in the short term? It seems to stand to reason that the malfunction of myocin in the muscle would be triggered by the synapses of a nerve going haywire. Is there any way that the functioning of a cluster of nerve cells could be directly impacted? A relationship between electrical pathways in the body and acupuncture came to mind. Most charts of acupuncture meridians that I was able to find related the acupoints to organs, as opposed to specific muscles or limbs, which seemed like a dead end. This was interesting, however, as it was indicated that Eastern medicine traditionally conceived of disease as a collection of symptoms rather than a unified state of the body, which would suggest that their treatment strategies would target various body aches outside of the major organs in the trunk or head (8). Another article indicated that "The change of electric activity is part of signal transduction and can precede anatomical change," but that some electromagnetic patterns in the body mapped by a SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) are consistent with the meridian system, but not necessarily "any major nerve, lymphatic, or blood vessel" (9). The author goes on to note that "An "annealing" mechanism may play a role in acupuncture and related techniques: Small perturbations at singular points elicit a "shock" to the system - activates and shakes the biological system out of its abnormal and unstable state. After activation, the system has a better chance to settle at a normal, more stable state." It seems likely that acupuncture could have an effect on my own particular malfunction, if it is in fact related to the electrical impulses in the muscle, but it seems that to find out exactly how would require the involvement of a specialist, or, as the web seems to indicate, the purchase of a book.
In the end, this particular spasm episode will likely soon come to an end, but a few questions still remain unanswered in my mind. First: if, for instance, the spasms were caused by a nutritional deficiency, why would that macro deficiency manifest itself in one section of the body for an extended period of time? Second: another article outlining the system of nerve impulses involved in a reflex reaction demonstrated the level of communication necessary to return a reflex impulse to its point of origin. What if my left pronator teres or its median nerve thought that it was receiving an impulses and was actually responding normally? If so, what could this false impulse have been caused by? Most of my confusion arises from the specificity in manifestation of a generalized explanation. What is so different about this particular assembly?
1) Notes for a U-Michigan biomechanics course
2)Contents of upper limb and back, drawings of macro anatomical assemblies
3)Upper Extremity Muscle Atlas
4)eMedicine, Hand and nerve compression syndrome overview
5)National Institutes of Health, NIH Reference Site
6)Acu-cell, Nutritional causes of muscle spasms and cramps
7)Acu-cell, nutritional mineral ratio primer
8)The Med-Com Resource, Acupuncture primer
9)The Meridian System and the Mechanism of Acupuncture, Article on acupuncture research
Comments made prior to 2007
i'd be very interested to know what your final
conclusion is. i've just had this same phenomenon start
approxiamately three days ago. as you said, it doesn't hurt...it
just makes me stop and take notice. i hope it's nothing. my
activities/habits have not changed one iota ... Scott, 6 September
2007
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Comments
right arm
Same symptoms i had written it off as caffine overdose but after reading this i was .intriged to find it could be my college dinning facility.
its my right
everyday for the last 3 days its been twicking it was funny the first 3 times now im getting mad at it
twitching muscles
twitching muscles
Same here! It's been going on
Same here!
It's been going on all morning and for the past couple of days. Finals are coming up and as a freshmen in college I've been pretty stressed. I've been drinking a lot of green tea with Chamomile and Lemon, but I don't see how that could be causing the spasms. . .
Hopefully it goes away!
left forearm has been twitching
Using an edger when mowing the lawn. I find it is putting an unusual strain on my both left and right forearms and its something done only once a week or even a longer time frame in between trimmer usage which does not allow for forearm strength to increase as much as muscle tear and breakdown. Right now there is a twitch in my left forearm and I trimmed a lawn yesterday, so just relax and let the grass grow.
me too
hi everyone.
The muscle twitching just started this morning. I find it fun so far. It's strange that everyone seems to speaks about the same muscle.
I just had a hard work out 2 days ago, I use my elbow a lot during my sport activity (I paddle 3 times a week on average), I am lacking sleep (kids, work...), eat too much sodium (my wife reminds me often!! lol), I am not particularly stressed but I could be a little I guess...
I know where to start! we'll see what happens!
Any advice welcome!
Ziz
Differece between BFS and myoclonia
Hello, I have posted on here fairly recently. First of all, there is a difference between periodic muscle twitches and myoclonia or myoclonic jerks. In myoclonia, every muscle twitches, or can twitch, and it isn't just when you and your muscles are at rest. It happens all the time and can interfere with some activity that requires precision work. That is what I have. Mine began after spinal injury which is par for the course..sometimes disease. The muscle jerks..(.they are called jerks because they are more pronounced than a spasm...like your leg will actually kick out, or your arm may jerk several inches) are the effect of the cause, whatever that may be in your case. This is NOT to be confused with BFS or Benign Fasiculations. These are those usually tiny little twitches that were funny as a kid...thumb, bicep, calf muscle..etc. There is also myokimia...this happens alot when you stretch and you feel in usually i your calf or leg muscles. It feels like a flutter, a group of twitches ...like a bird flapping its wings. NOT like a twitch that happens in the same place for 30 seconds, but it actually feels like a flutter of wings under the skin. It is also in and of itself, benign. Everyone has muscle spasms and twitches...if it gets to be painful, or you notice other symptoms such as muscle weakness ie: legs giving out from under you, dropping coffee mugs...then call a doctor.
I've been having the same symptoms
It has been going on for a few days now. Random muscle spasms in my left forearm. It happens as exactly in the above passage, but if i were to hold my arm out straight or in my wrist in a downward motion the twitches would stop. After awhile from holding my arm straight out for even just a minute, in the same place the spams take place, my arm would start to hurt. It could be because of stress. I'm glad I read this and did some research before going to the doctor. I can now try to monitor my diet to make sure I get the vitamins and try not too push myself as hard in my work-outs, that are new to my body.
I've been getting this all of
I've been getting this all of a sudden. I Googled the symptoms and it could be related to stress. My apartment was broken into the other week, so I have been experiencing high stress lately. Every time I try to sleep and some late-shift worker comes home at midnight or thereafter, I tense up now. It is a good thing my day job doesn't depend on keeping my hands absolutely still.
I am planning on moving to a new place.
weak twitchy left arm and hand.
I about 3 months ago was waking up with a numb tingling hand, and thought nothing of it it went on for about four weeks. Then whatever I did my hand would cramp up, now it is weak from my elbow down and the muscles are twitching. I'm am really paranoid as my father died recently of motor nuerones disease. But I am also under a lot of stress and suffer from anxiety and depression I am hoping that is all it is. What do you think.
Hey all, i have the same
Hey all, i have the same problem, except my twitches are pretty bad... i am 19, an ex-drug-user, and i drink alcohol on a regular basis, i think this could be part of my problem.. but if its not, i am not sure. But the twitching is really starting to get to me, right now its in my right upperleg, the twitch is a pretty big twitch, it being a big muscle in all, but thanks for some of the info. if i find anything else out hope i can be a help.
large number of posts
The many posts here suggest that this is an extremely common occurence. The low potassium makes sense, as does magnesium. Some supplements will most likely cure most folks. A few others may have disk/nerve problems, and even fewer may have a more serious issue...
twitches
Hi , I have been experiencing twitching above my right new mainly, you can see the muscle moving. My neck twitches sometimes too, as well as my foot and shoulder sometimes. I think it is stress. I am not a drinker but I was taken out for my birthday and noticed after drinking champagne and few other drinks I had no twitching. I am going to ask my doctor about it since I have an appointment to follow up on my hypothroid condition this morning.
Arm and Foot
hi twitchys!
I'm 15 years old and my upper arm and somtimes my foot go all twitchy at random times.(But I've been noticing the twitches scince I was 11.)I have an anemia iron deficency, sometimes my eyes get blurry( I'm near sighted with contacts, and I can unfocus my eyes - which, apperently you're not supposed to do.) and I also have restless legs.
Yesterday my left arm went crazy twichy and it lasted until today going on and off. I don't know what's wrong with it. It doesn't hurt or anything, it just feels...really weird. It freaks me out to see it moving. If I apply pressure or try and stop it nothing happens, but if I just continue what I'm doing it tends to stop after a few minutes. I found out that the only control I have over it is if lay down and then bend my left(twichy) arm behind my back, so my hand rests near my right hip the twiching quickly goes aways. But I think this sorta numbs my arm and feels just as weird as the twiching.
Is this related to my restless legs? I'm not taking medication for them, and my anemia is under control. I've also - over the past 2 years - been getting cramps/charlie horse's in my feet from swimming. To solve that I've been eating bananas and i tend to drink alot of milk.
Any help?
thanks ♥Hazel
Im not a doctor, nor do I
Im not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but have educated opinions and observations over the years. Limit your sodium intake. You would be surprised that almost ALL processed food contains sodium, which leads me to preservatives. Again, processed foods! Also eliminate caffiene and double or triple your water intake. If you are diligant in doing this for one week....JUST ONE WEEK, Im confident this will help. No coffee, soda, tv dinners, snacks, etc. Buy some fruits and vegetables, buy some meats and fish and season only with garlic, onion, italian seasoning, red pepper, etc. Cook on the grill or a George Foreman. Dont fry in grease and butter! Lots of cereal and oatmeal...not the sugary kinds either! It is difficult to do but...Try it for a week!
Thank you, best advice i have
Thank you, best advice i have heard on google...will try that.
Good advice because I did eat
Good advice because I did eat a whole can of salt n vinegar pringles within 2 days and now my arm is twitching and i have been ordering bacon lately on my burgers. mmm taste really good. I eat oatmeal every morning with butter and sugar. At first, i thought I slept on my arm wrong, because twitchng started right after I woke up from a nap. But its night and it happened again for a few seconds and decided to search internet.
twitching arm/ salt
People (and uninformed doctors!) need to stop blaming everything on salt. Low pottasium is most likely the culprit, especially if you take a bp and water pill. Most ALL recent studies prove salt is GOOD for you. Google it, and don't be a cow following the mainstream. Same with eggs, vaccine (which are TERRIBLE for you and your kids) and many othe things... do the research people, and wake up!
1. Potassium levels often
1. Potassium levels often change with sodium levels. When sodium levels go up, potassium levels go down, and when sodium levels go down, potassium levels go up. So what you say is true, which is actually reinforcing my original statement.
2. I am not aware where you have retrieved your studies on sodium from, but can assure you anything from the Sodium Producers of America may be a bit biased. The CDC estimates that the average American consumes 3,436 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day – far more than the maximum recommendation of 2,300 mg (the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt). But a CDC report suggests that nearly half of all Americans and almost all adults need to cut back even further, to no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Too much sodium in the diet may raise blood pressure in some people. For those who have high blood pressure, eating foods with a lot of sodium makes their chance of heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage higher. Heart failure gets worse when too much sodium is eaten. It increases the amount of water the body holds in and this causes swelling of the legs and hands. While it is true we need sodium, NOT as much as is in most peoples' 21st century diets in America! "Mooooo Mooooo"
3. This discussion is focused on muscle "twtching", "spasms", or "jerks", not muscle cramping, which is associated with low potassium.
4. Not sure what eggs and vaccine has to do with this discussion, but I would be happy to briefly comment on those as well. The pendulum seems to swing back and forth every 10 years or so as to the health benefits, or lack thereof. Eggs criminality are the high content of cholesterol. This is true in the yolk, which can be extracted. Even if not, yolks naturally contain lecithin a natural emulsifier. A report out of Kansas State University explains that the lecithin in eggs has been found to be effective in preventing the absorption of cholesterol in the body. So although eggs do contain higher amounts of cholesterol, their high levels of lecithin counteract it.
5. Vaccines..way too many to discuss in such a forum, but simply put, it IS possible that what may harm 0.1% of the population may help 99.9%. Numbers are estimates, but adjust as necessary...0.5% vs 99.5%?
6. I have done the research, and AM awake. I suggest you do the same. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,,,(That is your alarm clock!)
Hello Hazel, Firstly I am a
Hello Hazel,
Firstly I am a nurse. Secondly, I am suffering frm the same symptoms. However, I have been diagnosed with a problem with my ulnar nerve (that's your "funny bone"). It sits in the little notch under your elbow. Do you play sports? Do you use your elbow a lot as a bend/unbend way? You might have irritated your ulnar nerve. Try not to lean on your elbows a lot. I think thats how I irritated mine.
Fiona
twitching
thanks for your suggestion. son was playing football and began twitching.. one day afterward, saw a big bruise on his under arm near his elbow. I think this is what happened to him.. that he bruised/hurt his elbow during the game.
Pamela
you may have a neurological problem.
Hi!I am 16 and used to experience twitches when I was younger too.You may have a neurological disorder.You may be suffering from one of these neurological disorders:
.Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis[ALC}
.Damage to the nerve that leads to the muscle
.Muscular dystrophy
.Spinal muscular atrophy
.Weak muscles{Myopathy}
Also stress and anxiety can cause muscle twitches too.There is usually no treatment needed for this problem.But see a doctor if you're twitches are persistent or long lasting.
Reference:Medicine Plus Encyclopedia:Google
I hope and pray that you find this article useful and if you need my reference look up the page above on Google.You'll be okay.Take Care!
Twiching Nonstop
Okay so i first time my temple twitched i was in 4th grade now i'm in 9th. I'm 15 by the way. As i'm typing my temple is twitching pretty rapidly. I told my mom about it but she just said it will okay. It twitches mostly on my temple and behind my ear. It also twitches on my back, arm, foot, and leg. They don't always hurt but they twitch so hard it can wake me out of my sleep. I thought if i eat some bananas it'll help but it hasn't. I just hope it's nothing to serious.
everything twitching
so my first twitch was in my pointing finger 2 years ago in 6th grade. but up to today it twitches along with everything else in my body: from my ears to forehead to (underneath and above) my breasts, my stomach,arms fingers palms of my hands, buttocks,vagina(also area around it), thighs, calves,feet toes underneath toes, and my back. IVE HAD EVERY MUSCLE IN MY BODY TWITCH!! I'm afraid to wear anything that reveals my skin because I'm afraid that it will twitch and someone will see it. I'm very active, a ballet dancer, piano player and i do a lot of reading acting and singing AND I'm a vegetarian...so my only question with such a balanced life style how am i twitching so much?
Nerve twitching and vegetarian
Some vegetarians are low in B12 vitamins. Don't take vitamin pills for a week, go to the doctor and ask for a blood test for B12. If you are low you might need a prescription or shots. This vitamin is important in nerve function and formation. It protects the coating around the nerve. Nerve irritation can cause what you describe. Spine pressing on nerve roots. Also, stress as well.
have you tried seeing a doctor?
Have you thought about seeing a doctor? If you have, what were the results? My arm has already stopped twitching, so hopefully all of your muscles will stop too. Consider taking magnesium supplements or eating potassium. I didn't have to do that, but I've heard those work sometimes. But trust that in time, you will stop twitching. By the way, I am very sorry for your condition... it's sounds very unfortunate. :(
Just Started the Twitch
As most of you, my left arm is twitchin too. I am 15 and it started twitching on Sunday, April 17 2011... which was last night. I went to sleep thinking it would stop when i woke up, but it didn't! There's nothing wrong with my diet and i don't drink coffee, and nor am i stressed. If this doesn't stop soon, i don't know what to do!
Thnx
Twitching in Left Arm
I finished reading all your reports regarding this annoying left arm twitching. For me, mine is caused by a herniated disc in my neck. Everything seems to sit on a nerve.I had a prescription for this annoying spasm but I could not refil it. Neck stretches are about the only thing that work along with beating your tricep to death!!!
Muscle Twitch
I have the same thing but all over my body 24/7, 365....Not fun! I explain it as though there were kernels of Pop Corn exploding under my skin all over my body. I had a serious car accident in 1994 and among other things fractured my spine at 4 levels. I now have a harrington rod fused there. It didn't start at that point but in 2006 I was rear ended by someone doing 55 miles per hour when traffic, including myself, had come to a complete stop. From that MINUTE on, I have been plagued by this and it is HORRIBLE. They are called myoclonic (myo meaning muscle) jerks . Mine was caused by spinal nerves being injured. I also have restless limb syndrome in my arms and legs and it is severe....the only thing that comes close to helping my sysmtoms is hydrocodone for the RLS and a fairly new but strong muscle relaxer called Tizanidine, although the Tizanidine doesn't calm the spasms down completely but the hydrocodone completely eradicates the RLS thank goodness....See a neurologist, anybody else wont have a clue..even ortho docs.
i have the same symptoms
my pain seems to be coming from my spine also. have you gotten any other type of relief help?
Arm twitch
Hi, I am 13 years old and today is the first day my arm muscle has been twitching all day off and on. This has happened before but it was on time a day and was over very fast. I have felt it in my right leg to but it did not last long at all. O have been cracking my shoulder a lot too( the one right above my twitching arm) could this be because of that?
Twitching syndrome
These could represent side effects of medications, thyroid disease, or a twitching syndrome called BFS or benign fasciculation syndrome which can be exaggerated with physical exertion/exercise."Constipation":
Need guidance and information
I have been having a strange pain that originates deep inside from a nerve or muscle,It started as a cramp on my left elbow and shoulder,later the whole left side got frozen.there was a time that my neck was to stiff that i could not even turn while lying down.I have been getting sudden twitches,sometimes my Leg/s twitch abruptly ,sometimes my hip flexes automatically.
I want to know what is the relation of this to
A-Side-effects of med.
I am a chronic absurer of codeine Phosphate syrup,rexcoff(cipla)200ml/day and smoke 30 cigs a day.
I work night shifts and lately suffered a bad break-up with my girl who I lived with for past 9 years.
B-What is the relation of constipation and twitching muscles
C-How are depression,melancholy and stress related to twitching muscles?
Is it reversible?curable?what should I do?
There are no doctors or hospitals on this island,Boat comes here once an year
What about potassium?
Hey everyone... I have ,uscle twitches as well and it is quite annoying particularly when you are a hypochondriac.. I actually though I had Parkinsons when im "only" 26 hehe
Try testing for potassium deficiency... One of the most clear symptoms of mild potassium deficiency is muscle twitches... Check your diet to see if you are eating enough foods with potassium and if the answer is no try adding some coconut water and v8 juice to your daily drinks to see how you feel a few days after....
This worked for me :)
Hypnosis might help
I've read stories of people that develop twitches as a psychological problem that can only be fixed through intense therapy or several sessions of hypnosis. Good luck!
twitching left bicep and numb, tingling left thunmb
I have been experiencing a number of strange conditions lately and I am trying to self diagnose on-line for now. But I find it interesting that I can type in my subject (as in my subject line) in a search engine and find so many people talking about the two same issues but I am not noticing any similarities (without reading past the first few posts) to my OTHER conditions that are very wide spread in my body and have mostly been leading me towards some sort of autoimmune / thyroid / hypothyroid / hashimoto disease type problem. Can any of you put some other symptoms like the following TOGETHER with your arm spasms and thumb numbness??? For Example: Losing eyebrow hair, restless leg syndrome, losing facial hair, swollen eyes, blurry eyes / hard to focus, pain in neck that can go up into face and down to shoulders, knee pain, ED, depression, all of these symptoms are off and on (except eyebrow & facial hair loss) but seem to be getting worse and more persistent!!! and many other things that I am just starting to put together as one problem. Swollen tongue, swollen eyes, hemoroides - constipation / diarehea, low blood pressure.....the list goes on but on a lot of other sites many of these fit together and I'm sure if I have all of those things there must be something there....maybe many of you also have some of these other things and we all need to put it together to get to a proper cause and eventual solution.
Your arm spasms etc
Hi,
Read your symptoms and would put money on you having some sort of pressure or compression of nerves in your neck, likely C6/7. Not a doctor but have had these problems myself for a year and a half now - pain in face and front/back of shoulder, radiating down arms and numb thumb/index/middle fingers. If you're having twitchy legs or pains in lower limbs you may have pressure on your spinal chord from one of your vertebrae. Suggest you get it checked out if you can. Good luck with it, and let me know how you get on,
Sarah
Twitching Bicep musscles
Hey, Sorry to hear about all you symtoms.The only 1 symtom that I had was about 6 years ago I had blurry vision in my right eye,got to the point that I couldn't read and driving was pretty hard.It seems to get real bad when I was excersising or when I got hot.My vision in the eye was like a fuzzy TV screen but like really bright so I couldn't see properly out of the eye. One day I was trying to read a book with my son and it just got better, Bang like lightning, I cried out and said I can see agian.
End of that and it hasn't happened again.
I did have 3 times where I have fainted for unknown reasons, Wnet to the hospital, had Blood tests,deep look into my eyes and a MRI and ECG. They could not find any problem, Said I was perfect. This has since cleared up and I have not had a spell for like 2 1/2 years.
Its a mystery to me, But its funny that you sent this message to me today cause my Bicep started twithcing today at work, My left one this time. I have not had the twitching for like 2 years now.
Mind you I have lost 6KG in the last 8 weeks, Bit weird. I have started a stressful job and I put it down to that.I think the mind burns more energy that excercise within reason.
I haven't really got any answers for you I'm sorry.
I do know that depression does lead to sickness and if you are depressed please just try to enjoy the small things in life. Nature is a miricale.
Thanks for replying. I do hope what I have said may be useful for you in some way.
Um, so what happens if you
Um, so what happens if you DON'T have a vitamin deficiency and you are watching what you eat and you have this? It is quite annoying but I have ruled out a lot of things. Especially since I mostly drink water, I stopped drinking soda 3 years ago.....
Well you know
This is just a theory and is that uncontrollable limb twitching is a sign of possession and i dont mean a little jolt i mean like a trembling looking arm or leg
ARMS LEGS THighs WAIST slightly Tic-ing/ Twitching
I am 25 years old. 3 years ago I started with very light sensing of something moving in my muscles. It made me only turn to see and capture my attention because it was not visible. i could only feel it. It happened mostly in my thighs and arms. specifically I dont know the names of the muscles, but in the arms, its between the shoulder and elbow in the inner lower part. And in the thighs also between the hips and the knee on the front side. The curious about this is that through time apprx 1 year later they are visible but mostly to me. No one could see it unless they really payed attention or were touching me. that kind of worried me. and also got me mad. I tried reproducing on purpose but it is totally different.
First of all I feel more related to the first person on these experiences (Matthew Lowe) and "35 year of sporadic twitching".
The twitching is half of the times rapidly. more than 10 times per second. and half of the time is slow, like 2,3 times / s. a little faster than the heart beat.
Now that i mention it. Thats how it feels like. Have any of you ever felt your own heart beat. Even yet seen your pulse. "seen" not felt. For me its around 4 inches (10cm) down from the left nipple. Of course thats where the heart is. for me, im very thin, and i can see a small area that goes in and out when the heart beats. Of course in general an area of about 4x4 inches moves with my heart beat, but if i really pay attention then i notice the center part actually having more inner and outter movements than the rest of the area.
Well that area of less than .2 by .2 square inch it what usually tics or twitches in my arms legs thighs and waist. it goes in and out around 10 times per second rapidly and sometimes about 2,3 times per second. I try reproducing these movements but i seem to move really bigger areas of my muscles.
TRy seeing the inner part of the palm of your hands. Then make a fist, a real hard fist and you will notice most of your muscles from your wrist to your elbow move. Well, try now moving only an area of 0.2 by 0.2 inches? i think is impossible..on purpose, but with my twitching it is.
now this only has to do with muscles i have not had so far movements that include bones. lets say a muscle on my finger that would make my whole finger move, no. or another muscle that would make move my arm and hot something, also not.
I notice per day i usually have them when im mad, angry, or stresed out. and specially if i dont eat or lose a meal. then they become more frecuently. But that doesnt mean if i am calm or rested for a few days i wont have them. I still do, just much less often.
ive been to the doctors but they only say try not to be so stressed out. or have better meals. "it will sure be lack of vitamins".
Ummm that doesnt help much.
Does anyone have better ideas?
it would sure help, .
Thanks a lot!
35 years of sporadic twitching.....so far!
I remember when my twitching began. I was 15 years old and the twitches(or muscular spasms)were localised around my lower back.(Apparently there is a substance fired by neurons called Acetyl Choline and this coats the muscle causing the spasms.)I remember because,as far as I was concerned,the cause of the twitching was due to the extreme stress I found myself under trying to cope with the disintegration of my family.
(By the way, I'm 50 now. Family still disintegrated.)
Well,years passed and I'd tried different types of medication to eliminate the twitches,which have since affected most,if not all of my muscles. My doctor prescribed Diazepam which I tried for around 5 years. No effect on the twitches though.
I then,after taking myself off Diazepam,tried some herbal remedies,specifically Valerian and then Scullcap. Still no effect on the twitches.Magnesium supplement hasn't worked either.(My twitches are not painful and they vary in time and intensity.Sometimes they last for a few seconds,other times for a few weeks.)
However,before you readers despair and become attracted to suicidal websites,I did discover something interesting that made me believe that my twitches,and maybe your twitches too!, are psychosomatic in nature.
The discovery? I don't have any twitches when I'm on holiday!
It took several holidays before I'd realised this and I reasoned that it is the lack of stress on a "relaxing" holiday that keeps the Acetyl Choline dormant. These days I try to keep stress under control by avoiding people and situations that may trigger my spasms.(Easier said I know!)
There's no doubt I'll have these twitches for the rest of my life but they're certainly not debilitating.The main problem for me is just a social one.If the twitches are on my face I don't go out.
I'm glad to have contributed my twitchy history.
fasting
consider and research a 2 week fast.
I'm 16 now, my left fore arm
I'm 16 now, my left fore arm has been twitching when I started doing my GCSEs. Can you suggest anything to me as my arm has been doing this for nerely a year now.
Acupuncture?
My first thought would be to seek out a licensed acupuncturist and consult with them. Chances are they have heard of this and may have some suggestions for you.
looking for opinions.....
Hi my name is Tiffany im 18 my father was diaganosed with lymphoma cancer in 2003 since then hes been through various kemo and radiation treatment and today hes in remission ... a little less than two years ago he was involved in a accident causing his 4-6 disks in his neck to deteriate and he has had surgery and they have been replaced and a titanium plate put in for support.. ever since his accident he has been suffering from twitching in his arms well most of the time its more of a shake in his hands and up his arms , well he doesnt notice it unless someone points it out or its a major shake im not looking for a diagnosis im just looking for options because the neurologist and nerosurgen dont really seem to care there focus on other things i just dont want it to be by passed and later become something bigger thank you for your time i greatly appreciate it :D
-Tiffany
father's twitching
Hi
I had something called torticollis or dystonia after 12 years and 40 doctors, specialists and alternates I diagnosed it myself. C4 and 5 in my neck had narrowed with a spur coming from them and making contact with my spinal cord. It could be that your father has some damage to his spinal cord, perhaps from the operation. He needs an M.R.I. which will show exactly what's going on. If his spine is compromised in any way but can only be treated for his symptoms then try a drug called Clofen. There are a couple of others that might work if Clofen doesn't but it has worked wonders for me.
Stephanie
Spasms
I had spasms, in my legs. I am on Atkins diet, and started taking a multi-vitamin, and they stopped. Just like that. I also take my daily dose of Omega 3 's
Spasms/twitching
I've noticed my muscles throughout my body but also having reactions in others as it happens. It's quite embarrassing because I notice it as well as the other/s. I'm not quite sure what to chalk it up too... Whenever it does happen I do tend to act adversely to the spasm trying to act like it wasn't me when it really wasn't all that noticeable.
Strange happenings... Tried changing my exercise habits and did notice a partial change but as the year went on it came back and has really been a hindrance for excelling without being self-conscious around others...
Though I will say this, alcohol does detour it for period of consumption mainly due to subduing it.
Any help or medical diagnoses I should look into it would be much appreciated.
Codiene withdrawl
I can attest that a change in drug intake, ie stopping the use of pain killers can result in a muscle twitch long after the withdraw symptoms. I had (lightly compared to most) abused codeine for years and managed to quit a few months ago. After I was in the clear I got an intermittent eye twitch that did not subside for more than a month. It was annoying enough to get me to risk another week of codeine use. As soon as the drug was back in my system, my eye stopped twitching. I weened myself off again a week later and everything seemed good.
Now weeks later, when I thought I was in the clear again sans twitches one has erupted again between forefinger in thumb. All I can say is... this is better than it being in the corner of my eye...I can live with it. I think eventually it will balance out if I maintain a good diet and exercise and get plenty of rest.
Now to give up the evil of caffeine...
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