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Subscribe to RSSSitting at your desk, a muscle in your leg palpitates quickly. Or a muscle under your eye flutters. These sudden twitches, known as fasciculation, occur commonly and seem random.
But are these spasms simply minor annoyances? Or are they signs of something more.
“[A fasciculation] is small and it involves one muscle and it is a local problem,” explains Dr. Jagan Pillai, a neurologist for the Center for Brain Health at Cleveland Clinic.
Fasciculation occurs when a muscle spontaneously becomes excited because of nerve miscommunication. Motor neurons, which live in the spinal cord and base of the brain, send their axons out to tell muscles how to move, but in some situations a disruption occurs, causing fasciculation. Exhaustion, anxiety or depression, nicotine, or too much caffeine can make nerves hyper-excited, disrupting the motor neurons and causing a muscle to flutter wildly.
“Fasciculation is a twitching in the muscles because of abnormal firing of the nerves,” says Dr. Kourosh Rezania, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
“Very often it’s of unclear significance and doesn’t lead to any long term problems.”
Because physicians believe things such as stress and exhaustion cause fasciculation, most solutions are at-home remedies.
“If [muscle twitches] are really bothersome, the best thing to do is lifestyle modification; get plenty of sleep, exercise, relaxation, and minimize caffeine [consumption],” says Dr. Carlayne Jackson, a professor of neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
While the majority of muscle twitches are harmless, fasciculation can be a symptom of other disorders, ranging from very serious to mild. Fasciculation occurring with muscle weakness and atrophy can be a sign ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“If [patients] have fasciculation and no weakness, it is unlikely it will have an ominous outcome,” explains Jackson.
Having frequent fasciculation does not mean that one will develop ALS or any other disease. People with ALS complain more of muscle weakness and pain, Rezania says.
A less serious, rare condition—known as cramp fasciculation syndrome—causes cramps, pain, fasciculation, and fatigue.
“Cramp fasciculation symptom does not become ALS,” stresses Rezania. “The nerves are excitable and that causes increased symptoms.”
Pillai notes that if patients complain of jerks in their body, doctors must determine the cause of fasciculation—twitches can also be related to diseases such as MS, epilepsy, thyroid disease, or kidney disease, but these disorders almost always have other symptoms associated with them. And physicians must diagnosis whether the movements are fasciculation or myoclonus, which are sudden, involuntary muscle twitches, impacting a group of muscles. Hiccups and hypnic jerks are both forms of myoclonus.
“[Fasciculation] is commonly noted in normal people, but it could be a sign of a neurological problem. If it is persisting for a long time, it should be taken more seriously than [a twitch] that lasts for a few minutes or an hour,” Pillai says.
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Worth commenting here that fasciculations, hypnic jerks, myoclonus and more are also not uncommon side effects of the commonly prescribed Fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics eg Ciprofloxacin, Levafloxacin etc. These bizarre and unpleasant medicine induced neural/nerve pathologies can go on for months or years, in some cases seemingly irreversibly. I experienced this first hand, I went from athlete to buzzing, shocking, jerking, spasming for months on end - all from a misprescribed antibiotic. There are thousands online who havent recovered and few Doctors are aware of these adverse reaction effects.
Floxed: Thanks for taking the time to post. I have also be effected by taking Cipro for a bladder infection ....years ago.. This group of antibiotic is very strong and has life long after effects for many. BTW anyone who has had a problem with Cipro should avoid macrobid, sulfa drugs, amoxicillin, and augmentin.
Look up the peripheral neuropathy association and the info about avoiding antibiotics. I have found Keflex (cephalaxen) to be the safest for me if I have to take an antibiotic.
You can also have some type of parasite. Most US doctors have little experience with many of the parasites of the world. And with more and more immigration and global travel many more of these parasites are entering the U.S. and going undiagnosed.
You could also have neurologic problems from taking some problematic antibiotics such as Z-Pak which has caused serious problems for many people.
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and this is what actually got called as the fancier "restless leg syndrome"
No, restless leg syndrome is a different disorder with very different symptoms.
I took levaquin and avelox and this was only ONE of the many side effects I suffered with. All these "syndromes" that seem to be popping up out of nowhere IMHO are severe ADRs from medications. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics have black box warnings and the doctors do not even know that, nor do most pharmacists. It also warns do not administer steroids along with this class of drug, my doc gave me cortizone shots AND steroid scripts....I wish someone had warned me so I could have made a more informed decision regarding MY health. This class of drug is to be used only in life threatening infections.....I had a sinus infection. I would have much rather suffered thru that than the last 2 years of undue pain and suffering!
Levaquin caused my facillation. FQ's are POISON> AVELOX CIPRO LEVAQUIN= POISON
I took 4 500 mg of ciprofloxacin (cipro) another fluoroquinolone over 5 years ago and I still have these side effects from this drug. I've seen 3 neurologists. All my tests come back normal or negative. Yet I have clonus/spasticity in both legs and hyper reflexes. I was given cipro for a sinus infection and never told I could suffer permanent neurological damage from this drug. Oh and there are other nasty side effects as well. Avoid these medications!!
People should avoid all antibiotics- unless they actually need them. NOT taking antibiotics for a serious bacterial infection can have a nasty side effect called death. People need to quit demanding antibiotics for minor ailments, and doctors need to quit giving in to those demands. Drugs save far more lives than they ruin, but they are not free from risk.
I took Cipro a class of drugs called Fluoroquinolones one of the first ADR's that began shortly after taking this drug was fasciulations (muscle twitching). I regretably must say this was very minor compared to the extreme and devastating progression of the possible consequences of the drugs. Fluoroquinolones should never be used as a first line antibiotic. I had a simple uti, now my present state of health is poor at best. I was a very healthy well condictioned female. I want people to know the possible effects of these drugs masquerading as antibiotics. The damage does NOT stop when you stop taking the drug. Its like playing Russian Roulette. I wish everyday I had been aware of this. These Adverse reactions are under reported to say the least and the FDA is NOT protecting the citizens in the US. Wake Up America.
No, you did not. Your UTI was not *simple*. It was a very bad UTI or a recurrent UTI for Cipro to be prescribed.
Do you think drs just pull an antibiotic out of their ass? Certain antibiotics are given for certain bacterias.
It was the 3rd line of defense when I had a sinus infection that progressed to bronchitis & lasted 3 mos. I started off w/ erythromycin, then augmentin, then Cipro AND steroids AND Darvocet b/c I cracked a rib coughing. Drs don't just hand out Cipro scrips for every little thing. It has to be major.
Cipro is very commonly prescribed for acute pyleonephritis, which can be a life-threatening UTI, as not treating it aggressively will lead to bladder & kidney failure. UTIs are not to be termed *simple* as they can quickly turn on you at any stage. Most ppl will not follow dr's orders to drown that sucker w/ gallons of water & flush it out faster. But they can swiftly get extremely dehydrated if they don't. That alone can kill you.
Depending upon your symptoms & the stage to which the UTI has progressed, looking at your urine sample under a microscope will give the dr a good idea of what type of bacteria is present in your urine; doing a culture will usually affirm that initial glimpse.
UTIs are bad ju-ju. You're not going to get penicillin for one. That just insures it will come back. The cillins have all been so grossly overused that ppl are starting to become resistant to them now.
You got Cipro for a good reason. You could be bitching about total bladder incontinence atm rather than muscle twitches. They're a minor annoyance when compared w/ pissing your pants &/or splattering all over the bathrm floor b/c you can't hold it long enough to dash to the toilet due to wobbling all over the place w/ a 104 temp.
That's the stage my simple UTI was at when I got Cipro'd. And it wasn't strong enough b/c it came back & I had to get 30 days of nitrofurantoin. I have never gotten so sick so fast & so severely in my entire life. That simple little UTI put me in the hospital w/ an octopus of IVs hanging out of my arm. This is what happens when you think it's just a flu virus & let it go on.
Beats dead.
100 yrs ago many of us would not have survived to schl age w/o antibiotics. I'd have been dead at the age of 4 w/o that vile pink stuff in a bottle, that I got for my initial bout of what turned out to be chronic tonsillitus. Simple little things like that were big killers b4 antibiotics.
That UTI would've killed you in 1912. It's still a big killer amongst elderly women in nursing homes b/c the symptoms of a severe UTI are commonly confused w/ those of dementia.
But yeah, go ahead & complain about muscle twitches, knowing that bad bacteria probably isn't going to put you into a coffin in 2012.
Scar Tissue, why won't you post with your real name? Are you a real person with a real story to tell or are you just another of the many many fakes out there shilling for Big Pharma in every conversation about drugs on the internet? And why don't you show a little compassion? You have no idea what this person has been through to be so callous and cold. Doctors do hand out fluoroquinolones far too often just as they did with the cillins before them as you readily admit, blowing a huge hole in your truly stupid argument that a person must have needed a drug if they were prescribed it when we all know that Big Pharma lies and cheats and misleads and illegally markets every drug they have in order to make billions and billions of dollars in profits. The billion dollar fines they pay for this year in and year out are just the tip of the iceberg, part of the cost of doing business. The executives of these companies make decisions to kill and maim hundreds of thousands of people each year and are all criminals of the highest order who should be forced to take heavy doses of Cipro and imprisoned for the rest of their lives.
FDA, Politicians, pharma co., do you all think these people care when somebody died or had severe side effects from the medication they are taking? hell no!!!!
God Bless to all of you.
I have RLS. Extremely annoying. Thank goodness for Rapinirole. Wish someone would figure out the cause and cure for it.
I also have RLS. Considering the effect it has on many, namely chronic insomnia, I would think that finding the cause would be up on the list. My father was plagued by it in his later years, and I'm convinced the impossibility of getting a full nights sleep led to his death, since he had cardiac problems, and was unable to truly rest.
Up right now waiting for my legs to settle down long enough so I can sleep.... Twitching started a year ago in both calves and has not stopped.... Some nights are bad does not seem to have a reason I can figure out..... Medicine to help sleep are pretty strong and I don't like taking unless I don't have an alternative .... Sometimes they cramp like tonight ..
Tired of it ... Nothing doctors can do
Have you had your calcium/potassium levels checked? Hydration/kidney function/blood pressure... tried exercise no less than 4 hours before sleep?
Cramping and Twitching legs can be a sign of PAD, check with your doctor about a Peripherial Vascular Function test. PAD can show a greatly increased risk for heart disease and Stroke. Good news is there are a few treatments for PAD available. including vascular ablation (rather painful but removes the damaged blood vessels in the legs and in conjunction with vascular growth stimulating meds can greatly reduce symptoms and long term risks.)
I was prescribed Levaquin in 2007 along with cephalexin for an infection in my ankle that I received in the hospital during surgery. In my case it may well have saved my life but I'll never know for sure. Perhaps the cephalexin would have been enough and I wouldn't be dealing with a very long list of horrific 'symptoms' of fluoroquinolone toxicity, one of which is fasciculations throughout my body, far more commonly in muscles on the left side of my body for some reason, most commonly in my left eyelid. Other problems included broken and bloated blood vessels and chronic venous insufficiency, blood clots, brain damage, ruptured tendons, cartilage failure requiring a cartilage transplant, chronic diarrhea, joint pain, insomnia, chronic fatigue, vertigo, photo-sensitivity, tinnitus, shrinking vitreous humor, myopia, intracranial pressure, convulsions, slow healing wounds, awful rashes, hair loss, tremors and shakiness, manic anxiety attacks and many many more problems. The marketing literature for these drugs boasts that they penetrate into every corner of the body and they are not kidding; my entire body is wrecked. Unless you have been exposed to anthrax you do not want to take Levaquin, Cipro, Avelox or any other quinolone antibiotic. In fact these are not traditional antibiotics cultured from living organisms; rather, they are highly toxic chemicals which, on the very rare occasion they are actually needed, must be administered very carefully and monitored closely so as to maintain a blood level strong enough to kill bacteria but not so strong as to kill the host but since they are handed out like candy and are also found in our food supply there is a real good chance the fasciculations you may be experiencing are being caused by these poisons. Good luck everyone!
I have been on Cipro for UTIs multiple times. I honestly didn't know it could cause all these serious problems... I figured my twitches were from Fibromyalgia and restless leg syndrome as I have been dx with BOTH!! I am allergic to sulfa drugs, ceclor, amoxicillan, penacillin, and salycylates, as well as another class of antibiotics that I don't currently recall. This is WHY they give me Cipro versus another anitbiotic. The list of meds i take for Fibro. is Cymbalta, Skelaxin, Lyrica, and Tramadol. My total list is 3 pages long, for the meds I am currently taking. Which is SCARY to say the least!! Thank God I have a caring doctor and an excellent pharmacy on my team!!