Thursday Thirteen 22: Muscle Twitch

This is my 22nd T13. I wanted to talk about muscle twitch because my calves have been intermittently (just like a slow, slow windshield wiper) twitching.

1. The twitching is such, it stops me on my track when I’m attempting to go back to running world.
2. It doesn’t interfere with my driving, but it worries me. It’s happening on the right leg only.
3. I tried learning to drive with my left leg today because of it.
4. Fasciculations: that spontaneous discharge of axon causing contraction in the muscles. Visible rippling of muscles might be visible.
5. I have not paid attention yet because I’m never aware of when the next twitch will be.

6. This might even be fibrillations, meaning only on a single muscle fiber, and usually cannot be seen.
7. I just wish I can predict when it’s coming.
8. Cramps is normal in healthy person.
9. I just did not notice having ‘spontaneous’ muscle contractions for more than a day.
10. If I did, I wasn’t paying attention to it.

11. They usually refer to this as nocturnal, but mine mostly happens in daytime.
12. I usually stay up at night, and sleep most of the day…so maybe that’s why it’s cramping in daytime.
13. Causes might be:

Familial
Hypothyroid
Electrolyte & metabolic disorders
Dehydration: Diuretics; Haemodialysis
Metabolic: Low Sodium, Magnesium, Calcium, Glucose
Neurogenic
Spinal Stenosis
arachnoiditis
Drugs & Toxins e.g. Caffeine, Diuretics, Labetalol, Lithium, Nifedipine, Terbutaline, Tetanus, Theophylline, Vitamin A (not an exhaustive list)
Note: Myotonic cramps are not usually painful Non-muscle disorders: Usually with Normal CK* & EMG (* creatine kinase, an enzyme which is raised in inflammatory disorders)
Connective tissue disorders: Fasciitis; Systemic
Bone: Osteomalacia; Fracture (Hip); Myeloproliferative; Fluorosis
Endocrine: Thyroid; Parathyroid
Vascular: Ischaemia; Thrombophlebitis
Polymyalgia syndromes
Joint disease: Immune; Hypermobility syndromes; Gout; Degenerative
Polyneuropathy including Guillain-Barr? syndrome
CNS: Restless legs; Dystonias (Focal)

Do you get muscle twitch? How often? What do you do to alleviate it? How long does it last?