Survey

nightwolf_mk · 10-17-2009, 01:10 PM

Hello everyone. I would like to know if you took something effective to control
the muscle twitches. I used to take magnesium and gabapentin but unfortunately
none of this are working anymore and in my case the muscle spasms are uncontrollable
now so I would like to try something else to see if it can at least decrease the twitches.
God stay with you.
Bye.

BethU · 10-17-2009, 01:35 PM

I've never heard of anything that controls or weakens twitching. However, I've taken two meds that significantly worsened them, one of which was Rilutek.

One thing ... when the muscle is completely dead, it stops fasciculating.

If you do learn of something, please let us know.

Zaphoon · 10-17-2009, 02:01 PM

If you can tolerate the spasms and twitching, it might be good to stay away from prescribed meds that could have unwanted side-effects like bringing on weakness and/or fatigue.

I'm now getting cramps in the bottom of my feet aside from constant fascics in my legs and big thumpers in my arms and shoulders. I'm not in any high degree of pain so I do my best to ignore the twitches, cramps and thumps.

If, on the other hand, your problems are preventing you from getting adequate rest and causing you a lot of pain, it might be better to see what the doc can prescribe.

Just some thoughts...

Zaphoon

halfin · 10-19-2009, 06:42 PM

Different people seem to get different kinds of twitches. Some people have really sharp and hard ones that hit one spot over and over again, very uncomfortable. My twitches are gentle and are spread through my whole body. They are fast and soft, probably 20 to 40 per second all the time in my whole body, every different muscle. My only weakness is in my right hand so the twitches don't seem to have much to do with muscle weakness in my case.

So, what works for me may not work for you. But I have found something that seems to help my twitches: massage. I am very lucky (in many other ways too) that my wife is a Physical Therapist. As a PT she has training in therapeutic massage. Now frankly her massages usually don't feel very good, they are designed to mobilize joints and such. But she got training in other kinds of massage in order to help me, and now she massages me gently every day. I feel a big difference in the twitching afterwards. It really calms the muscles down for several hours, and I think it is having a long term effect as well. And of course it feels great.

Not everyone has a PT as a spouse but I would think anyone might be able to do a gentle but firm massage in an area which is twitching, see if it helps. My wife spends about 10 minutes on each limb. So it might be worth a try if you could get someone to help you.

ctk56 · 10-30-2009, 02:09 PM

for clonus, I use a catapres patch, changing every week. the patch is usually prescribed for high blood pressure but reduces clonus for me. guess that is an "off-label" use

hopingforcure · 10-30-2009, 09:28 PM

Wow, never heard of anything for Clonus, amazing how we really do learn something everyday. I suffer with severe clonus, someday's it is just overwhelming, maybe something to try, thank you for the heads up.

Zaphoon · 10-30-2009, 11:56 PM

Oh My Gosh! I woke up this morning and the fasciculations were worse than I've ever seen them. My muscles were being pulled in so far in my calves that they actually creased! Big time creases, too! There was also a charlie horse kind of effect to them.

I still don't take anything for the stupid things but am thankful that I still have them (as it means things are still alive down there!).

Zaphoon

BethU · 10-31-2009, 02:29 PM

Kim, that sounds dreadful. I didn't realize your twitches were so intense. And I get annoyed when I feel one! There has got to be SOMETHING they can do. ...

I think you've really invented a completely new (but not improved) disease.

Zaphoon · 10-31-2009, 08:07 PM

Beth,

That was pretty funny!

I have to admit that those fascics really took me by surprise. I've never had them that bad (charlie horse bad!). My calf muscles looked badly deformed while they went on.

paleshia · 11-02-2009, 07:51 AM

this is just a ridiculous disease, i feel like i am wasted my time whenever i try to understand it! Is muscle damage happening where i have the most twitches? who knows....what will be affected next? who knows....how fast is my progression? who knows....i am trying to learn to be like joel...not worry about it because there are really no good answers anyway.....and "who can add a single hour to his life by worrying"

i am not quite there yet...working on it..

Zaphoon · 11-02-2009, 01:40 PM

I've gotten to the point where I try to let something new going on entertain me. My fingers have been getting crampy, stiff and somewhat arthritic feeling. This is proving to be very entertaining. I'm calling this event arthritis.

Another "Aw Shucks!".

Here's my way of handling all that is going on. I do not have PLS like a few neurologist have suggested. What I do have is BFCS, Bilateral Frozen Shoulder Syndrome, onset of arthritis in my hands and am just naturally blessed with bilateral triple flexion responses and hyperreflexia. Tah-Dah!

Life is good!