Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Muscle Spasms ???

Hello Everyone,
So I went to my rheumatologist yesterday. The appointment went okay. I had been taking Enbrel but stopped about a month ago because I was getting tingling in my feet and wasn't sure if it was a side effect or a result of some kind of disease process. I also didn't feel any different taking it, so I figured as long I'm still so early stage with this I'll avoid the heavy hitting drugs (I've been having that same "is it worth potential side effects for the potential benefit to this potential diagnosis" debate all along).

I've also been getting muscle twitches, I guess they're spasms, every day in various muscles all over. Usually near my knees, my feet, my shoulder and my back. They don't hurt at all and don't last long. They typically happen when I wake up or when I sit down at the end of the day. Sometimes it's only a spasm that lasts for a few seconds, so very mild and not an inconvenience in any way. They also don't seem to be related to pain in the joint itself. I asked my rheumatologist if that's a symptom common with AS and he said he hadn't heard it much. He's having me take naproxen daily for a month to see if that helps anything and he was thinking if it continues I might see a neurologist to rule out MS.

Does anyone else experience this kind of muscle spasm? And if so, does it seem to be related to anything like cold or pain? One day I woke up feeling chilly and that was the most spasming I've had at one time. I pulled out the comforter that day and it hasn't happened since ... lol.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this. I feel so lucky to have found this site. You're all so welcoming and reassuring! I hope I can return the kindness!

The little muscle jumps might be what are called fasciculations. My neuro didn't seem to think they were very important at all and said they were could be just a normal thing. I believe they are quite common in fibro (or was it ME?) though.

Hi!

Sounds like muscle spasms, but I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

But I was on Enbrel (took 6 doses) and just went on hold for a month because I seem to have nerve issues. I had pain and tingling in L leg before even starting the Enbrel, and later developed same in L arm. (Have a thread titled 'nerve root pain', or something like that) Rheumy is being cautious...pain doc suspects entrapments in lumbar and cervical spines and I'm having testing to see what's up.

If getting yourself warm stopped the spasms, that's good (and makes it more likely to be muscle in origin). But if it continues like you describe, it probably wouldn't hurt to have someone check it out. I plan to do the same thing if my MRI/nerve studies turn out 'normal'. No med is worth getting MS.

If I read your post right, you don't feel any different off the Enbrel than on it? Or was it that the tingling/spasms didn't feel any different?

i get twitches like that, have been for years, even before the inflammatory arthritis, but i don't get them too often and as they cause me no pain or other issues, i don't really give them much thought, other than to think them odd. above my eye twitches maybe the most, or maybe i just notice that one more.

but never hurts to ask a few doctors from different specialities; better safe than sorry.

on the other hand, i have all different levels of muscle spasms in response to the arthritis that are very painful and cause much disfunction, thus those are the ones that i focus on, for myself personally.

Hi Sarah_Kate... I also was getting muscle twitches in my left hand for about 4-5 months. First just in a finger and then the whole hand started. I would just sit there and watch it twitch and couldn't figure out why it was happening. And then, one day, they stopped... for now.

I don't think they are related to AS, but not sure... I concur that you should warm up the muscles and stretch a bit to see if they decrease in frequency and intensity... I hope you feel better soon!

Hello ... Thanks for the replies! I looked up fasciculations and found some info about Benign Fasciculation Syndrome, which seems to fit it all perfectly. It even says that stress and medical illness can increase its intensity, also makes perfect sense for right now.

Rumble, you read it right on the Enbrel comment. I really didn't notice any change in terms of the aches and pains in my joints and back. I still experienced periods of what I imagine are little flare ups (achy, exhausted, felt flu like, GI issues ... fun times!) along with minor daily symptoms. I suppose that they might have been worse had I not been on the Enbrel though? Luckily I'm really not all that bad off right now and these things rarely impact me more than me just thinking, hey ... that's kind of weird. I hope you get some answers on the nerve issues your having right now. Sounds like something that would be a little disconncerting to say the least. I'm especially sorry you had to stop the enbrel in the meantime if you were getting some relief from it.

Sue, I love your perpesctive on things! I will say that last night I had some intense pain in my toe joints for a while and when those muscle started to spasm it was clearly pain related. I think from now on I'll not worry much about these non-pain ones.

Thanks for your input Rainshower34 ... I'm glad your hand quieted down for now. It's always nice when there's something to be able to say improved for a bit!

I'm already feeling much better about this! Thanks guys. Have a great weekend!!

WHen my AS began and I was much more active I used to get the "twitching" of the muscle you describe and even and occasional full muslce cramp.

It seemed to me that my activity during the day would just cause the spasm because a muscle that was not being used as it always had (pre-AS inflammation ) was now being used but my body was re-adjusting in moving it with inflammation, not causing pain, but slightly altering the motion from its matural course.

WOuld happen at end of day as you say or when I awoke.