are these just twitch's or somthing more?

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Sydney

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Hello
I am 24 years old and for the last 3 - 4 years I have been getting these twitches. At first it was not very often and smaller. The musels in the side of my neek (they always happen on the same side and places) would twitch and I did not think it was anything. Slowly they incresed in the number till today I can have days with 5 or more though at other times I can go for up to a week with none. They have not just increased in number but also in size. my neak musles will twitch so much it twists my head around in a jerk like motion and somtiems my arm also on the same side will jerk around. For awhile I thought they were related to a change in temperature becase I get a shiver like feeling in the side of my neak and down the back of my arm less than a second before the twitches which are now big enough to be very noticable to those around me. However I have noticed that they do not happen more when I am more hot or cold. If I am holding anything in the arm that twitches then I drop it. It only lasts a second and then its over usually. But more and more often I have noticed that somtiems I can get continuous little mussle spasums in the same places for up to 5 or more minutes at a time. I know every one gets little spazams excet that theese are in the same places again and I think are happening more often than is normal. I am considering mentioning this to my doctor but don't want to wast the money if I am just being silly. does any one have any addvise?
 
Hi Sydney --

What you describe sounds like a kind of seizure called a mycoclonic jerk. It basically presents as the kind of twitching you describe. I recommend that you see your doctor, and tell him/her what you've said here: Describe what happens and how the jerks or twitches have progressed over time.
 
Thank you for your reply. If it is that type of thing how important is it that I see my doctor. Do I need to this week or can it wait another month? I can't afford to right now. But I can borrow some money from my parents if it is a better idea to go sooner. Considering how long this is happenign I am asuming there is not a rush?
thank you
 
Hi Sydney,

If you're not losing consciousness, or working at a job where absolute muscle control is necessary (like surgery), then I'd say it's okay to wait a bit. In general though, because the twitches are escalating, there's the risk that they will continue to get worse. For this reason you don't want to wait too long before getting a diagnosis/treatment plan. (When seizures occur they make a sort of "neural path" in the brain. The more seizures you have, the bigger the path gets, and the more likely it is that your brain will take that unhealthy route as opposed to a healthy one.)
 
Hello
I am not losign consiousnes and I am at the moment unemployed. I talked about it with my mum last night. I don't see her very often and she said she hasnt noticed many twitches but she has noticd the same arm somtiems start shaking for awhile which is the little musle spazams I can get there I think she has noticed them because they can last for while. I think the reason she hasn't noticed many twitches is that they are over so quick if she wasn't looking at the time a mear one or two seconds she would never see it. I don't want to get to the place when I am informing her like "i jsut had another one" but I am getting to the point that I am tempted. When I told her about going to the doctors she seemed to think there is nothing they could do. she siad that at the most I might end up on a waiting list to see a nurologist and they probably will not find anythign. but she does think they might be little seziers but then she said that most people will have at least oen sezier in there life and that it was normal. She knows this has been going on for nearly 4 years as I have talked to her about it from the start. When it first started it was a bit scary (I had a big one which I have never had again where I could not move my arm for at least 3 to 5 seconds afterwards, I know this becuase I was looking at my arm and I tryed to move it and couldnt) but she reacted by yelling at me. But I did learn somthing else from her. She said when I was a baby my body used to go stiff and my eyes woudl roll back in my head. When she todl the docotor about it he told her it was nothign. I grew out of it any way. And I don't get anythign liek that now but I am wonderign if that could also be conected. I have had what my doctor called an elergic reaction to some medication which caused black outs also. I was taken of the meidcation and the black outs stoped. I don't knwo if any of this is relivant.
But with what you said that they might contiue to get worse and about paths in the brain I will go to my docotor soon I think.

I also have dyspraxia (global including verbal for which I have had years of spech langage theripy) and low musle tone. I mention this beucuase dyspraxia is a coordination disorder and low musle tone affects that. could it be related?

thank you so muhc for your advise and help. It is good to get advise from a stranger who also knows what they are talkign about. Sorry if I am going on and on I can do that. I try not to.

thank you.
 
There could very well be a connection between your dyspraxia and the twitches. Dyspraxia has been linked to a seizure disorder called Benign Rolandic Epilepsy. The causes of dyspraxia aren't well known, but it's thought to involve both a genetic component and possible oxygen starvation of the developing brain -- something which could also make your brain vulnerable to seizures. This would explain some of things you mentioned happening to you in your childhood, and the blackouts as well. It would be ideal if you could see an Epileptologist (a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy), since he/she would be able to give you a sense of what a course of treatment might involve.
 
I have a question. I will be just sitting still either at work or home, and my legs will start jerking. Any ideas? I do have peartia complex and grand mal seizures, but this is new. People are making comments about it(not mean, just that they see it). I will start tapping my feet so that it distracts:banana:
 
Simple partial seizures can involve twitching or tapping, so you might want to check in with your neuro.
 
I have been at the hosptial from monday to thursday. I was home last night on watch. I have to go back today to antoher ward. They think I had a sezier on monday. I have at a CT and it was good. and I have had a EEG 2 days ago and the doctors are waitign for the results. they do not kwno wheter my twitchs are little seizers or nervice twitching becuase my twitches are worse when I am anxious. I never got to the doctors. ended up in a amberlence instead. I do not knwo what is happening. I had troubhle walking after. my side and leg kept on skackign and my back kept on jerkign back for a day after. coudl bearly go to the toilet with out help geting there. it was embarasign.
 
Hi Sidney...dang, sorry to hear that you ended up in the hospital instead of the doctors office :( Hopeful the doctor's will be able to give you better answers once they get the results of your tests back. There are many here who I'm sure fully understand the fear and confusion you are probably feeling right now.

Bug Hugz to you and hope you are feeling better soon :)

Beth
 
Sydney I am sorry to hear about your most recent health concerns. I truly hope you get some answers soon!

John Runer
 
The CAT was nromal. the EEG was mostly normal. the doctor says it does nto show taht I have epilepsy but it does not show that I do not have epilepsy. my EEG was normal excpet for one part. On the part there was all of my brain doing somthign it should not. after it went back to normal. they said it was adnormal discarge across all my brain. they are goign to do another EEG. if it hapens again they are going to give me medicication.
 
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It's not unusual to have a negative EEG and still have epilepsy -- many folks here who have definitely been diagnosed with epilepsy haven't ever had it show up on an EEG. If you continue to have seizure symptoms and twitches, I recommend that you ask the doctors to try an anti-seizure med to see if it helps (even if the second EEG is inconclusive).
 
the report we have nwo been given says this:

background activity normal, some discharges are adnormal.
 
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I am working myself up to 2 milligrams of Klonopin currently at 1.5 and my seizure activity has dropped eighty percent! This is with negative a negative video EEG! The meds are for my anxiety and depression but also known anticonvulsant so there you go!

John
 
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