# Muscle Twitching



## saxmania

Just curious to see if other experience muscle twitching with the thyroid problems. I was diagnosed 2 years ago as being hypothyroid. I was taking 50mcgs of levothyroxine, until a recent test showed that my thyroid was slightly elevated so they backed me off to 25 mcgs. I get random muscle twitches throughout my body all day long. Sometimes I go hours or days with none, other times they are more frequent. I am just unsure if this could be tied to thyroid, and if it is why doesn't it stop with the levothyroxine. I have been twitching like this for 1 year.


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## lainey

This can be a problem both if you are over medicated, or under medicated.

Do you have copies of your lab results, both before and after the dose change (including ranges)?

This will help us evaluate your situation.


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## Andros

saxmania said:


> Just curious to see if other experience muscle twitching with the thyroid problems. I was diagnosed 2 years ago as being hypothyroid. I was taking 50mcgs of levothyroxine, until a recent test showed that my thyroid was slightly elevated so they backed me off to 25 mcgs. I get random muscle twitches throughout my body all day long. Sometimes I go hours or days with none, other times they are more frequent. I am just unsure if this could be tied to thyroid, and if it is why doesn't it stop with the levothyroxine. I have been twitching like this for 1 year.


Hi there!










Do you have recent lab results and ranges you can share w/us?

What antibodies' tests have you had?

It is possible something else is going on but I would like to look at your labs and ranges first.

It could be myoclonic seizures.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/myoclonus/detail_myoclonus.htm

This sometimes happens with endocrine disorders. Lupus would be one cause.


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## saxmania

I don't have any lab ranges. I try to let the docs hammer that stuff out. They tell me what to take. They don't intend to recheck it till July after changing my dose. Trust me I have already gone down the road of what else it "could" be (mostly neuro problems like ALS...... I was just curious as to if it was even possible to be related to Hypothyroidism. I don't have any weakness or anything else going on to suggest neuro problems. Just curious mainly. Can random twitching throughout your body be attributed to thyroid conditions?

I should point out I went to Neuro last year, and he did the full clinical exam. He said I have "benign twitches." and sent me on my way. I do have a history of autoimmune diseases in my family. My grandfather had Myasthenia Gravis, and my mom has fibromyalgia. I also had Bell's Palsy when this all started. I have not had ANY blood tests for autoimmune, as what I have is not disabling. It has not slowed me down one bit.


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## Andros

saxmania said:


> I don't have any lab ranges. I try to let the docs hammer that stuff out. They tell me what to take. They don't intend to recheck it till July after changing my dose. Trust me I have already gone down the road of what else it "could" be (mostly neuro problems like ALS...... I was just curious as to if it was even possible to be related to Hypothyroidism. I don't have any weakness or anything else going on to suggest neuro problems. Just curious mainly. Can random twitching throughout your body be attributed to thyroid conditions?
> 
> I should point out I went to Neuro last year, and he did the full clinical exam. He said I have "benign twitches." and sent me on my way. I do have a history of autoimmune diseases in my family. My grandfather had Myasthenia Gravis, and my mom has fibromyalgia. I also had Bell's Palsy when this all started. I have not had ANY blood tests for autoimmune, as what I have is not disabling. It has not slowed me down one bit.


I could not find what I was looking for but have now.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10933433

Believe me, I know. I have Lupus and I had these myoclonic seizures.

Sure, maybe to the thyroid being responsible. After all, it is metabolic problem and there are synapses in the brain.

CNS is composed of neurons and glia so I would say there is plenty of electrical neurotransmission going on and and it may or may not have to do w/ the thyroid.

Hopefully others will chime in w/their exprerience and opinions.


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## Chromatic

saxmania said:


> Just curious to see if other experience muscle twitching with the thyroid problems. I was diagnosed 2 years ago as being hypothyroid. I was taking 50mcgs of levothyroxine, until a recent test showed that my thyroid was slightly elevated so they backed me off to 25 mcgs. I get random muscle twitches throughout my body all day long. Sometimes I go hours or days with none, other times they are more frequent. I am just unsure if this could be tied to thyroid, and if it is why doesn't it stop with the levothyroxine. I have been twitching like this for 1 year.


I have some muscle twitching myself, anecdotally.

Also, yes -- Endocrine problems , thyroid, parathyroid, etc.. do have a direct effect on motor neuron transmission. In fact in hypothyroidism it has been studied that fast twitch muscle fibers tend to phase shift to slow twitch which causes further metabolic changes. Now this isn't directly correlated to myopathy (myopathy is any dysfunction of a striated muscle.. so the whole body can be effected, or generally just parts).

While your endocrine dysfunction and treatment very well may have a role in your 'twitches' -- It is very common for stress, or the inability to deal with any stressors that tax the adrenals, raise cortisol and so on to create twitching.

Further, electrolyte imbalance , particularly magnesium is infamous for causing twitching.

Even lack of sleep causes it.

Most people twitch, .. most people don't pay it any attention.

Without being patronizing I wouldn't worry too terribly much about your intermittent twitching of muscles, but you could try some relaxation techniques,.. magnesium supplementation (I would recommend starting with 100mg, and working up to 400mg at max). You don't want to overdo it as to knock the E-balance off.

Try to maintain proper sleep,.. exercise can be beneficial due to the increased lymphatic draining across the body which has no "pump" and is only activated through body movement,.. and exercise facilitates increased blood flow which will scavenge toxins and free radicals.. not to mention nourish the muscles and their neuromuscular junctions.

Aside from this, I know you said you let the doctors hammer that out -- but labs really help us "diagnostically' so to speak.. so if you requested a copy of your records it would be good to have them for your own self-keeping.. but you could also post your Metabolic Panels (CBC), and so on which may show some imbalances.

Though any major imbalances should be addressed by the doctors. Our electrolytes are held in a VERY tight range by our kidneys and other organs.. so any minor shift can create quite the effect.

lastly, yes.. vitamin deficiencies can cause these. Of course Vitamin D (which is synonymous with autoimmune (thyroid disorder),.. and just general lack of sunlight. But other vitamins, particular B vitamin deficiency is equally a culprit when it comes to neurological activity of the musculoskeletal system.

Lots to think about -- hope you work it out!


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## saxmania

Trust me I am WELL past the dark days I was in this time last year. I was very depressed and convinced I would be disabled by now. The good news I was clearly VERY wrong. Sadly when you type muscle twitching into a internet search engine you come up with ALS. Many people go through what I went through. I have given up that fear. As by now I would have significant problems. I do think that thyroid could be to blame, but perhaps not. I was just wondering if anyone had similar experiences. I don't frequent the benign fasciculation forums much anymore, as I am over the fear, but I will admit it would be nice to know a cause. I still don't want to bug my doctor for test result. Since I did end up going on ativan last year from June through August. Anxiety is clearly in my charts. If I ask for results I will just continue to make them think I am a hypochondriac. Then what happens when you do have a real problem the doctor won't listen because they think it is just your anxiety again. I don't want to get into that pattern.


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