Topic: Muscle twitching and weakness that STARTED while on magnesium!
Nal
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posted
Ok, why is it that I have muscle twitching (arms and legs)and some weakness in the right arm? It scares me!! I haven't responded to treatment so far. I know its not ALS although sometimes in the back of my mind, I start to wonder. BTW, the twitching didn't start getting bad till AFTER I started magnesium-why???????????
posted
Check the magnesium level and if low have the doc. correct. See if it has an effect on twitching!
Posts: 219 | From Aubur,Al. USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Nal
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posted
But I am taking magnesium now and it just seems to be getting worse!
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
Nal, I think what your experienceing is just a part of Lyme. I have the same thing you just described along with the entire body "jerk". I never know when it will happen. Often, just lying in bed or when asleep, my entire body will jerk me out of sleep. Really, I just feel it is the Lyme bacteria.
How long have you been in treatment? We surely do still have active Lyme disease. I've read where these are symptons.........they just don't go away over night..........hope you symptons go away real soon and you will begin to feel better. Guess it just takes more time than we are willing to give it, huh.........Dalphia
Posts: 97 | From Tennessee | Registered: Nov 2005
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Nal
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posted
The twitches and weakness are scarey as heck though! I just don't want it to continue to get worse!! Why did it flare so bad when I started the bicillin? I havent had a shot in over 2 weeks now and Im still having a horrid flare up!!
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
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johnnyb
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Member # 7645
posted
Hi, Nancy.
Definitely keep up the Magnesium. Talk to your doc about testing your levels. There are tests from Doctor's Data that check for intracellular levels of Mg and other electrolytes. There is a packed red blood cell test as well as a urine test. Another way to check is to have the doc give you a shot of Mg and see how much you excrete in urine over 24 hours. Make sure you are getting enough B vitamins as well.
Don't you just HATE this disease?
- JB
Posts: 1197 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jul 2005
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Mathias
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posted
Have you been checked for co-infections? It could be Bartonella or Mycoplasma that is in your CNS and is causing the twitching.
For me treatment for lyme and adding magnesium supplements did nothing to reduce the twitching. Treatment for mycoplasma helped reduce it substantially over time.
-------------------- Mathias Posts: 1242 | From New Jersey | Registered: Feb 2004
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Areneli
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posted
I used to twitch a lot but I don't anymore. ABX fixed me. Give yourself some time.
Posts: 1538 | From Planet Earth | Registered: Jan 2005
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Nal
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posted
ONe thing I just realized. When I went into a big flare around Thanksgiving, I had recently started the Bicillin. I was off and on Rifampin for Bartonella prior to that and had to quit. Right now, I am not on any antibiotics at all and haven't been for over 2 weeks now--we are trying to let my system reset.
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
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It takes a long time to bring mag levels back up when they are so depleted. It's esp hard to do with just oral supps while on abx. Most of us have some degree of absorption problem. IV mag or shots are needed. It took me about 6 months of IV mag (2cc's) 3x's a week to get rid of the twitching. This was in addition to a lot of oral supplementation.
-------------------- You're only a failure when you stop trying. Posts: 945 | From U.S | Registered: Oct 2004
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Nal
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posted
quote:Originally posted by micul: Nancy,
It takes a long time to bring mag levels back up when they are so depleted. It's esp hard to do with just oral supps while on abx. Most of us have some degree of absorption problem. IV mag or shots are needed. It took me about 6 months of IV mag (2cc's) 3x's a week to get rid of the twitching. This was in addition to a lot of oral supplementation.
But why is the twitching getting worse while on the magnesium?
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
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Monica
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posted
Magnesium is not a cure all. It may help, but it is not going to get rid of Lyme Disease.
Posts: 1757 | From Somerset County, NJ | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
Certain drugs like Rifampin and Flagyl can effect the CNS and cause some muscle twitching. Abx also increases the need for mag. B6 is needed for proper utilization of the mag, and most lymies are very decicient in it. One thing for sure, the mag is not causing any nerve damage. It's more likely that the twitching is from a new med, or a dose change.
You said that you have been off of abx for a few weeks. The twitching can also mean that the keets are taking advantage of this med free period. It could just be a coincidence with the mag timing
-------------------- You're only a failure when you stop trying. Posts: 945 | From U.S | Registered: Oct 2004
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
The twitching and muscle spasms are very common with Lyme and co-infections. I notice when I miss an injection of magnesium, the twitching starts up again. It also keeps up even when I am on the magnesium. When I herx, or get sicker, the twitching is always the beginning for me. The feeling of crawling and movemebnt, tightness in my legs, and thighs is downright creepy. Its not painful, just annoying. Sometimes my whole thigh muscle will jerk, sometimes my shoulder will spasm and twitch, it varies from off place to odd place. I agree that the magnesium levels are very easily depleted and it requires both oral and IM supplementation to restore the levels. The shots do help so much!
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
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quote:Originally posted by Nal: 1. I haven't responded to treatment so far.
2. BTW, the twitching didn't start getting bad till AFTER I started magnesium-why???????????
3. ONe thing I just realized. When I went into a big flare around Thanksgiving, I had recently started the Bicillin. I was off and on Rifampin for Bartonella prior to that and had to quit. Right now, I am not on any antibiotics at all and haven't been for over 2 weeks now--we are trying to let my system reset.
Nancy
1. answer you had a responce you said symptoms flared on bicillin maybe the doses you have been on are not high enough?
2. answer you need magnesium But are you taking complex B vitamin? and cq10, glocosomine??
3. answer personalyI would get on abx's take flagyl 3x a day = total 750mg a day. and and another abx maybe biaxin it will show improvement. But you have to stick to it. Good luck
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
david1097
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posted
Hello
I have been under intensive treatment for a long time, unfortunately I have replasped several times after trying to stop. I have also been taking magnesium in the form of magnesium lactate, (niche pharmacuticals) (this appears to be the best of the various types out there, and I have tried a lot).
in any case what I have been able to reproduce is an effect where the magnesium appears to act synergistically with the other treatment. In other words it appears (in a reproducable fashion) that when taking the magnesium a greater improvement occurs. This improvments has appeared a cyclical climb with symtoms flare up cycles occuring at a regular interval, followed by step wise improvmeent after the flare up. With out treatment the pattern is in the reverse direction, with things getting worse after each flare up.
As to how this could happen, I don't really know but I suspect that the increased magnesium levels somehow improve the antibiotic (or may the anti parasitic, for babesia) drug metabolism by the organism being treated. there are lots of possible ways this could occur ranging from direct effect on the organism to effect on cells that actually contain spirocheetes that have gone inter cellular.
What ever the cause it I for one am convinced that magnesium as a benificial effect to the overall treatment progress. Also I have not seen the reduction in "twitching" that many have observed when magnesium is added to the diet.
As far as ALS goes, if it is/was ALS there is not much that can be done, so rather than worry about it, your thoughts would be better utlized in thinking about the other probable causes like lyme. There are a lot of bad things out there and worrying about them does not help. I certainly have learned that you just have to hope for the best and cope as things transpire, this after I was given a very definative and grim diagnosis of a rapidly progressive, acutely fatal disease prior to findig out that I had Lyme and several co-infections (ths was a few years ago now).
Good luck
Posts: 1184 | From north america | Registered: Feb 2003
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Boomerang
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posted
Well said. Hubby had the twitching in his arms before he was ever diagnosed.
I can't imagine that the Mag would be the root cause. At least in hubby's case, it sure wasn't.
Posts: 1366 | From Southeast | Registered: Sep 2005
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Nal
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posted
quote:Originally posted by Lyme ED: The worsening you are experiencing may have nothing to do with taking magnesium.
Keep an eye on two other possible factors here: (1) that you have been off abx for two weeks, and (2) what meds you recently DISCONTINUED.
I suspect that stopping an antibiotic abruptly can sometimes act as a trigger for a Lyme flare. In my experience it's better to taper off gradually (as well as on) abx when you have Lyme.
That makes sense and thats probably what I should of done but I didn't. Ill call my LLMD and see what he thinks I should do now. Oh brother!
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
Twitching is caused by damaged nerve bundles short circuiting. Ramdom impulse is generated as one or both ends of a nerve circuit become damaaged and thus, fasciculation. Magnesium helps to rebuild myelin once pathogens are cleared. Takes alot of time. AN MD who I respect said "nerves grow lowr than hair".
As much as you need magnesium, you need it all. B vitamins are key and a variety at that, not jus supplements but MEAT and dark greens. And alot of water daily. And as Dr. B says "compliance". Certainly NO alchohol.
I was vegetarian for a few years and that partially led to my ALS mis-diagnosis. No doubt I severely depleted B's, mag and many minerals by eating "healthy" (?). Add colloidal minerals in addition.
I twicth therefore I am.
Now that I know *why* (lyme+bart etc.) I am happy to twicth knowing I am on the road back to health. Twicthing is a by product of what we have.
You could also have BFS (benign fasciculation syndrom) as any do. They have no other Sx other than twitching and that is their only Sx. I learned quickly that twitching, while annoying is hardly worth worrying about.
quai
-------------------- "In spite of the ever increasing cost of living, it remains quite popular" S. Shackel Posts: 87 | From walla walla wa | Registered: Dec 2005
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Nal
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quote:Originally posted by quaicheng: Twitching is caused by damaged nerve bundles short circuiting. Ramdom impulse is generated as one or both ends of a nerve circuit become damaaged and thus, fasciculation. Magnesium helps to rebuild myelin once pathogens are cleared. Takes alot of time. AN MD who I respect said "nerves grow lowr than hair".
As much as you need magnesium, you need it all. B vitamins are key and a variety at that, not jus supplements but MEAT and dark greens. And alot of water daily. And as Dr. B says "compliance". Certainly NO alchohol.
I was vegetarian for a few years and that partially led to my ALS mis-diagnosis. No doubt I severely depleted B's, mag and many minerals by eating "healthy" (?). Add colloidal minerals in addition.
I twicth therefore I am.
Now that I know *why* (lyme+bart etc.) I am happy to twicth knowing I am on the road back to health. Twicthing is a by product of what we have.
You could also have BFS (benign fasciculation syndrom) as any do. They have no other Sx other than twitching and that is their only Sx. I learned quickly that twitching, while annoying is hardly worth worrying about.
That could be true too. However, I am also experiencing muscle weakness that did start while on Bicillin and has only been getting a little worse. When the twitching started in again, that sent me through the ceiling!
Nancy
quai
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
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How is your insulin doing? I was just reading that *insulin* is what stores magnesium in cells(!). Who knew?!
Improper insulin signaling results in the inability to properly store magnesium...which leads to other problems such as restricted blood flow, the twitchies, and inability to properly manufacture essential fatty acids.
The more I read about insulin, leptin and hormones in general, the more I am amazed at how they seem to be so integral to Lyme disease and the symptoms.
Cheers,
Alison
--------------------
The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. --- Edward R. Murrow Posts: 923 | From California | Registered: Aug 2005
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Nal
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posted
If any of you read my latest post about brands of magnesium, someone on there had posted that you can herx on magnesium. Id never heard of that before!
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Nal: If any of you read my latest post about brands of magnesium, someone on there had posted that you can herx on magnesium. Id never heard of that before!
Nancy
The body utilises magnesium to produce healthy anitbodies.......hence the herx.
Posts: 294 | From nevada | Registered: Sep 2005
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I just started the Natural Calm mag powder, I like it, herxing some.
(Different approach to the temors) Have you looked into mercury poisoning? That can cause temors. I had 13 removed improperly and am looking into chelation for this. There is alot of info re: mercury and lyme. Just a thought Posts: 315 | From USA | Registered: May 2005
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Mathias
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posted
My twitching was never helped by increasing my Magnesium intake. Long term antibiotics have improved it but have not eliminated it completely. At this point I believe that it is my nerves healing. Nerves grow very, very slowly. Not sure if it is 1 inch/month or 1 inch/year.
-------------------- Mathias Posts: 1242 | From New Jersey | Registered: Feb 2004
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