Foo - Strange muscle twitching?

I started getting strange muscle twitches last semester after I started taking caffeine pills. Now this summer, when I don't sleep enough, I get them every time. Sometimes it's something small like a toe moves on its own, on and off, for a few hours. But sometimes it is down right annoying such as my left bicep twitches or a back muscle will start. Being these are larger muscles, I worry it is noticeable to others. What is causing this and how do I stop it?

While there are some BF'rs who I'm sure know some possible answers to your question, there are a lot better places to go for this than foo I'd think. I'd talk to a doctor, but I guess that's easy for me to say since I have 2 doctors in my family;)

What is causing this

The caffeine pills?


and how do I stop it?

Stop taking the caffeine pills?

C'mon, be a man and drink coffee. Those pills are for wussies! :p

And Michigander is right. If you're really worried about it, talk to your doctor.

Stress causes these too. I can only suspect if you're taking caffeine pills its because you "need more time to study"...thus stress

I use to get it all the time, then my brothers moved out, i had less heart burn and no more muscle twitches. Though if i am this far ---> || from punching someone, my eye twitches.

That said, Doc's know best.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/neuro/messages/32515.html

*watches TQ's eyes*

uh oh, was that a twitch??

*ducks*

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/Tweek-90349235.jpg

*watches TQ's eyes*

uh oh, was that a twitch??

*ducks*

Sometimes its my upper lip too. I'm like a cobra.

I had a wee twitch in my right eye last year.. Lack of sleep was the reason.. It went away by itself..

Stress causes these too. I can only suspect if you're taking caffeine pills its because you "need more time to study"...thus stress

I use to get it all the time, then my brothers moved out, i had less heart burn and no more muscle twitches. Though if i am this far ---> || from punching someone, my eye twitches.


Yeah, same here, my biceps, forearms, quads, calves, and many other mucles would twitch like crazy sometimes.

But then I changed jobs, dropped a 1 hour plus commute, and moved out of my parents and now they're gone...

Yeah, same here, my biceps, forearms, quads, calves, and many other mucles would twitch like crazy sometimes.

But then I changed jobs, dropped a 1 hour plus commute, and moved out of my parents and now they're gone...

Crazy how that stuff works huh :lol:

That can also be an aftereffect of repetitive motion. It's not uncommon for runners or cyclists to have their quads just rhythmically contract. The cause can vary, but one plausible explanation I've heard is having too-low levels of some neuro-transmitter chemicals in you system. Calcium, Magnesium, potassium and/or sodium. Couple that with the open pathway from the brain to the muscle after a period of repetitive exercise, and you can get twitching.

Note, I'm not claiming, or even suggesting this is what's happening to the OP, but it is one cause (of many potential causes) of involuntary twitching.

I'm an epileptic, so [insert bad joke here].

is your house anywhere near high-tension power lines?

google muscle twitching... just a thought - or go pay $80 bucks so your doctor can tell you to google it. :-)

It's because you like too many things and have hobbies. Ever heard of a woman with this problem? No! I rest my case.

Low Potassium and resultant low nerve action potential. Generally nothing to worry about, unless you start developing muscle weakness along with it. It can be disconcerting though!:eek:

I think x136 is right...

He found another woman he likes besides his gf, and wants to keep the magic alive with the gf, but she doesn't have any hobbies...and this somehow is giving him muscle spasms.

It's because you like too many things and have hobbies. Ever heard of a woman with this problem? No! I rest my case.

I think women are just less materialistic regarding stupid stuff...like my bike, golf clubs, paintball gun, gaming ready computer, 1000 watt 5.1 computer speaker system, HDTV, camera, clean truck...sorry, where we? I need to hurry up and catch Sports Center.

yes, thinking about stuid stuff make you twitch. TQ, you may need some prozac or something like that though :-)

When in doubt let a doctor sort it out!

Here's a more glamorous possibility:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restless_leg

(don't read if you are prone to being a hypochondriac)

See a doc to rule out a metabolic or electrolyte issue. Sounds like they may be benign fasciculations, which come and go, sometimes in the same spot, sometimes same spot plus a new spot. When a muscle is fasciculating, the sensation is that of worms crawling under the skin, you can actually see the muscle moving, and rubbing the muscle or moving it doesn't make it go away, though it does eventually stop on its own.

But, as Tom said, if you are also experiencing any muscle weakness or clumsy movements anywhere, even in non-affected muscles, definitely see a doc and ask for a neuro consult.

Good luck!

When a muscle is fasciculating, the sensation is that of worms crawling under the skin

In many cases, this may actually be due to worms crawling under the skin. They may be, for example, tapeworms who have moved from the stomach area to the location in question. If you suspect you have worms under the skin, you should also see your doctor immediately - particulalry if accompanied by recent weight loss. :p

IMM = Invlutary Muscular Movements. It's caused when muscles are being worked (eg. weight training, cycling, whatever exercise that trains a certain muscle group). However, in your case, if you're sure it happened when you took the pills, it's probably something else.

Excessive ************ is the cause. I know, don't ask. :)

Excessive ************ is the cause. I know, don't ask. :)

I thought that was the cause of hirsutism of the palmar surface.