Ask a doctor on the topic of Neurology

Muscle twitches

January 31, 2015 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am 36 years old and female. Lately, I have been experiencing burning scalp pain and occasional left-sided pain. These symptoms have now disappeared, but since yesterday I have been experiencing muscle twitches when lying down before falling asleep, sometimes in my arm, then fingers, jaw, and even in my stomach. The twitching in my stomach still causes pain, similar to muscle soreness. I also feel generally weak, but I still have strength in both arms when squeezing. A basic blood test was done by my primary care physician and everything was normal, but the magnesium level is still pending.

I did some research online and now I am panicking about serious illnesses like ALS...

Thank you in advance for your responses.
Nelly

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Good day,

This is the problem with googling: you come across extremely rare diseases that can make you afraid. Muscle twitching is indeed a symptom that can occur in ALS, but also in magnesium deficiency, nervousness, or potassium deficiency (which can be caused by the abuse of laxatives).

The early symptoms of ALS are more likely to be paralysis leading to speech and swallowing difficulties or an unsteady gait with stumbling. This does not match at all.

Therefore, I would recommend doing relaxation exercises, stop googling, and calmly wait to see what happens with your magnesium levels.

All the best!
Sincerely, Dr. Höllering