Twitching?

[Amee]

Is involuntary twitching an aspie thing? I do it a lot, and since I started paying attention to it, it irritates me more and more. Usually the movement is so small that others don't see it, it's just me who suddenly feel my muscles twitch, but there has also been times when I've actually kicked the air. I seem to twitch more when I'm still for some time, and it irritates me even more then since I feel it much more.

 

[grommet]

I tick. I've only done it a few times in public. Mostly I tick hard when I transition from one thing to another or when a sudden intense thought of feeling comes. I can jerk pretty hard. At home I can let it happen for as long as it needs to which is sometimes a few seconds or for a few seconds a few times in a row. I try very hard not to let anyone see.

It's very hard for me to go from one sensation to another. The shower is a big trigger for me.

Is involuntary twitching an aspie thing? I do it a lot, and since I started paying attention to it, it irritates me more more. Usually the movement is so small that others don't see it, it's just me who suddenly feel my muscles twitch, but there has also been times when I've actually kicked the air. I seem to twitch more when I'm still for some time, and it irritates me even more then since I feel it much more.

 

[Easter]

Yea, I twitch and have a few little ticks. Sometimes words create weird reactions in me physically or situations that stress me create a strange build of energy that all of a sudden has to be released without me having control of it , almost like turrets I suppose. When I sit alone for long periods of time I notice myself rocking (not like Jimi Hendrix but that does happen too) and/or doing things with my hands like tapping.

 

[Amee]

Is it something you can treat? It really bothers me and it seems like it's getting worse, not to the point where it's a problem really, but still.

 

[Peace]

Yes, I twitch and have ticks, but not to noticeable. The jerking thing though, is a topic for conversation. All of a sudden I kick the air, swing at nothing or jerk my hips as if I just got stung in the behind. I always crack up laughing thinking of what it looks like. People look at me like I just transformed into something unrecognizable. It is hilarious! I do it in my sleep more often than when awake, but i always laugh just the same.
I also rock.

 

[Easter]

Is it something you can treat? It really bothers me and it seems like it's getting worse, not to the point where it's a problem really, but still.

I expect there are pharmaceutical drugs that can relax the body to the point of not ticking at all but they are probably not worth it.. Mediation, possibly would be the best idea I would think, but I struggle with it personally.

 

[King_Oni]

My muscles twitch from time to time, up to where people commented that it looks like I've got bugs under my skin.

Twitching for me is a bit worse when I went to the gym, so I guess it's my body's way to... Heck I don't even know what why it does it, though I never considered it a really bad thing. However;

Sometimes when my muscles twitch really bad I strain a muscle and it hurts for a few days. For a visual idea: imagine your calf muscle instead of bulging outwards, suddenly caving in and forming a "dent" in your lower leg. The immediate pain sensation often makes it feel like the muscle is going to snap my bone. I just have to get up somehow and put my foot flat on the floor, since even my foot arches because of the muscle. Its not just my legs. Sometimes I have this in my muscles in my lower jaw as well... That's how you make funny faces, lol

 

[Aspieistj]

I have taken Prozac for decades. As my depression waxes and wanes I discuss it with my doctor and adjust the dose. Currently on 20mg a day. At one point I went up to 60mg a day and I had terrible involuntary twitching all over my body. When the dose was reduce the twitching disappeared. Just a thought--maybe your problem is related to something you use or take.

 

[Amee]

I have taken Prozac for decades. As my depression waxes and wanes I discuss it with my doctor and adjust the dose. Currently on 20mg a day. At one point I went up to 60mg a day and I had terrible involuntary twitching all over my body. When the dose was reduce the twitching disappeared. Just a thought--maybe your problem is related to something you use or take.

I find this very interesting! I do take antidepressants but never new that it could affect me in that way. Come to think of it, the twitching has increased sort of in sync with the upped doses.

 

[Easter]

I find this very interesting! I do take antidepressants but never new that it could affect me in that way. Come to think of it, the twitching has increased sort of in sync with the upped doses.

There are plenty of natural therapies you could try and exercise is good too.. (maybe yoga?) I have tried a few medications but don't touch them at the moment because...
1, I don't want a dependency on anything by myself.
2, Some of the meds I tried made me feel 1000x worse
3, The pharmaceutical industry is the biggest industry in the world and IMO more about money than health.

I do understand the need for some people to take these meds but I am pretty much sure there are better alternatives including a good diet
. And, although I am probably bad for saying it, illegal drugs helped me more at times in my life than drugs the doctor gave me, in fact, my doctor messed me up a little bit more than I was already by trying out different meds on me before realizing I was on the spectrum.

 

[Ereth]

I don't think it's just an autistic thing. There are many, many different possible cause for twitching. Most are relatively innocuous, though.

 

[djn]

My muscles were twitching and the doctor told me to take more calcium and it stopped. I don't know if upping calcium can hurt you if you don't need it so I'd check it out before trying this. I was relieved that it was a simple thing.

 

[zurb]

People seem to be talking about a number of different things here.

I get tiny localized muscle twitches when I am tired. Often in my lower eyelid, but it can also be elsewhere. Feels weird.

I occasionally have a muscle spasm where I can kick just as I am falling asleep.

I sometimes get cramps, especially in my calf muscles. Immediate solution is to stretch it, and it can ache for days after. I make sure I take more salt with meals as this can be a cause.

And yes, I rock and bounce my leg too.

 

[gregmcph]

My father died of ALS. It's a disease that basically stops your muscles from repairing, so you get weaker and weaker... not nice. Anyway a very earliest symptom of ALS is muscle twitching. A first sign something isn't right.

So noticing my leg muscle do a little jitter always makes me a bit paranoid.

 

[bentHnau]

Hmmm. A twitch. Maybe that's what I've been having. I've been afraid that it's a mild seizure. I have a sensation like electricity and/or warm water flowing over my scalp, then my head turns back and forth involuntarily.

 

[ExplosiveTMT]

My muscles twitch, as well as locking up from time to time.

I wasn't able to find out if I had a chemical imbalance or not since I ran for the hills when my doctor pulled out a needle for a blood test. Though I notice that my twitches and lock ups seem to happen when I'm worried.

 

[Harrison]

I have a facial tick that happens when I am in a stressful conversation. It's slight but I can feel it which then can make it worse as it adds more stress.

Only way I can stop it is to remove myself from the scenario.

 

[2aspirin]

I have a facial tick that happens when I am in a stressful conversation. It's slight but I can feel it which then can make it worse as it adds more stress.

Only way I can stop it is to remove myself from the scenario.

That sounds like a very localized dystonia. I have dystonia in multiple areas. But if yours worsens or starts to spread to lower face, good to get it checked out as there is a nerve compression problem that is rare but treatable called Hemi Facial Spasm. In this case, 'Facial' refers to the Facial Nerve which is the 7th cranial nerve exiting the brain stem. There is imaging that can be done under a refined protocol that can identify the compression spot below brain stem. There is a specialized microvascular surgery that fixes these. I had to get that ruled out so I went through screening for that.

Anyway, stress aggravates dystonia. Stress does not cause it, of course. It is the neurological response to vigilance that ramps it up. The same thing happens if someone with Parkinson's is watching an action movie: an arm will start shuddering.

You may know all this already. Figured I would mention these as enough of us have some movement disorder probs, seizures, tics, whatever.

 

[2aspirin]

I will just say that before I developed involuntary muscles contractions with dystonia and myoclonus, would never have fully appreciated how powerful it is. Trying to counter them is like pulling against a strong bungee cord. There are people with blepharospasm who cannot open their eyes against the powerful, forceful contractions slamming them shut. Medications -- even heavy duty ones -- barely make a difference in these contractions. They are not just cramps or lactic acid build up. Not knots in muscles. The cause is central, not peripheral. They are a confused signal coming from the brain that put muscles into a contracted state when they should be in a relaxed state. The only somewhat adequate solution is heavily blocking these muscles from even working such as with a neurologist putting a lot of botox in them. Or getting a Deep Brain Stimulator implant. Some respond to seizure meds or Parkinson's meds, but usually best in combo with chemodenervating blocks with botox or xeomin...and not to oral meds alone.

Other kinds of brief twitching that is not a contraction could be ion imbalances. Magnesium is helpful for some. Yes, twitches can be a medication side effect. But if stiffness or movement problems also develop, that really needs medical attention. That can be dyskinesia.

Writhing movements can be a neurological problem or medical related.

 

[Flinty]

I have this odd thing where when I'm trying to get to sleep, my entire body twitches exactly once. It happens about once a month. I can't remember when it started but I think it was in the early 2000s. Caused by medication, possibly?