Are you taking an medication that may induce twitching as a side-effect? I got some really bad hand tremors when I was taking Effexor XR. Fortunately, the hand tremors stopped soon after I discontinued the medication.

The only regular medication I take is Crestor. Like all statins Crestor can cause nerve issues (but none of the reports I have read talk about fasciculations -- they all concentrate on more serious issues like myopathy). I have been on statins now for over 20 years. I am switching to generic Lipitor next month, not because of side-effects but because my insurance won't cover the high cost of Crestor any longer. I'll see if it makes a difference.

Misty

One other thing that comes to mind is a dietary issue. Could there be something that you're eating or not eating that is causing the fasciculations? I know it can be very frustrating when trying to figure out the cause of symptoms without having any clear direction. When I had an allergic reaction of hives earlier this year, the doctor gave me a list of OTC medications that can control the symptoms. However, he said it'll be trial and error trying to figure out what caused the allergic reaction in the first place. Fortunately, the cause turned out to be a new laundry detergent, which is easily resolved.

I do think PM could be the cause of our fasciculations if it is contributing to pseudo estrogen dominance. (I say "pseudo" because PM does NOT contain estrogen, but it obviously has strong estrogenic effects in humans and conceivably could cause symptoms similar to true estrogen dominance via it's effect on LH/LSH and testosterone. If you search for the symptoms of estrogen dominance, you will find hypothyroidism is a frequently near the top of the list. If you do a search on fasciculations and hypothyroidism, again, fasciculations are frequently a symptom of hypothyroidism as either a sequelae of the effect on energy metabolism and/or electrolyte imbalance in the muscle tissue. There are a whole suite of possible hypothyroid symptoms including allergies, rashes, hives and sinus congestion. I believe several people have mentioned sinus issues, while several others have mentioned dry mouth. Sjogren's syndrome (two of the dominant symptoms are dry mouth and dry eyes) is also associated with hypothyroidism.

Also, the combination of PM and statins could create the problems you are having. Think of fasciculations as a kind of subclinical myopathy. Also realize, the myopathy associated with statins can run the gamut from intense pain to minor aches and the like.

The primary way GG's counter estrogen dominance is to take supplemental progesterone. You could lower your PM dosage and/or add progesterone to your program. I think you might find the fasciculations and/or cramps (if you're having any) will significantly decrease.

Good luck.

I do think PM could be the cause of our fasciculations if it is contributing to pseudo estrogen dominance. (I say "pseudo" because PM does NOT contain estrogen, but it obviously has strong estrogenic effects in humans and conceivably could cause symptoms similar to true estrogen dominance via it's effect on LH/LSH and testosterone. If you search for the symptoms of estrogen dominance, you will find hypothyroidism is a frequently near the top of the list. If you do a search on fasciculations and hypothyroidism, again, fasciculations are frequently a symptom of hypothyroidism as either a sequelae of the effect on energy metabolism and/or electrolyte imbalance in the muscle tissue.

Thanks for the input, chrishoney! I was actually starting to wonder if I might be estrogen dominant and was ready to post such a question on this forum. I had recently increased (doubled) my PM intake from 1500mg/day to 3000mg/day, and I don't use any progesterone product at all. I have had the fasciculations for well over a year but they have definitely increased lately (a lot) and could correspond to around the time I increased the dosage.

Also, the combination of PM and statins could create the problems you are having. Think of fasciculations as a kind of subclinical myopathy. Also realize, the myopathy associated with statins can run the gamut from intense pain to minor aches and the like.

If this is the case then I hope adding progesterone and reducing the dosage of PM eliminates the twitching. If not I will probably have to go off PM and live with the GD (not a pleasant thought)...

The primary way GG's counter estrogen dominance is to take supplemental progesterone. You could lower your PM dosage and/or add progesterone to your program. I think you might find the fasciculations and/or cramps (if you're having any) will significantly decrease.

Is topical progesterone cream the way to go here? I could pick up some today at GNC if I knew what to get. Also, is this something I would need to use only part of the time (it seems I read somewhere that the progesterone should be used to simulate a period, and only for a week to 10 days a month)?

I appreciate any help anyone can give me here... the twitching is driving me to drink! (Heavily...)

Thanks

Misty

oddly I often get severe leg cramps sometimes when I go off of PM for a cold turkey break. (also usually just before the GD returns 10X+)

I do also get random muscle twitches but i've had some/most of those as long back as I can remember.

could possibly be stress issue/a nutritional deficiency at the root of it, mine did get a bit more frequent the last year & a half (nearly constant stress almost as bad as what the GD can cause me) I can handle a LOT of stress myself but after a prolonged onslaught of it it can really grind you down on multiple levels, sometimes without you even realizing it.

oddly I often get severe leg cramps sometimes when I go off of PM for a cold turkey break. (also usually just before the GD returns 10X+)

I'm on a break now (started 1 week ago) to see if going off PM makes a difference. It could take weeks or months to know for sure though (as I've read the twitching can continue that long even after the cause is resolved). I doubt I'll stay off it that long but I'll definitely start back on a lower dosage and with progesterone added to the mix.

I do also get random muscle twitches but i've had some/most of those as long back as I can remember.

I have too but these are different. Both my calves will start twitching at once, probably 4 or five different muscles in each one. You can actually see them twitching. When they start they continue without any pause for several hours -- usually at night but also when I'm sitting. They don't twitch when I stand or walk.

could possibly be stress issue/a nutritional deficiency at the root of it, mine did get a bit more frequent the last year & a half (nearly constant stress almost as bad as what the GD can cause me) I can handle a LOT of stress myself but after a prolonged onslaught of it it can really grind you down on multiple levels, sometimes without you even realizing it.

Definitely not stress on my part (life is pretty wonderful for me right now) but I have started taking magnesium, calcium, and B12 supplements as recommended by quite a few people with similar symptoms.

Thank you for the inputs!

Misty

OK, I am now 95% certain that the fasciculations I have been experiencing are due to me taking PM.

To better illustrate what I mean by fasciculations, I have uploaded a YOUTUBE video that shows what is going on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_UYR9MWe5Y

The twitching doesn't hurt but is incredibly annoying and can make it very difficult to sleep.

I went on a two-week "cold turkey" withdrawal from PM and the twitching dramatically decreased. I started back 3 days ago and the twitching quickly returned in force. I experience what you can see in the video almost 24/7 (it doesn't happen when I stand or walk).

It could be that my reaction to the cold turkey is psychosomatic. I'm taking another PM break starting today and will probably go at least a month (maybe two). I have a suspicion that it's not the estrogenic effects of the PM that cause the fasciculations but rather very low T (specifically "free-T") that the PM causes in me. My free-T runs about 1/10th of normal for a genetic female when I'm on 1500mg of PM/day.

We'll see...

Misty

First of all too much of anything will throw off your balance and hurt you. I would not cut my PM totally, but decrease it much, I go to 1 or 2 caps/day, and add 1 or 2 wild yam caps/day, and drink a cup of fennel tea, and then would also have a very healthy diet and exercise. You will heal then. <3 POM

I get sometimes get those random twitches usually in my biceps/triceps and calf muscles. Their minor annoyances at most and usually occur when I'm relaxed. I just take more magnesium when I get them, and I don't get them again for awhile.



Muscle twitches can also be caused by low iron levels. You could try supplementing your iron and see if that helps.

Taking more vitamin D can also help if your twitching is accompanied by muscle cramps.

B6 deficiency can also cause twitches.

First of all too much of anything will throw off your balance and hurt you. I would not cut my PM totally, but decrease it much, I go to 1 or 2 caps/day, and add 1 or 2 wild yam caps/day, and drink a cup of fennel tea, and then would also have a very healthy diet and exercise. You will heal then. <3 POM

I agree that too much of anything can be a bad thing, and I likely pushed myself into estrogen dominance by not being more careful. Stopping PM now is for diagnosis -- I'm not intending to stop altogether. If I can prove to myself whether or not the PM is really involved then I can make a plan for going forward.

Thanks for the inputs!

Misty

I get sometimes get those random twitches usually in my biceps/triceps and calf muscles. Their minor annoyances at most and usually occur when I'm relaxed. I just take more magnesium when I get them, and I don't get them again for awhile.

Muscle twitches can also be caused by low iron levels. You could try supplementing your iron and see if that helps.

Taking more vitamin D can also help if your twitching is accompanied by muscle cramps.

B6 deficiency can also cause twitches.

Yes, I'm been trying all the minerals you suggest (except iron -- I will add that as well). The research I've done on this issue, called "Benign Fasciculation Syndrome", all suggests the minerals (but it unfortunately rarely works).

The twitching I experience isn't occasional. It happens virtually ALL the time (except when I am standing or walking). Quite maddening.

Thanks for the insights!

Misty