Benign fasciculation syndrome is an uncommon condition where you might feel your muscles tingling, twitching, or going numb. This can happen in any muscle in your body, and it doesn’t go away easily.
BFS is not very common and can sometimes be mistaken for a more serious condition called Lou Gehrig’s disease. Since ALS is a serious disease, healthcare providers need to be very careful when diagnosing BFS to make sure they are not missing something more severe.
When it comes to treating BFS, the main goal is to help manage the symptoms. This usually involves finding ways to decrease stress, as stress can make the symptoms worse. By managing stress and addressing the symptoms, people with BFS can continue to enjoy a good quality of life.
What is it?
Benign fasciculation syndrome is a condition where your muscles jerk repeatedly without any serious underlying cause. A muscle twitch, also known as a fasciculation, is something most individuals experience at some period, like a leg cramp or an eyelid twitching.
Typically, these twitches are strong sufficient for you to feel but not strong enough to cause your muscle to jerk or fully contract. Muscles are made up of units of motor, which include groups of muscle fibers and nerves working together to make the muscle move. These motor units usually respond instantly when your body requires you to move.
However, fasciculations happen when single or multiple motor units start to “fire off” on their self-contained, without any control from the brain. This unexpected activity causes the muscle to twitch.
Individuals with BFS have continuous muscle tingling, numbness, or twitches in single or multiple muscles. The muscle twitching caused by BFS can last a long time or go and come regularly. These twitches might happen in different muscles at different times and can vary in intensity.
Causes
Benign fasciculation syndrome is uncommon, and its exact cause remains unrevealed. One theory suggests that BFS might be a reaction to viral contamination. Fasciculations, or muscle twitches, can result from various factors, involving the utilization of particular medications or substances, especially allergy medications.
Medications that can activate fasciculations include:
- Pseudoephedrine
- Chlorpheniramine
- Nortriptyline
- Beta-agonists
- Dimenhydrinate
- Diphenhydramine
- Methylphenidate
Usually, these jerks abate when the individual prevents taking the medicines and doesn’t lead to BFS. It can also be because of injury, trauma, or signs of depression and anxiety. Sometimes, they are associated with other stress-linked signs like heartburn, headaches, and IBS.
A deficiency in certain minerals, like calcium or magnesium, can also lead to muscle twitches. Additionally, fasciculations might be connected to routine factors like strenuous exercise, smoking, extreme tiredness, alcohol consumption, and caffeine consumption.
Symptoms
Benign fasciculation syndrome often causes jerking in the thighs and calves, but it can occur in almost any place in the body. These muscle twitches, or fasciculations, can happen randomly or remain in a single muscle for a long time. The twitching is several able to find when the body is in a phase of rest. Over time, a person might experience pain in the affected muscle, find that the muscle does not react well to physical activity, and may also feel weakness in that muscle.
As stated by the journal Neurology, greater than 70% of healthy individuals feel benign fasciculations, that are uncommonly linked to severe neuromuscular disease. These individuals might also feel cramps and numbness in the impacted muscles. For people with BFS, the symptoms can cause significant stress and anxiety. Many report that anxiety and stress seem to worsen their symptoms, potentially creating a cycle where anxiety and BFS symptoms feed into each other.
Scientists suggest that many studies are needed to understand how treating anxiety in BFS patients affects their physical signs. Other signs of BFS may differ and may involve a lack of ability to physical activity, shakiness or itchiness in the muscles, sudden rapid involuntary muscle spasms, jerking contractions, stiffness, extreme tiredness, and signs of anxiety like a bump in the headache, throat, or breathe shortness.
Diagnosis
To diagnose benign fasciculation syndrome, healthcare providers perform several tests and gather detailed information. They check a person’s tendon instinctive reaction and inquire about their history of their medical, stress levels, and personal background. Resistance and strength tests are also commonly done.
The main goal of the determination is to eliminate more severe diseases like multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. If the healthcare providers suspect a more serious condition, they might order neurological tests, blood tests, and EMG to check for nerve damage. Since BFS does not cause nerve damage, identifying any nerve failure would indicate a different disease.
Treatment for Benign Fasciculation Syndrome
To treat benign fasciculation syndrome, healthcare providers may suggest medications to help with cramps or tremors. Muscle relaxers or anti-inflammatory medicines can be useful for managing pain, inflammation, and extreme tiredness. If blood tests reveal any mineral deficiencies, supplements might be recommended.
Since BFS is strongly linked to anxiety and stress, it is crucial for people with this condition to decrease their daily pressure levels. There are several ways to handle anxiety, such as practicing yoga, meditating, or listening to soothing music. Disbursing time with a pet can also help, as it has been appearing to decrease fear, stress, and anxiety. Maintaining a nutritious diet rich in whole nutrients and foods is important, as is consuming probiotics in foods like miso, sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, and yogurt.
Although benign fasciculations can be difficult to medicate, many individuals find that lifestyle changes significantly help handle their signs. If symptoms worsen, persist, or interfere with an individual’s standard of life, they must consult a healthcare provider to discuss additional medication options.
Outlook
Benign fasciculation syndrome doesn’t have a familiar cause or a permanent cure, and its symptoms can affect daily life. However, some lifestyle modifications can assist improve the situation for many individuals.
If you have ongoing muscle jerks and haven’t been diagnosed yet, it’s important to see a healthcare provider. The healthcare provider will be required to eliminate other possible reasons or basic conditions.
By functioning closely with a healthcare provider to determine BFS and create a medication plan, many individuals discover they may handle their signs effectively.
Summary
Benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS) causes persistent muscle twitches, often in the calves and thighs, and is linked to stress and anxiety. It is crucial to diagnose BFS accurately to rule out serious conditions like ALS. Treatment includes medications, stress reduction techniques, and lifestyle changes.
While BFS has no known cause or permanent cure, managing stress and making dietary changes can help alleviate symptoms. Persistent or worsening symptoms should be discussed with a doctor. Working closely with a healthcare provider can help many people effectively manage BFS.
External links
