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What Causes Twitches And Jerks In Leg When Lying Down?

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Posted on Sat, 5 Sep 2015
Question:
At night when im lying in bed i experience twitches and the occassional leg jerk. It pnly appears when my eyes are closed, but i have definitely not fallen asleep. It will also happen in the morning when I am trying to go back to sleep. Iy doesnt wake me up in themmiddle of the night though. Should i be worried?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (41 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Nothing to be alarmed about.

Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.

Those symptoms alone do not represent any worrying condition though. At times twitches and leg jerks may be part of a condition called restless legs syndrome (RLS), but they accompany other symptoms such as an unpleasant sensation in the limbs with the urge to move them (hence the name), so if those are not present it's unlikely (and usually evident at a later age as well).

Such twitches and the leg jerks (otherwise called hypnic jerks) usually are more related to psychological factors like anxiety. Taking caffeine or doing strenuous physical activity in the evening can predispose their appearance as well.

To be prudent some blood tests to look for other causes like electrolyte disturbances, thyroid function, blood count as well as nerve conduction studies with electromyography may be done, but in that case symptoms would be present throughout the day as well, so I would say it is unlikely.

I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Olsi Taka (34 minutes later)
Is it kikrly attributable to ms? The last six momths ive experienced a host of unpleasant neurological symptoms. It started with a timgling in the left arm that came and went. I experienced random patched yhat seemed like they were sunburnt (though they weren't), a heavy feeling in my head accompanied by what seemed to be dizziness ( though i never fell over and it wasnt vertigo) and a weird feelimg in my body as though im on the edge all the time. Ive also noticed that it seems to take slightly longer to urinate and yhe stream seems weaker. My neurologist thinks it sounds like anxiety, but I cant seem to shake the idea that it might be ms?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (5 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Not related to MS

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional info.

Regarding this query's symptoms the answer is no, such symptoms are not related to MS.

MS can affect different brain and spinal cord areas and as such its manifestations can be very variable. However there are some ways of presentation which are common and others which are uncommon at first, only at latet stages. None of the phenomena you mention are typical as early presentations, they are either late ones or are not symptoms of MS at all. So it would really be unlikely to have so many various atypical symptoms and none of the typical ones.
On top of that you say to have been visited by a neurologist. I assume he conducted a neurological examination which he found to be normal and it should have showed some signs in someone with so many diffuse symptoms which could be caused only by multiple MS plaques.

So I do not think it is a case of MS. Anxiety on the other hand would explain most of them.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Olsi Taka (34 hours later)
Ive also experienced some weird sensationin left arm. I dont know if I would call it numbness but sensation feels slightly different on left side than right How does numbness typically prsent itself in
Ms? Should i be worried?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Read below.

Detailed Answer:
Sensation changes can be present in MS, they can take different forms, there is not one really specific description, although more commonly it involves the whole half of the body not only the arm. Sensation is one of the most subjective parts of neurological evaluation as it's not something the doctor can see, it relies on the patient perception of it and often it turns out again to be of a psychological nature
Of all the symptoms you have mentioned until now this is the only one which can be an initial manifestation of MS, so I can not exclude it, even though as I said more often involves the lower limb or the face as well.
Whether I think it is MS, still not, the reason is those many various symptoms you have mentioned in the last month, belonging to different systems and not typical for MS, which still makes me think that are more of a psychological nature as the one cause that unifies these scattered phenomena.

I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Olsi Taka

Neurologist

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 3673 Questions

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What Causes Twitches And Jerks In Leg When Lying Down?

Brief Answer: Nothing to be alarmed about. Detailed Answer: I read your question carefully and I understand your concern. Those symptoms alone do not represent any worrying condition though. At times twitches and leg jerks may be part of a condition called restless legs syndrome (RLS), but they accompany other symptoms such as an unpleasant sensation in the limbs with the urge to move them (hence the name), so if those are not present it's unlikely (and usually evident at a later age as well). Such twitches and the leg jerks (otherwise called hypnic jerks) usually are more related to psychological factors like anxiety. Taking caffeine or doing strenuous physical activity in the evening can predispose their appearance as well. To be prudent some blood tests to look for other causes like electrolyte disturbances, thyroid function, blood count as well as nerve conduction studies with electromyography may be done, but in that case symptoms would be present throughout the day as well, so I would say it is unlikely. I remain at your disposal for other questions.