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Muscle Spasms?

I've been wondering recently if Crohn's has made me more aware of my body in a good and observant way, or if in fact it's just made me paranoid and attribute things to it that are completely unrelated.

I was just laying in bed on my laptop, trying to psyche myself up to get out in this horrible weather when a small part of my left bicep starting twitching/involuntarily spasming. It wasn't painful or uncomfortable, in fact it was almost entertaining, it stopped once I clenched the entire muscle. I then remembered that this has happened before, not regularly but consistently over the years I can recall this happening, though I cannot remember if it's always been in my biceps.

To offer some background, if this is at all helpful. I've recently been experiencing periods where my chest hurts, more so if I breathe in, though this usually goes away after a few minutes. This will happen several times over the course of a few days and this dissapear for weeks or even months. Recently, after eating i've noticed almost instantaneous bloating, followed by a lot of gas. I also wake up very gassy. Any thoughts?
 

SarahBear

Moderator
Location
Charleston,
I think it's made me more aware and more paranoid. :p It can definitely be hard to sort things out and figure out what's going on.

However, I think occasional twitches / spasms are pretty normal. I know it happens to me maybe once every few months or so. No big deal unless it won't stop. :p Magnesium and potassium deficiencies, medications, dehydration, and fatigue can also cause muscle spasms, so keep that in mind if they get more frequent or severe. :)

Have you talked to a doctor about the chest pain? It should definitely be evaluated, just to make sure everything is alright.

Also, have you started any treatment? Have you made any dietary changes at all that could have prompted the gassiness? I think it's fairly typical for most of us, but I know you're a little different. :p
 
a potassium deficiency gave me a very annoying twitch in my eyelid...I stopped eating bananas for like a month and then heard about twitches often being related to potassium deficiency, started eating them and watermelon everyday and now I have nothing! :)

The chest pains and bloated feeling isnt something simple like indigestion is it? Maybe caused by something new in your diet?
 
I haven't mentioned it to a doctor before, no but it is most certainly on my list of things to ask my GI about next time I see her. I haven't noticed anything new in my diet, as far as i'm aware, although I have tried cutting down on bread and pasta. Perhaps the new amount of vegetables to compensate could have resulted in this..

Good point about indigestion furiousfunker, I had considered that, but I don't actually know what indigestion is really. It's one of those phrases that people have always said that i've never really understood the true definition of...
 
Oh, I forgot to mention. Got a paper summary of all my test results and such today from my doctors office, which declared me as in remission. Would that suggest that these symptoms aren't related to CD or that i'm merely in clinical remission?
 

CrohnsChicago

Super Moderator
Definitely more of a hypersensitivity since we are now more in tune with what our body in general is doing (thanks, Crohn's! :p)

But I agree, I get a little twitchy myself at times...sometimes it appears to be caused by nothing. Other times though, I find if I eat a banana or other high potassium food, it starts to calm the twitchiness.

If you haven't already it could be a good idea to get as many of your vitamin levels checked as possible to see if any mild or severe deficiencies could be playing a role....IBD is really good at depleting our levels and making it hard for us to absorb them from food.

I would assume you are in clinical remission which is categorized by whatever medical/lab standards your doctor has chosen. However I often think remission is something that, COMBINED with clinical remission, we have to come to define on our own given our difference in conditions and body standards prior to, during and after the onset and treatment of crohn's.
 
Thanks for that link funker! I've actually read that before when I was trying to find out what indigestion was, it still seems a very vague concept. I've had heartburn before (though with a general improvement to my diet, I rarely get it now) but the rest of it just seems to be the same as having eaten too much, maybe i'm missing the point!

Hi Chicago,
I've had my b12 checked, though i'm still waiting on the results. The rest of my vitamins will be ordered at my next GI appointment. I always felt fine really until I actually became aware of Crohn's and its only since then that i've begun to notice things that may not be as normal as I had assumed. I'm beginning to wonder if I am indeed in remission and if my symptoms at the minute are the result of stress induced IBS or something similar, from worrying about Crohn's. I find it very noteworthy that after my colonoscopy when I was told that macroscopically everything was clear I had a week where I felt 100%, completely solid bm's and all. I feel like a philosopher these days.
 
I've been wondering recently if Crohn's has made me more aware of my body in a good and observant way, or if in fact it's just made me paranoid and attribute things to it that are completely unrelated.

I was just laying in bed on my laptop, trying to psyche myself up to get out in this horrible weather when a small part of my left bicep starting twitching/involuntarily spasming. It wasn't painful or uncomfortable, in fact it was almost entertaining, it stopped once I clenched the entire muscle. I then remembered that this has happened before, not regularly but consistently over the years I can recall this happening, though I cannot remember if it's always been in my biceps.

To offer some background, if this is at all helpful. I've recently been experiencing periods where my chest hurts, more so if I breathe in, though this usually goes away after a few minutes. This will happen several times over the course of a few days and this dissapear for weeks or even months. Recently, after eating i've noticed almost instantaneous bloating, followed by a lot of gas. I also wake up very gassy. Any thoughts?
Its called Benign Muscle Fasciculations...or BFS I have it all over!!
 
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