What causes constant muscle twitching in feet and legs?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been having tiny random muscle twitching all over my body which seems like a constant thing at bottom of my feet, in both legs, both forearms, and even my stomach for almost two months now. I am scared of ALS diagnosis. I do not have any muscle weaknesses or balancing problems. I can lift 40 lbs dumbells with no problem and still do push-ups and other exercises with no problems and sprint and run without falling or tripping.

I have had some sort of issue for almost a year where it feels like I am not getting a satisfying breath from time to time so I bought a spo2 meter and my O2 level fluctuates between 95%-98% with an average of 97% most of the time.

I am just freaking out because everything I search for comes back to ALS. I even watched a similar story last night and I had a panic attack afterward. I guess I am just looking for a little reassurance to calm down.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read carefully your question and would explain that your symptoms do not seem to be related to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

You should know that there are a lot of benign causes underlying muscle twitching like anxiety, physical activity, thyroid gland dysfunction, benign fasciculation syndrome, vitamin B12 or vitamin D deficiency, low calcium or magnesium levels, etc.

As long as there is no progression, no weakness, no muscle wasting, there is no reason to panic about ALS.

I would recommend performing some tests:

1. Thyroid hormone levels.

2. Blood electrolytes.

3. Vitamin B12 and vitamin D plasma levels.

4. Complete blood count, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) for inflammation.

Nerve conduction studies would help to completely exclude ALS and thus put your mind to peace. I recommend discussing with your doctor on the above tests.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Hello again! ALS is a rare disorder, occurring in 5 persons from 100.000. So, the chances to develop it are less than 0.005%. So far, there is no reason to panic. As I already told you, there are a lot of other benign causes underlying muscle twitching. Hope you will find this information helpful! Let me know in case of any further questions whenever you need! Wishing all the best, Dr. Aida