Spasms and Multiple Sclerosis

I talked a little about spasms on this page about spasticity. I was forever getting both of these terms mixed up. I decided to straighten it out once and for all (at least in my own mind) by looking the words up in the dictionary. Smart right? Yes, elementary, I'd say.

The definition:

• The first definition: to experience this symptom, according to the dictionary, is to have an "an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction".
• The second definition for it is a "sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or sensation".

Pretty simple, I suppose, however, let's break it down a little more. Spasms can manifest in several different ways, affecting both your body and also your emotions.

Muscular Spasms

The first definition refers to an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction. This occurs when a muscle or group of muscles suddenly tightens without control, often causing discomfort or yes, pain.

They can be brief or prolonged, and they may result from dehydration, nerve dysfunction, muscle fatigue, or an underlying medical condition like, yes, you guessed it, multiple sclerosis. Some common examples include leg cramps, back spasms, and facial twitches.

Emotional or Sensory Spasms

The second definition describes a sudden, violent, and temporary effort, emotion, or sensation. This can refer to intense bursts of pain, fear, excitement, or even creativity, believe it or not.

For instance, someone might experience a spasm of grief after hearing difficult news or a spasm of laughter during an unexpected moment of joy. These emotional spasms are often fleeting but can feel overwhelming in the moment.

Both types of spasms—physical and emotional—can be disruptive, but understanding their causes and triggers can help you to manage them effectively.

I feel his spasms, too

Most of the time I fall asleep way before Cir does. But on those rare occasions when I am awake and he is asleep, I can feel his spasms, also.

He doesn't usually have very strong ones, but they are strong enough to make the bed shake so that I know he's having them. When he's away, he says it feels like an itch that causes him to jerk. (He's sometimes in the stage just before he falls asleep when he feels that sensation).

Have you ever felt a sudden jolt, kind of like you've been touched by a tiny bolt of lightning? Or an itch that comes on so suddenly that it makes you jerk? They're kind of like that, only they don't go away. You keep having them over the course of the day or days, and sometimes weeks.

That would be pretty annoying to say the least. Something like that alone would be enough to drive me a little crazy, I think.

To scratch, or not to scratch

Sometimes, Cir says if he can reach it and scratch, that helps, but most times it doesn't make any difference. It happens over and over anyway. So even though the definition says it's a temporary sensation, for MSers it's something you have to live with for the rest of your life.

When you have multiple sclerosis, your nerves are misfiring because of the damage to your myelin sheath. One of the symptoms caused by the damage to the covering of your nerves are inappropriate sensations like spasms.

Sometimes Cir will cause his leg to involuntarily start to spasm or move up and down rapidly. Most times he can get it to stop by holding it down. Occasionally he will make it start by pushing down on his leg and quickly letting go. He does this sometimes when he knows the kids are watching. They think it's really funny.

Sometimes they're strong

For some MSers, this symptom may be so strong and therefore not a laughing matter. These strong muscle contractions can happen at any time. We've known a few people with MS who have had them so strong that they have literally knocked them right out of their chairs and on to the floor.

Cir's, as I said earlier, usually happen when he's dozing or sleeping. Sometimes he has been sitting in a chair napping, and I will notice him twitch a little. But so far, they have never been strong enough to make him fall out of his chair.

An annoying symptom

For him, they are more of an annoyance. The same medication he takes for spasticity, also helps with the spasms. Neurontin or gabapentin is what he takes everyday. This helps to keep them at a manageable level.

If he ever forgets to take the gabapentin, he'll notice that they become more frequent. Once he takes it, they will become more tolerable or even go away for a while.

The good thing about them, I guess, is that they are manageable. The bad thing, as I said earlier, is that they're something you most likely will have to learn to live with. If you find a medication or treatment that works for you, use it. Cir has found that gabapentin works best if he's consistent.

Full body spasms

Unfortunately, for some MSers, spasms can occur throughout their whole body. These full body contractions can cause extreme pain as muscles tighten up in the back, chest, arms, legs, hands, feet, and even in the face all at the same time. They can last for any length of time--sometimes several minutes.

When experiencing them to this extreme, there's almost nothing you can do to stop them except wait it out. The pain can be excruciating. If you've ever had a muscle tighten up because you didn't warm up before doing exercise or playing a game of football, just think of that feeling times 1,000. 

Cir occasionally has cramps in his feet when he wakes up stretching involuntarily. I've had that happen, too. The only thing about my cramps is just that - they're "just cramps". MS spasms are unfortunately a totally different creature.

I feel for those who have to live with the extreme form of this symptom, and hope that there is some relief - whether it's Botox, steroids, cannabis, or whatever is available for the treatment of this awful, debilitating symptom.

Another take on this symptom is from the site My MS Team. (Link will open in a new window).

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