I have had a few (4 or 5) MAJOR muscles spams across my whole abdominal area. So painful. I have no idea what caused them.Muscle cramps in my legs can sometimes be a problem.
~sherry

My doctor explained it to me that when the muscles get tired they start to spasm when I asked him why I was having muscle spasms and ticks.

I also get muscle spasms. Esp. my left eye lid.

I started having muscle cramps in my legs and feet mostly but some in my hands when I started on Prednisone and Mestinon. These meds can deplete potassium so when I start having muscle cramps I start eating a banana a day. The muscle cramps go away.
Pat

yep, muscle cramps from hell.... hands legs ankles back...

Could the muscle spasms be from low potassium, just wondering.

I also have muscle spasms but they seem to be better with the extra dose of Mestinon so maybe muscle spams are part of MG...

We have discussed this here. The quick answer is both. Nerves control those spasms:

"Smooth muscle is located in the walls of hollow internal structures in the body, like the arteries, intestines, bladder, and iris of the eye. They tend to circle the structure and when they contract, the hollow structure is squeezed. These muscles are involuntary and are controlled by the unconscious part of our brain function using the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system can run in the background, regulating body processes automatically for us. There is a balance between the sympathetic system (adrenergic nerves) that speed things up and the parasympathetic system (cholinergic nerves) that slow things down. These names are based on the type of chemical that is used to transmit signals at the nerve endings. Adrenaline (from the sympathetic nervous system) allows the body to respond to stress. Imagine seeing a bear in the woods; your heart beats faster, your palms get sweaty, your eyes dilate, your hair stands on end and your bowels move. Acetylcholine is the chemical that is the anti-adrenaline and is involved in the parasympathetic nervous system."

http://www.medicinenet.com/muscle_spasms/article.htm

This is why after a lot of leg activity, especially for people with MG, it can get pretty bad. Also, side effects of mestinon doesn't help either.

"side effects of MESTINON are muscle twitching"

http://mestinon.com/index.jspf

Hope that helps,

TJ

TJ, that is an excellent illustration! Do you mind sharing what your medical background is, please? Though I've worked in and around the medical community for many years, that surpasses anything I could have explained. I'm impressed. = )

Maybe that is why I used to get leg cramps at night before I was diagnosed!! The went on for a good half a year!!! My legs used to cramp terribly-I thought that it was from dehydration (?) as I don't have a large colon. I still have pain in the calf...not pleasant but I know that it will get better-
deb

Me too!

stuartsmom,

Thanks for the praise. I have no medical background, I just like to do research, especially if I can't understand something or if I am trying to figure something out. People will even ask things I don't understand or have experience in, and I will just go on a tangent to figure it out if I have the time. MG is frustrating for all of us, and I feel understanding it and the workings of it will only reduce our stress and make us feel better etc. In regards to research, it has always been that way with me. I was a sponge for information in my youth reading dictionaries and encyclopedias etc. I love Trivia! I bet could make some money on some of those game shows like Millionaire...Don't mess with me in trivial pursuit! Although I would get my butt kicked most of the time on Jeopardy-lol.

Have a good one!

I had severe, extremely painful muscle cramps on the inside of my upper left thigh. It would last for over 1/2 hour and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. It turned out that my cholesterol medicine was reacting with the mg and causing the cramps. As soon as I stopped taking the cholesterol medication the cramps went away.

Barbara

The statins can certainly cause muscle problems, especially pain. That illness is called rhabdomyolysis. You have myoglobin in your urine from the muscle breakdown. There is some concern that it can aggravate MG in other ways and is on the list of medications to use with caution. My dad couldn't take them, I can.

Some MG patients may also have an accompanying condition, that is called either Cramp-Fasciculation-Syndrome or Neuromyotonia (there are other names too). Both are related to auto-immune problems, like MG.
But where MG involves antibodies attacking acetylcholine receptors, CFS involves antibodies attacking voltage-gated nerve channels. The antibodies cause an imbalance, in the chemicals that normally control the voltage-gated channels.
As a result, the patient has - involuntary - muscle contractions, which range from mild to debilitating. I have MG, along with CFS. But I am lucky: my CFS is decently controlled, with ''energy-management'', low doses of baclofen, lorazepam (as a muscle-relaxant), and some dietary supplements.
Please keep in mind: it usually requires more than one test, to separately diagnose CFS, apart from MG. (This is where a neurologists's experience with the ''art'' of medicine - is just as important as the ''science'' - which all equals ''experience'', I guess). Most of the time, I experience the MG symptoms and the CFS symptoms together. It is not very often - I can say with conviction: ''oh this is MG'' or ''this is mostly CFS''.
I am writing about only one person's experience. So please take care. MG patients learn, as we go along? You must have enough testing done, to confirm a diagnosis. Early on, I was suspected of having carpal tunnel, lyme disease, and ALS - to name just a few! - before the proper diagnosis of MG and CFS came along, several years later.