Can benign fasciculation syndrome cause muscle twitching?

Hello doctor,

I am 51 years old and have been experiencing muscle twitches several times an hour for almost three to four weeks. I have had no muscle weakness or imbalance. Sometimes, I experience sharp pain, but the muscle twitches last only a few seconds. They happen anywhere on my body, including the legs, arms, shoulders, eyelids, etc. I experience muscle twitches during the day, but I am unsure whether they happen during sleep. I have read that these twitches can happen due to stress. I have been stressed due to personal and work-related issues for the past few months. As a result, I am unable to sleep properly for a while. I have had insomnia for more than 20 years and was on Ambien 5 mg for 12 to 14 years. I sometimes stopped taking the medication to avoid getting addicted to it. I am healthy otherwise, with no symptoms of diabetes, cancer, or other diseases. I got a computerized tomography (CT) scan done three years ago for another issue, but it was normal. Do you think I should be concerned about these symptoms? Can you suggest something? Do you think this is something serious like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? My current medications include Amlodipine 10 mg per day for mild hypertension, Melatonin 5 mg for sleep, multivitamins, and herbal medication for cholesterol. I have attached my laboratory reports. Three months back, my ferritin levels have been high, and my complete blood count (CBC), liver function tests, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) tests, and C-reactive protein levels were normal.

Hello doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

It has been almost a month since I started getting these random muscle twitches. However, I am still getting them. As mentioned, it can affect nearly any body part, including my hands, arms, legs, shoulders, and eyelids. The cramps last from less than a second to a few seconds. Sometimes, I feel that I have mild achy muscles. However, I do not have any muscle weakness, extremity weakness, or balance issues. I have been trying to get more sleep these days, and I manage to get around six to seven hours on an average. I have had many stresses in my life that have increased in the past few weeks or months. As I mentioned, I have been on tablet Ambien for many years, but I have not taken it for about three weeks now and also there are no withdrawal symptoms. Do you think chronic use of the tablet Ambien could have damaged my brain and led to ALS? My recent laboratory tests included C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and creatine kinase.

Kindly advise.