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Twitching calf since spinal surgery

Hello everyone,

I have suffered with a twitching calf muscle for 5 years now.

It started some time after I had surgery on my lower back for a herniated disc (L5/S1).

The twitching is always there, it is not relieved by anything and it is not made worse by anything. Sometimes it drives me crazy and other times I don't notice it (usually if my mind is occupied by something else I won't notice the pain).
There is no pain in my calf.

I occasionally get a feeling of tightness down the back of my leg along the sciatic nerve. Very rarely will I get some mild pain just below my buttock.

Today a neurologist confirmed that the cause is nerve damage as a result of the herniated disc or possibly the surgery, either way there is some nerve damage.

I sometimes have difficulty getting to sleep
I sometimes get very tight upper back / shoulder muscles (better with heat & massage)

I suffer from chronic diarrhoea, usually watery, bloating.

I have tried:
Acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathic, massage (many different techniques), magnesium, zinc, potassium, herbal medicines, kinesiology - no improvement
these remedies have been over the course of the last 4 years.
Hypericum 30c (once or twice but not regular doses) - no improvement
Thios 30c (twice a day on the advice of a homeopath thinking it may be caused by scar tissue) - no improvement
Rhus Tox (took a few doses because at the time of the injury I could not get comfortable and had to keep moving) - no improvement
Arnica 30c (took a few doses) - no improvement
Zinc met 30c (took a few doses) - no improvement
two other remedies which i can't remember right now (on the advice of a homeopath to 'de-traumatize the spine' i'll remember the names when i see them.

Constitutional treatment (1 year ago):
- Hydrogen 1m
then Alum Sil 1m
then Vernix 1m

That's all.

All I want is a remedy for the twitching, I want it to stop, I want my leg to feel normal.
 
  corby86 on 2014-09-12
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
You can see if some cell salts help . Cell Salts are a sub branch
of homeopathy, there are 12 of them. They work on rebalancing
the cells themselves.

You can find these at Whole Foods below the remedies ( hylands brand)
or at the Vitamin Shoppe or order from Vitacost online, if in the usa.

Purchase, Cal Phos 6x and Mag Phos 6x for the twitching. If the
twitching can also be described as jerking then get Nat Mur 6x too.

Take 4 tablets of each one 3 times a day. You can take them all
at the same time. Try this for 4 days and then report back.
 
simone717 9 years ago
Thank you Simone. I forgot to mention that I have used cell salts as well.
Including Mag Phos, Calc Phos and a few others
 
corby86 9 years ago
Have you tried belladonna 30c?

You could try 3 doses of that 12 hours apart.

Did you get any effect at all from cell salts? bc sometimes
they have to be taken for some weeks.
 
simone717 9 years ago
Hi Simone,

I haven't tried Belladonna 30c except I have had it for sunburn in the past...no relief for the twitching with it.

No effect whatsoever from cell salts - I used them for about 3 months.
 
corby86 9 years ago
Corby- I would go next to trying Hypericum 200c.
3 doses, put 3 pills in a half cup of water, dissolve
and stir. Take one tsp as a dose at night, the next
in the morning and one more the next night.

Report after a few days if anything is observed.
 
simone717 9 years ago
Hi Simone,
will try the hypericum 200c
 
corby86 9 years ago
Hello everyone,

Thank you Simone for your suggestion.

I took the Hypericum 200c as instructed. I had the last dose (of 3) last night.

I haven't noticed anything yet. But might need to wait a few more days?

Any other suggestions?
 
corby86 9 years ago
Please wait for a couple more days and then report
again.

thanks,

Simone 717
 
simone717 9 years ago
If Hypericum does nothing, I think this needs to be
looked at a different way.

You still have some sciatica symptoms going on-
The surgery on L5 S-1 area?? What was the type
of surgery that you had done?

L5 , S1 are the nerve roots that control the
skin dermatomes in the calf. So there is a problem
with something in the spine.



Please list what leg and where on the calf this is
twitching exactly. I think this needs to be looked
at as sciatica and you need to fill out the form-

Idk if you had another MRI - if they could tell if
you have had a surgical injury or what is going on
in that area? What did the neurologist say about
further investigation?

http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/188925
 
simone717 9 years ago
Hi Simone,

Yes - no result from Hypericum.

I suppose it is sciatica in the sense that there is symptoms along the sciatic nerve to the calf.

It is the left calf. The entire muscle is affected.

I had a partial discectomy of the L5 disc. At the time there was severe sciatic pain due to the pressure from the L5 disc on the L5/S1 nerve root. The surgery removed the part of the disc that was putting pressure on the nerve root and the surgery relieved the severe pain I had at the time.

The neurologist said that the herniated disc caused permanent damage to the nerve root (L5/S1) which is what is causing the twitching.
The neurologist felt that there was no need for further investigations as he is certain it is damage to the nerve root due to the herniated disc at the time.
 
corby86 9 years ago
Ok- Please fill out the form- list all
problems going on with you and I can
study it.
 
simone717 9 years ago
Hello Simone,

Thank you, below is the completed questionnaire:

Patient: Sex: Male Age: 28 years old - I am a Naturopath / Medical Herbalist

Please answer the following questions in a descriptive manner after careful analysis and recollection of previous experiences and happenings.

1. Describe your main suffering?

Constant twitching of left calf muscle. It looks like something is alive under the skin. Here is a link to a video that shows what it looks like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNgYZlWanCk (this is not me, but my symptom looks like this), here is another example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPXubhWC9ls
The twitching started 6 years ago. The only time it stops is while the calf muscle is stretched (it starts twitching again as soon as the stretch is released).
My history (in 2008) was that I initially suffered a herniated disc in my lower back (L5/S1), this caused EXTREME CONSTANT pain down my left leg, I was unable to sleep properly due to the constant pain. I was unable to sit, stand, lie down in the same position for more than a few minutes because it was painful. The pain initially started in my left buttock and slowly got worse & worse and traveled down the left leg and eventually affected my whole leg. It took a few weeks before a doctor realized it could be a slipped disc and referred me to a specialist, a few more weeks passed before the specialist sent me for an MRI and then finally I was told I had a herniated disc. It took another 4 months of agonizing pain before the surgery was covered by insurance.
I felt like nobody understood just how much pain I was experiencing! I felt un-supported, and I couldn't understand why this had happened to me. I couldn't (and still can't) remember how the actual injury occurred in the first place. I really struggled in these months, I took A LOT of pain medication and nothing really helped. I was exhausted and I feel like this experience changed me. At least it led me to study natural medicine and become a naturopath!

After my surgery my pain was greatly reduced. I still had a little discomfort in my left buttock but acupuncture eventually relieved it. A side-effect from my surgery was that I had sustained a type of burn during the surgery and this caused an eschar, the scar from it is round and slightly to the left of the surgery scar, this took longer to heal than the surgery scar and I now have a round scar next to the surgery scar. It was very painful and deep.
The symtpoms that now remain are:
constant twitching in left calf muscle
left leg feels 'different' to the right leg, like I don't have complete control of my left leg, it feels quite stiff (the achiles tendon, the calf, the hamstring and the buttock), I feel like I'm not completely aligned. I have had a lot of acupuncture, physio, osteopathy, chiropractic but nothing relieves the twitching.

A recent consultation with a neurologist suggested that the twitching and other feelings of 'not being the same as the right side' is due to nerve damage from the herniated disc. He said the damage is permanent and nothing can be done to relieve the symptom. My reflexes are normal in both legs, he confirmed both legs are equal in strength.


2. What other physical sufferings do you have in your body?

I developed chronic diarrhoea (I think sometime after this sciatica problem), I am currently following a restricted diet along with herbs & supplements to heal the digestive tract and it seems to be working as I have not had this symptom for more than a week now. I am not sure which foods aggravate the diarrhoea. (I think the diarrhoea is a result of damage to my digestive tract due to long term high dose use of anti-inflammatory drugs for the pain of my herniated disk, I also have treated myself for candida as I suspected this might be contributing due to being on antibiotics very long term for acne when I was a teenager).
I get bloating, usually after food but can occur at any time. This is also improving with the herbs I'm taking for my digestive tract.
Recently had a food intolerance test which showed that I am intolerant to milk & eggs - so I am now avoiding these whilst I heal my gut.
I have a varicocele on my left testicle - have had this since I was a teenager. It occasionally (maybe once every 2 months) can be a bit painful after intercourse.
I have a tendency to get haemorrhoids, they bleed when I wipe. I don't currently have any, but I am using a herbal cream daily (made with Aesculus herb).
I got pericarditis (it almost seems like every 2 years) which involves me having to go to hospital for a brief admission while the swelling around my heart subsides, I had this 3 times. I haven't had this for about 3 years now.
I have a ganglion cyst on my right wrist, this can get painful at times. I have had this since my early 20s and haven't had any medical treatment for it because it doesn't give me too much trouble.
I often get very tight muscle (especially in my upper back around my shoulders) this can be painful at times, I can only describe it as tight tension.

3. What mental sufferings / feelings do you have associated with your physical sufferings?
Why me?
Why is this happening to me?
I feel very frustrated with the twitching, it drives me crazy some days. I just want it to stop. Sometimes I get very sad and cry - I cried when the neurologist said it was a permanent thing and there was no treatment (until then I was trying lots of different treatments hoping for a cure).
Sometimes I get very irritated. I sometimes even think 'cut it off!' just give me a break from the twitching! (I quickly realize that having no leg would be worse than having a twitching leg and that I should be grateful for what I do have).

4. What exactly do you feel when you are at your worst?
Dispair!

5. When did it all start? Can you connect it to any past event or disease?
I cannot remember what exactly the injury that caused all of this. I do remember being with an abusive (emotionally) partner at the time, being very stressed but not realizing how stressed I really was, putting up with my partners drinking habits which often got us into financial trouble. Also I think this was around the time I realized my partner probably wasn't faithful.


6. Which time of the day you are worst?
It varies, there is no particular time. I guess I notice the twitching more when I am not busy with other things, when I am busy and my mind is distracted then I don't notice it as much.

7. What are the things which aggravate your suffering and which are those which ameliorate the same?
I think in general warmth ameliorates. But nothing really relieves the twitching, nothing makes it worse.


8. Do your think your sufferings have relation to any external stimuli (like, change of place) or any internal biological changes in the body, like, menses (in females)?
No.

9. When do you feel better, during hot weather or cold weather, humid or dry weather?
I prefer summer and enjoy the sunshine. I do get very hot so I don't mind cold weather. I definitely dislike humidity and definitely dislike it when it's windy. I like the fog.

10. Describe your general mental set up? Are you Moody, Arrogant, Mild, Agreeable Changeable, Nervous, Suspicious, Easily offended, Quiet, Arguing, Irritating, Lazy etc.
I am moody sometimes, I am agreeable and very changeable, sometimes nervous and suspicious.

- How do you feel before or during a thunderstorm?
I quite like thunder & lightning, I would say I feel excited (we don't often get thunderstorms here)

- Do you like being consoled during your tough times? YES definitely
- Are you sensitive to external stimuli like smell, noise, light etc? I get irritated by noise easily and sometimes my eyes feel sensitive to light (like headlights of oncoming cars)

- Do you have any typical habit or gesture like nail biting, causeless
weeping, talking to one self etc?
NO

- How do you feel about your friends, family, your children and especially your husband / wife? I want my partner to be 'better' than he is. I worry that I might expect too much and that it might not matter who I am with but that I'll always find a fault with them. I like my friends but don't have many. I have no children.

11. What are your fears and do you dream of any situation repeatedly?
I feel quite uncomfortable with heights. No repetitive dreams.

12. What do you crave for in food items and what are your aversions?
I crave fatty rich foods. No aversions.

13. How is your thirst: Less, Normal or Excessive? Normal (I do drink a lot of water)

14. How if your hunger: Less, Normal or Excessive? Normal (sometimes excessive, but with the current diet it seems to have normalized)

15. Is there any kind of food which your body can’t stand? milk / eggs

16. Is your sweat normal or less or more? Where does it sweat more: Head, Trunk or Limbs? Normal. Probably under my underarms only.

17. How is your bowel movement and stool type? At the moment it is perfect. But a few weeks ago (and for a long time) it was watery diarrhoea, slightly yellow, bad smell sometimes, grumbling in my tummy etc.

18. How well do you sleep? Do you have a particular posture of sleeping? I always sleep on my side (almost in a foetal position), I occasionally have trouble sleeping but at the moment I'm sleeping well. I am a very very light sleeper and I wake up very easily (like if someone just opens my door I will wake up or from small noises or movements).

19. Do you think you are able to satisfy your sexual desires in general? Yes

20. How do you think you are different from others, if at all? I think I am more sensitive. I think my brain processes more information and that I think more (maybe even too much).


21. What medications have been taken earlier by you to treat the diseases and do you have any particular symptom surfacing after the medication?
PAST: antibiotics (tricycline) for maybe 12 or more months for acne as a teenager, diclofenac (anti-inflammatory) for pain during herniated disc, tramadol for pain during herniated disc, paracetemol for pain during herniated disc, ibuprofen for pain during herniated disc, gabapentin for pain during herniated disc. Antidepressants (fluoxetine) for depression from age 16-20.


22. What major diseases are running in your family?
Mother & father healthy. Mother had depression in past, has also had a hernia (abdominal) & hysterectomy.
Grandparents: diabetes type2, high blood pressure, depression & anxiety (grandmother on mother's side), back problems including herniated disk (grandmother on mother's side - we also have the same birthday), high cholesterol, stroke.

23. Describe, how do you look like? Describe your overall appearance
I am solid build. About 5f9, dark brown hair, green eyes. Have a tendency to be overweight and have just recently lost weight due to adopting healthier diet. I think I look physically strong. I am 'stocky'. Broad shoulders & chest.
 
corby86 9 years ago
Hi Corby-

I have some things in mind, but first want to discuss
what you are taking as far as herbs, supplements and so on
- please give me the list, strength and how often-

Have you ever had Nux Vomica or Kali Carb, Staphysagria
before?

Thanks.

Simone 717
 
simone717 9 years ago
Hello again,

I have had Nux Vomica in the past 30C, I have used it for feeling sick (nauseous) - at times after overindulging. Really good results with those symptoms. (At times i used to drink too much)

Staphysagria was one of the things another practitioner prescribed to me once for this, I took 200c once. This didn't improve the symptoms.

I have not tried Kali Carb.

My current supplements are:
Herbal formula (dry capsules) for clearing intestinal bacterial / fungal overgrowth I take morning & at lunch. It contains: rosemary, oregano, thyme, wormwood (artemisa), black walnut (juglans nigra), Pau D'Arco, Barberry, Garlic extract, Graperuit seed extract.

Nutritional powder for gut healing (once a day), contains: glutamine, slippery elm bark, saccaromyces boulardii (a strain of probiotic).

Probiotic for repopulating good flora (once a day), multiple strains high potency

Liver cleanse formula (dry capsules) to support removing toxins from gut (twice daily) contains: milk thistle, dandelion, some vitamins.

I also take magnesium at night.
 
corby86 9 years ago
Hi- My understanding is that you took Nux
in the past, but not for this problem of the
nerve twitching.

I would like you to try a test dosage of Nux vomica
in 30c to start and then if nothing go up to 200c ( which you should order)

Take 3 pills of Nux Vomica 30c, and dissolve in
1/2 cup of water in a water bottle. Hit the bottle
hard against your hand 6 times. Take a tsp as a dose. Hit the bottle before
each dose.

Take a dose for 3 nights in a row ( nux works better
after sunset)

During these 3 nights, Stop taking the Herbal formula
for intestinal bacteria and the magnesium.-you can
have the liver cleanse and Nutritional probiotic.

Report if you notice anything and/or on day 4.
[message edited by simone717 on Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:21:14 BST]
 
simone717 9 years ago
I'm having a similar experience after my back surgery. My L5S1 disc was herniated causing pain down my right leg and eventually lost the use of my right calf (on and off). I had microdiscectomy surgery and now have the same muscle twitches you experience except In both legs now. And also severe cramping in my right calf. I also suffer from diarrhea which could be from all the NSAID's I took as well. As far as your neurologist thinking that it was the herniated disk damaging the nerve to cause the twitching. At least for me, my argument would be that I didn't experience any twitching before the surgery and now both legs are effected instead of just one. I believe the surgeon damaged my nerves during the surgery but have no way of proving this. I wanted to post on here to let you know you're not alone. Please let me know if you find anything that helps and I will do the same.
 
Boulderballer 8 years ago
Dear boulderballer,
Please take one dose Calcarea Carb 1m.
Do not eat or drink sour things. Update after 7 days.
 
telescope 8 years ago

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