Hello,

I've been around for a while with idiopathic PN primarily sensory but do have a LOT of muscle fasiculations. My feet and legs twitch all the time. A few weeks ago, my left upper arm started twitching. About a week later, I noticed that my lips and cheeks were buzzing/tingling. I acutally thought I was hyperventilating, but now I have fasiculation in my face, so I know it was the neuropathy. At the same time, my right upper arm started twitching.

I have had my magnesium levels checked and I know I am not deficient there and I always add epsom salts to my bath.

Have any of you had neuropathy symptoms in your face? If so, how did you treat?

Ann

I had neuropathy symptoms in my face for a time. My skin would tingle, and feel like it was burning. It felt like my face was on fire, look in the mirror and nothing, not even rosy cheeks. It came on and off for a few months, and never happened again. I didn't do anything to cause it, or stop it, not to my knowledge.

--burning, stinging, tingling in my lips, chin, and even my scalp from time to time; fortunately it tends to go away after some days/weeks.

It's become more appreciated that those with small-fiber neuropathy may have such symptoms beyond the "stocking and glove" distribution. People with possible autoimmune (think gluten) and toxic possibilities, especially, are more likely report symptoms beyond those "usual" areas, as their situations do not involve a length-dependent "die back".

Every so often, my upper arm starts twitching, not the bicep- but the area under the arm from the pit to the elbow. It continues for about 3 or 4 mins. I am usually relaxed watching TV, but it has happened in bed too.
I also get a lot of scalp itching in the back above the nape of my neck along the scalp ridge line. Only thing that calms it is cortisone anti-itch cream.

Facial tingling is a cardinal sign of low calcium levels. It is also sometimes too quickly diagnosed by doctors as "anxiety".

Twitching and muscle fasiculations can signal an imbalance of calcium and magnesium. Some drugs deplete calcium like the blood pressure drugs in the calcium channel blockers ( diltiazem and verapamil) and antiseizure (gabapentin/Lyrica included) drugs, because they block Vit D and calcium. People taking long term acid blocking drugs for GERD become low in calcium because they cannot absorb it anymore due to the low stomach acid (acid is required for absorption).

Some people who take SSRI/SSNI drugs long term develop a down regulation of dopamine as a side effect. This can lead to a tardive like movement disorder of the face/mouth and neck as well as leg cramping etc. This would include Cymbalta.

from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9640489

Bruxism is clenching the teeth during sleep, which puts alot of stress on the facial muscles.

If you have been taking any SSRI/SSNI drug for more than a few months, it may contribute to movement disorders. Please discuss this with your doctor.

I also get tingling on my face and scalp and as Deb said you just put up with and wait for it to go away, when my head tingling started I was quite distressed but I have gotten used to the feeling now.

I supplement with with one Magnesium Citrate 225mg each day, and that has helped with cramping--but it is likely I don't get as much calcium as I used to. I do eat leafy green vegetbles, but my dairy consumption is way down due to the mucous it tends to produce--don't drink milk often at all and don't eat much dairy or ice cream, so I wonder if I'm getting too much magnesium compared to calcium. (I do take 1000IU of Vitamn D each day and try to get out in the sun for 15-20 minutes, though I sunburn easily.)

I sort of remember from a while back that it was thought if one was supplementing, one should take calcium in about a 2:1 ratio with magnesium and take the supplements at different times, as they are chemically antagonistic in the digestive tract, interefering with each other's absorption--anyone got an idea (Mrs D) as to this?

You just discribed me!!!!

I too have got to research and find a calcium product I can take. Supplements scare me, so often even when they list gluten free, they actually aren't gluten free, and they contain more gluten than I can handle. I can't take something that will upset the rest of me. I do not eat any dairy now, haven't for 1 yr.

Last summer, our refrig upNorth was not working well, so we cut way back on milk and cheese things. And boy did I suffer! That is the first time for ME being low in calcium I think.

I don't know how critical the ratio is, but the calcium is very important. I take a low dose diltiazem and that may be a factor too. I just take 1000mg of calcium carbonate (Maalox quick dissolve) at night now for insurance. Not all calcium is absorbed you know from a supplement. The going rate is about 20-25% tops. 1000mg of calcium carbonate is not 1000mg of calcium, so the elemental is about 500. So divide this by 4 and you get 125mg thereabouts, out of that 1000mg dose. The calcium not absorbed goes thru the colon and is thought to help prevent colon cancer.

One really good source is yogurt. One cup is about 450mg.

This might be an age thing, or a lack of acid thing. You know people who don't feel well don't cook up fancy complete meals as a rule. When we vacation, food prep is always difficult given our island with the no power business. (all we have is propane). Going to the store is 1/2 day trip over open water.

I also find that the scalp problems (which I get sometimes. itching..especially from nightshade veggies), are gone when I use a high dose antioxidant. Since I started 300mg of grapeseed extract for my allergies, the scalp thing is gone. There is that antioxidant in my Krill oil too, which may be helping.

Thanks for all the response.

Mrs. D - I take both Gabapentin and Prozac (for over 10 years). I am on disability for severe depression, so Rx treatment is a necessary evil. I'll really start taking the calcium along with the other antioxidants, etc. I also take vitamin d3 as my levels are in the low 20's. Thanks so much...

Ann