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What Causes Body Tremors And Fasciculation While Treating Lyme's Disease?

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Posted on Wed, 16 Nov 2016
Question: NEUROLOGY:

I have been trying to treat my Lyme disease for ten months. The more I treat the worse I feel. I have very alarming symptoms, the most worrisome are whole body tremor and fasciculation -- ruled out ALS last year.

Most worrisome: When I move any voluntary muscle, there is a long aftershock afterwards. For example when I move my jaw to talk it's as if my entire head is a bowl of water and moving the jaw muscle upsets the water. I can feel tremor in my face and at the back of my neck after I close my mouth and stop speaking. Or I will move my leg and have the same sensation as if my body is a waterbed and the movement has upset the entire bed.

Also aside from tremor in the neck and arms my head will not stay still in the same way. When I move my head it will not stop moving but gently XXXXXXX in a circular way until it comes to a stop.

I am not asking for a diagnosis but want to know what is the neurological mechanism that could be causing this and what types of diseases is it found in? Thank you.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ishu Bishnoi (23 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Pathogenesis of your symptom and possible diseases

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX, thanks for asking from HCM.


I can understand your concern. First I will explain you how do we control voluntary muscle and what part of it is disturbed in you.

Whenever we want our voluntary muscle like hand muscle to move - Our brain area "basal ganglia" make plan for it.

It sends message to motor cortex area (controller of all voluntary muscles) of brain.

This motor cortex has wire like connection reaching in spinal cord (corticospinal tracts). Current passes through these wires and reach into neck spinal cord for hand muscles and lower back for lower limbs.

Now here current is selectively given to the motor nerves of body which are also like wires. These nerves/wires reach upto the selective muscles which can perform that action. After action, feedback (both voluntary and involuntary) is sent to brain and it relaxes the muscles to protect it from damage.

So the whole neuromuscular coordination is just like electric wire and machine.

Now in your case, you are having current like sensations and tremors in body after moving muscles. That means your wires are alright till the muscles, but the feedback part is giving "after shock sensations and tremors". The current is also known as "Lhermite sensation". And the tremors are coarse tremors.

Although your not asking for diagnosis, but still let me enlighten you that, it can be due to-

: Multiple sclerosis
: cervical spondylitis myelopathy
: Vitamin B12 deficiency
: XXXXXXX Chiari Type I malformation
: Lyme disease affecting spinal cord
: Non compressive myelopathy due to infection/tumor/vitamin and mineral deficiency

You can ask your doctor to rule out above mentioned causes by

: MRI brain and spinal cord (cervical region)
: Nerve conduction velocity and electromyography
: Blood sugar
: Vitamin B12 level, folic acid level, peripheral blood smear

Hope it will help you. If still in doubt, do let me know.
Thanks. Take care.


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Ishu Bishnoi

Neurologist, Surgical

Practicing since :2007

Answered : 901 Questions

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What Causes Body Tremors And Fasciculation While Treating Lyme's Disease?

Brief Answer: Pathogenesis of your symptom and possible diseases Detailed Answer: Hi XXXX, thanks for asking from HCM. I can understand your concern. First I will explain you how do we control voluntary muscle and what part of it is disturbed in you. Whenever we want our voluntary muscle like hand muscle to move - Our brain area "basal ganglia" make plan for it. It sends message to motor cortex area (controller of all voluntary muscles) of brain. This motor cortex has wire like connection reaching in spinal cord (corticospinal tracts). Current passes through these wires and reach into neck spinal cord for hand muscles and lower back for lower limbs. Now here current is selectively given to the motor nerves of body which are also like wires. These nerves/wires reach upto the selective muscles which can perform that action. After action, feedback (both voluntary and involuntary) is sent to brain and it relaxes the muscles to protect it from damage. So the whole neuromuscular coordination is just like electric wire and machine. Now in your case, you are having current like sensations and tremors in body after moving muscles. That means your wires are alright till the muscles, but the feedback part is giving "after shock sensations and tremors". The current is also known as "Lhermite sensation". And the tremors are coarse tremors. Although your not asking for diagnosis, but still let me enlighten you that, it can be due to- : Multiple sclerosis : cervical spondylitis myelopathy : Vitamin B12 deficiency : XXXXXXX Chiari Type I malformation : Lyme disease affecting spinal cord : Non compressive myelopathy due to infection/tumor/vitamin and mineral deficiency You can ask your doctor to rule out above mentioned causes by : MRI brain and spinal cord (cervical region) : Nerve conduction velocity and electromyography : Blood sugar : Vitamin B12 level, folic acid level, peripheral blood smear Hope it will help you. If still in doubt, do let me know. Thanks. Take care.