Side Effect: Muscle Twitching and Muscle Spasms

What is Muscle Twitching or Muscle Spasms?

Muscle twitching and muscle spasms are two different conditions, although they are often used interchangeably.

What do Muscle Twitching and Muscle Spasms look like?

Muscle twitching can look like small, rapid, flickering-like movements under the skin. It can occur in any muscle in the body and can be triggered by fatigue, stress, caffeine, or certain medications.

Muscle spasms typically involve larger muscle groups, such as the legs, back, or abdomen. They can cause sudden, intense pain, stiffness, and limited mobility.

Who gets Muscle Twitching and Muscle Spasms?

Patients with cancer are at risk of developing muscle twitching and muscle spasms due to several factors, including:

Cancer treatments that can increase the risk of muscle spasms include:

How to prevent Muscle Twitching and Muscle Spasms

Things you can do to help prevent muscle twitching or muscle spasms include:

How to treat Muscle Twitching and Muscle Spasms

Treating muscle twitching or muscle spasms can involve a range of approaches, depending on the underlying cause and severity of symptoms.

References

1. Buffart LM, Sweegers MG, de Ruijter CJ, et al. Muscle contractile properties of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: Assessment of feasibility and exercise effects. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020 Oct;30(10):1918-1929.

Hammarström M, Gabrielson M, Crippa A, et al. Side effects of low-dose tamoxifen: results from a six-armed randomised controlled trial in healthy women. Br J Cancer. 2023 Jul;129(1):61-71.

Created: May 10, 2024 Updated: May 10, 2024