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.

Muscle twitching refers to the involuntary contraction of a small group of muscles or muscle fibers. These twitches can be visible or felt under the skin and usually last only a few seconds.
On the other hand, muscle spasms, also known as muscle cramps, are painful and involuntary contractions of a larger group of muscles. They can last several minutes and can cause severe discomfort.

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-related fatigue
dehydration
electrolyte imbalances
or other underlying medical conditions.
medications that are used to treat bone loss (bisphosphonates, denosumab) or to increase your white blood cell count (filgrastim, peg-filgrastim) can also cause muscle cramps.

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

Chemotherapy - docetaxel (Taxotere®), ixabepilone (Ixempra®), paclitaxel (Taxol®), vincristine (Vincasar®)
Aromatase inhibitors - anastrozole (Arimidex®), exemestane (Aromasin®), letrozole (Femara®)
Hormonal therapy - fulvestrant (Faslodex®), raloxifene (Evista®), tamoxifen (Soltamox®), and toremifene (Fareston®)
Targeted therapy – trastuzumab, ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla®)

How to prevent Muscle Twitching and Muscle Spasms

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

stretching exercises
staying hydrated
avoiding triggers such as caffeine or alcohol.

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.

Acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, hot and cold packs, and over the counter pain relievers can help to alleviate muscle pain.
More severe cases may require medications such as muscle relaxants or antispasmodics, physical therapy, or nerve blocks.
In some cases, treating the underlying cancer may also help alleviate muscle twitching or spasms.

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