Hello, I Recently Have Been Having Weird Neurological Symptoms. They

Brief Answer:
Both Parkinson and MS may cause the muscular jerks but is not the typical way they generally start

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,

I carefully read your query and here is my advice:

The muscle jerking you are mentioning can be caused by both MS and Parkinson disease but are not the typical symptoms or how one would expect it to start.
MS is expected to be in episodes while Parkinson mostly has a tremor that the patient can suppress voluntarily. Parkinson is mostly a clinical diagnosis, which means that the doctor should be able to diagnose it or rule it out by examining you (tremor, rigidity, how you walk, the reflexes, the coordination of movements, the facial expression, etc).

Other causes of neurological disorders and some metabolic disorders are other diagnoses that need to be considered as well. For instance, brain or spine lesions should be ruled out and we need to make sure that the liver and the kidneys are functioning well. If you are taking any medications this is very important information as some medications may affect movement. Also if there are similar problems in your family does favor some genetic predisposition and may lead to certain diagnoses.

There was not much information provided on recent tests and examinations that you might have done so I am going to mention what is generally recommended when it comes to the evaluation of a patient with muscular jerks (myoclonus).
- the basic metabolic profile: sugar levels, lipids, liver function tests (ALT, AST, Bilirubin), kidney function tests (urea and creatinine and electrolytes)
- brain and spine imaging- CT or MRI of the brain and spine will help determine lesions that might lead to a diagnosis

A thorough history and neurological examination are crucial in determining the possible causes and the needed examinations.

I hope this is helpful and answers your query, but I remain at your disposition in case any further assistance is needed.

I wish you quick healing and take care,

Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician

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Brief Answer:
Both Parkinson and MS may cause the muscular jerks but is not the typical way they generally start

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,

I carefully read your query and here is my advice:

The muscle jerking you are mentioning can be caused by both MS and Parkinson disease but are not the typical symptoms or how one would expect it to start.
MS is expected to be in episodes while Parkinson mostly has a tremor that the patient can suppress voluntarily. Parkinson is mostly a clinical diagnosis, which means that the doctor should be able to diagnose it or rule it out by examining you (tremor, rigidity, how you walk, the reflexes, the coordination of movements, the facial expression, etc).

Other causes of neurological disorders and some metabolic disorders are other diagnoses that need to be considered as well. For instance, brain or spine lesions should be ruled out and we need to make sure that the liver and the kidneys are functioning well. If you are taking any medications this is very important information as some medications may affect movement. Also if there are similar problems in your family does favor some genetic predisposition and may lead to certain diagnoses.

There was not much information provided on recent tests and examinations that you might have done so I am going to mention what is generally recommended when it comes to the evaluation of a patient with muscular jerks (myoclonus).
- the basic metabolic profile: sugar levels, lipids, liver function tests (ALT, AST, Bilirubin), kidney function tests (urea and creatinine and electrolytes)
- brain and spine imaging- CT or MRI of the brain and spine will help determine lesions that might lead to a diagnosis

A thorough history and neurological examination are crucial in determining the possible causes and the needed examinations.

I hope this is helpful and answers your query, but I remain at your disposition in case any further assistance is needed.

I wish you quick healing and take care,

Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician

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Brief Answer:
Detailed answer below

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back,

Firstly, the diagnosis of the cause of the myoclonus might not be a straight forward thing and the doctor may not have the answer within the first visit. Thus, it needs some patience and to openly talk with the doctor about the findings in each visit and what is the clinical importance of them.

As for the medications that may cause muscular jerks (myoclonus) can be several, from those used often (antibiotics) to those used in very specific conditions like opiate (during their withdrawal), medications for depression or psychosis.

I hope this answers your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Kind regards,

Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician

---

Brief Answer:
Detailed answer below

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back,

Firstly, the diagnosis of the cause of the myoclonus might not be a straight forward thing and the doctor may not have the answer within the first visit. Thus, it needs some patience and to openly talk with the doctor about the findings in each visit and what is the clinical importance of them.

As for the medications that may cause muscular jerks (myoclonus) can be several, from those used often (antibiotics) to those used in very specific conditions like opiate (during their withdrawal), medications for depression or psychosis.

I hope this answers your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Kind regards,

Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician

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