Why do muscles twitch involuntarily?

[Mk]

Why do sometimes my muscles twitch for no reason. It happens by your eye, it happens in your arm, why? a muscle around my knee just twitched, and I wondered why.

 

[ShawnD]

Do you take stimulants by any chance? Coffee? Tea? Asthma inhaler? Ritalin? Adderall? Chocolate?
I don't know about you, but my eyebrows start to twitch really bad if I've had too much coffee.

Interesting fact I found while making this post: chocolate is poisonous to cats and dogs because they are unable to effectively metabolize theobromine. Just thought I would share this.

 

[Synonym]

What papers said coffee brings up twitches ?

 

[scott_alexsk]

I don't know of any papers that say that, but just from common sense, it seems like an excess of energy can cause your muscles to twitch, especially if you do not exersize regularly. Also when I was really stressed two years ago my right eye had a twitch going constantly. My teacher noticed it and said that I needed to relax.
-Scott

 

[online5661]

i think it is due to the veins that can't hold up the blood flows at a certain moment, it may also be an excess blood concentration over a particular area.

 

[Lou1024]

Thats a good question. I think most mild twitching is due to stress. It seems like its your body's way of trying to relieve it. During exam week I find myself twitching on a regular basis.

 

[Mk]

I am very low stress, and do not consume stimulants in any form. I get deja vu a lot though, several times per day, which Zooby and Hypnogouge told me are mild localized seizures in the hippocampus.

 

[Curious3141]

What you're experiencing are called fasciculations. Fasciculations can have many causes. Most often, they're fairly benign.

Follow this link, and the link to "Benign Fasciculation Syndrome" :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasciculation