The medical history represents an important component in the diagnosis of muscle twitching (fasciculations).
Family history
Social history
Current anamnesis/systemic anamnesis (somatic and psychological complaints).
- When did you first notice muscle twitching?
- Was there a triggering moment (accident, fall, etc.)?
- Describe your muscle twitches? Correspond most closely to one of the following descriptions:
- Twitching to fall asleep?
- Eyelid twitching?
- Muscle twitching with movement effect (myoclonia)?
- Regularly or irregularly recurring contractions in the sense of a tic?
- Involuntary, painful muscle contractions (spasms)?
- Irregular and involuntary contractions of muscle fiber bundles, noticeable by visible muscle twitching, when they occur in superficial muscle layers (fasciculation)?
- Tremor (tremor)?
- Have you noticed any paralysis and/or sensory disturbances? If so, since when do they exist and where exactly are they localized?
Vegetative anamnesis incl. nutritional anamnesis.
- Do you like to drink coffee, black or green tea? If so, how many cups per day?
- Do you drink other or additional caffeinated beverages? If so, how much of each?
- Do you drink alcohol more often? If so, what drink(s) and how many glasses of each per day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses of it per day?Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs (amphetamines, cocaine) and how often per day or per week?
Self-history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (muscle diseases, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases).
- Operations
- Allergies
- Environmental history
Medication history
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (donezepil, galantamine, rivastigmine).
- Cholinesterase inhibitors (cholinesterase inhibitors).
- Benzodiazepine withdrawal
- Beta-sympathomimetics (e.g., salbutamol, terbutaline)
- Lithium (lithium intoxication)
- Statins (lipid-lowering drugs) → fasciculations associated with statin-induced neuropathy.
