Parasites Cause Muscle Spasms

Many parasites can cause muscle cramps and spasms directly or indirectly (especially at night) which can be extremely painful. This usually occurs when parasites invade muscle tissue or when they cause inflammation or damage to the nervous system that controls muscle function.

How parasites cause muscle spasms directly and indirectly:

      1. Electrolyte Imbalance:

• Parasites can cause an increased production of organic acids like lactic acid which can lead to muscle spasms.
• Malabsorption and malnutrition caused by parasites can cause deficiencies and disrupt the electrolyte balance resulting in low potassium, calcium or magnesium which may cause muscle cramps.

     2. Anemia:

• Low blood iron can lead to low oxygen in muscles causing cause fatigue and cramping.

3. Systemic inflammation

• Systemic inflammation caused by the immune response to a parasitic infestation and the toxins produced by the parasites can cause muscle weakness, resulting in secondary cramping or discomfort.

4. Neurological Complications:

• Parasite eggs or larvae can migrate into the brain and spinal cord and cause neurological symptoms like spasticity, muscle spasms or pain.

 

Parasites that can cause muscle spasms:

      1. Trichinosis (Trichinellosis):

• Cause: Trichinella spiralis, a parasitic roundworm.
• Mechanism: Larvae move to muscle tissue where they form cysts, causing inflammation and damage.
• Symptoms: Muscle pain, tenderness, swelling, fever, weakness and possible spasms.
• Transmission: Caused by consuming undercooked or raw meat infected with the parasite.

      2. Toxoplasmosis: [i] [ii] [iii]

• Cause: Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite.
• Mechanism: Toxoplasmosis can lead to muscle inflammation or nervous system involvement, causing spasticity or tremors.
• Symptoms: While many people are asymptomatic, severe infections can lead to muscle and neurological symptoms.
• Transmission: Commonly from contaminated food, water or cat feces.

3. Cysticercosis / Neurocysticercosis:[iv]

• Cause: Taenia solium, parasitic tapeworm larval cysts.
• Mechanism: Larvae can form cysts in muscles, the brain (neurocysticercosis), or other tissues, potentially causing spasms or seizures if the central nervous system is affected.
• Symptoms: Spasms or neurological issues like seizures, depending on where the cysts are located.
• Transmission: Typically, from ingesting food or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs.

4. Schistosomiasis:

• Cause: Schistosoma species, parasitic blood flukes.
• Mechanism: Chronic infection can cause systemic inflammation, potentially affecting muscle control or leading to spasms due to nerve irritation.
• Symptoms: Muscle pain and spasms, particularly in severe or chronic cases.
• Transmission: Contact with contaminated freshwater infested with parasite larvae or contaminated food.

      5. Malaria[i]

• Cause: Plasmodium species, a protozoan parasite.
• Mechanism: Malaria targets muscles, leading to muscle aches, muscle contractures, muscle fatigue, muscle pain and muscle weakness. Malaria can cause muscle spasms indirectly through high fever, dehydration and systemic inflammation.
• Symptoms: Muscle pain, stiffness and spasms especially during acute attacks.
• Transmission: Spread by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito.

     6. Filariasis

• Cause: Parasitic filarial nematode worms.
• Mechanism: Larvae mature in lymphatic vessels, causing inflammation and obstruction.
• Symptoms: Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, elephantiasis, and in severe cases, tissue damage and disability. Swelling can result in muscle stiffness or spasms. Secondary bacterial infections caused by filarial worms can cause inflammation and spasms also.
• Transmission: Mosquitoes carry filarial worm larvae.

      7. Hookworm

• Cause: Ancylostoma duodenale or Necator americanus, parasitic nematodes.
• Mechanism: The larvae penetrate the skin, migrate through the bloodstream to the lungs and then mature in the intestines.
• Symptoms: Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, iron-deficiency anemia and itchy skin at the entry site. Can cause nutritional deficiencies (anemia from blood loss) contributing to muscle spasms.
• Transmission: Are transmitted through skin contact with larvae in contaminated soil.

8. Strongyloidiasis:

• Cause: Strongyloides stercoralis, a parasitic roundworm.
• Mechanism: Larvae penetrate the skin, migrate through the bloodstream to the lungs, and are swallowed to mature in the intestines.
• Symptoms: Itchy skin, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sepsis.
• Transmission: Through direct contact with soil contaminated by larvae.

 

Other parasites associated with muscle spasms

 Muscle spasms have also been associated with pin worms and ascaris roundworm infections.

 

Management of muscle spasms 

• Address anemia and electrolyte imbalances with supplements.
• Salt your food.
• Drink adequate filtered water each day to avoid dehydration.
• Follow the Live Disease Free diet which greatly reduces food to parasites, which reduces inflammation and muscle spasms.
• Treat the underlying parasitic infections with antiparasitic medications, antimicrobial herbs and oxygen therapies.
• Apply creams to manage symptoms. On Amazon – Hyland Leg Cramp Cream or Theraworx cream.

Quinine treats leg cramps

Quinine has been used to treat cramps from all causes. However, there has been controversy about its efficacy and safety.

Quinine is considered safe at a specific dose but at higher doses it can be toxic. Potential adverse effects include tinnitus (ringing in the ears), headache, nausea, dizziness, visual disturbances, thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), hemolytic anemia, arrhythmias, gastrointestinal disturbances, skin rashes and neurological symptoms.

Thus, in many countries including the United States, the use of quinine for leg cramps is not approved due to the potential risk of severe side effects. Quinine is still used to treat malaria.

The Cochran Library conducted a review of randomized controlled trials that studied people of all ages with muscle cramps in any location that were treated with quinine or its derivatives.

They reviewed 23 trials and a total of 1586 participants. The most commonly given dosage of quinine was 300 mg per day. Compared to placebo, quinine significantly reduced cramp numbers over two weeks by 28%, cramp intensity by 10% and the number of cramp days by 20%. A significantly greater number of people did suffer minor adverse effects from quinine vs the placebo group which were mainly gastrointestinal symptoms. In these trials, there was no significant difference in major adverse events when compared to the placebo. One person (0.12% risk) suffered from thrombocytopenia on quinine.

The authors reported that these studies showed that quinine significantly reduced cramp frequency, intensity and cramp days at dosages between 200 and 500 mg/day.

Quinine is a drug used to treat malaria. Malaria is still present in developed countries. The adult dose for malaria is 648 mg quinine orally every 8 hours for 7 days.

Muscle cramps and spasms are common symptoms of malaria.

Is it possible that quinine’s ability to alleviate muscle cramps and spasms is the result of controlling or reducing the activity of the parasite that causes malaria or another parasite that similarly responds to this anti parasitic drug?

Malaria also causes muscle contractions which is common in multiple sclerosis and is referred to as spasticity.

Leg cramps and spasms are incredibly painful. If the scientific literature shows that quinine is safe when used properly, why is it not available to patients? And if there is the potential that a parasite is causing muscle spasms, why are we not researching why the anti-malarial drug quinine significantly improves muscle spasms and cramps at safe, suboptimal doses?

The bigger question is, could malaria be one of the main parasites that cause multiple sclerosis? The evidence is building!

There are real solutions to recover from parasites today!

To restore health, we must focus on treating the cause of inflammation, which are parasites. First, identify the enemy (parasites), then support the body and treat the parasites while following a holistic approach. When parasitic infections are treated effectively, we can overcome inflammation or disease.

If you’re frustrated with the fact that our standard of care STILL doesn’t offer a real solution for treating MS and other diseases, then click on the link below to watch Pam Bartha’s free masterclass training and discover REAL solutions that have allowed Pam and many others to live free from MS and other diseases.

CLICK Here to watch Pam’s masterclass training

Or take the Health Blocker Quiz to see if you could have parasite infections

 

References:

[i] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3593714/

[ii] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380611873_Toxoplasma_gondii_infection_accelerates_the_progression_of_hereditary_spastic_paraplegia

[iii] https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2003/0515/p2131.pdf

[iv] https://resources.healthgrades.com/right-care/infections-and-contagious-diseases/tapeworm-infection#:~:text=In%20some%20cases%2C%20Taenia%20tapeworms,twitch%2C%20spasms%2C%20or%20seizures.

[v] https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-016-1577-y