Treatment
Some degree of control of the fasciculations may be achieved with the same medication used to treat essential tremor (beta-blockers and anti-seizure drugs). However, often the most effective approach to treatment is to treat any accompanying anxiety. No drugs, supplements, or other treatments have been found that completely control the symptoms. Cannabis has been effective at mitigating the severity of the symptoms with minimal to no side effects, particularly Indica strains that are high in the non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD). In cases where fasciculations are caused by magnesium deficiency, supplementing magnesium can be effective in reducing symptoms.
In many cases, the severity of BFS symptoms can be significantly reduced through a proactive approach to decrease the overall daily stress. Common ways to reduce stress include: exercising more, sleeping more, working less, meditation, and eliminating all forms of dietary caffeine (e.g. coffee, chocolate, cola, and certain over-the counter medications).
If pain or muscle aches are present alongside fasiculations, patients may be advised to take over-the-counter pain medications such as Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen during times of increased pain. Other forms of pain management may also be employed. Prior to taking any over-the-counter medications, individuals should initiate discussions with their health care provider(s) to avoid adverse affects associated with long-term usage or preexisting conditions.
Read more about this topic: Benign Fasciculation Syndrome
Famous quotes containing the word treatment:
“Our treatment of both older people and children reflects the value we place on independence and autonomy. We do our best to make our children independent from birth. We leave them all alone in rooms with the lights out and tell them, “Go to sleep by yourselves.” And the old people we respect most are the ones who will fight for their independence, who would sooner starve to death than ask for help.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“I feel that any form of so called psychotherapy is strongly contraindicated for addicts.... The question “Why did you start using narcotics in the first place?” should never be asked. It is quite as irrelevant to treatment as it would be to ask a malarial patient why he went to a malarial area.”
—William Burroughs (b. 1914)
“The treatment of African and African American culture in our education was no different from their treatment in Tarzan movies.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)