What is Tetany?

What is Tetany?
on Mon 28 Nov

 

“Tetany” is the name given to an involuntary cramping, spasms or contractions in your muscles.

 

This usually occurs as a mild cramping in your hands and feet or your arms and legs. However, more seriously, this overly stimulated neuromuscular activity can extend into your larynx which then causes breathing problems.

 

It can also cause convulsions or seizures, significant muscle pain and heart dysfunction.

 

Causes of Tetany

Tetany is caused by an imbalance of your body’s electrolytes. This can be too little magnesium or potassium but is most often triggered by low levels of calcium which is known as “hypocalcaemia”

 

The cramping or spasms come about because the activity threshold for the activation of neurons is lowered by the lack of calcium in the body,  which then causes them to fire spontaneously and trigger the involuntary action of the muscles. The symptoms tend to reflect the severity and rapidity of onset of the hypocalcaemia.

 

Hypocalcaemia can be caused  by septic shock, kidney failure, significant blood loss, pancreatitis, severe vitamin D deficiency, magnesium deficiency and, rarely,  in cancers that involve bone.

 

It’s most often caused by low levels of parathyroid hormone whose job it is to control calcium levels. This condition is known as “hypoparathyroidism” and is a recognised complication of thyroid surgery.

 

It can temporarily be in up to 20% of patients after a thyroidectomy and be permanent in up to 5% depending on the complexity of surgery. Rarely, it can occur spontaneously due to autoimmune destruction of the parathyroid glands.

 

Diagnosis

Tetany is a symptom rather than a disease and, since it can affect many different parts of the body, diagnosis is often difficult.

 

However, Tetany which is  caused by low calcium levels is often spotted through the (usually) subtle spasm of the wrist and thumb which occurs when a blood pressure cuff is used on the arm.  This is called the “Trousseau’s sign.”

 

Another indication is something called the “Chvostek’s sign” which is when facial muscles twitch when an individual’s cheek is tapped just in front of the ear,

 

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to correct any electrolyte imbalance , but as tetany is triggered by differing conditions it is vital to treat the triggers themselves if possible.

 

When this is triggered acutely by low calcium levels,  it is a medical emergency and the most common approach is to inject calcium directly into the bloodstream.

 

However, where there is an ongoing risk such as hypoparathyroidism, the treatment will depend on the cause. Patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism will need to take daily doses of calcium and activated forms of Vitamin D for improved absorption on an ongoing basis.

 

If you are experiencing unexplained cramping as described in this blog post my recommendation is that you visit your GP. I hope this has been helpful.

 

Although every effort is made to ensure that all health advice on this website is accurate and up to date it is for information purposes and should not replace a visit to your doctor or health care professional.

 

As the advice is general in nature rather than specific to individuals Dr Vanderpump cannot accept any liability for actions arising from its use nor can he be held responsible for the content of any pages referenced by an external link

Tags

acanthosis nigricans Acromegaly Addison's disease adolescent diabetes problems adolescent thyroid problems Adrenal crisis adrenal fatigue Adrenal glands Anovulation artificial pancreas Autoimmune Thyroiditis Bariatric Surgery blood glucose levels blood pressure breastfeeding CAH Charcot foot cholesterol CHT coffee cold and flu medications Conception Congenital adrenal hyperplasia congenital hypothyroidism Consultant Endocrinologist London coronavirus cortisol covid-19 Cushing's disease Cushing's syndrome Depression Diabetes diabetes and bone health diabetes and heart health diabetes and oral health diabetes and parkinsons diabetes and sexual dysfunction diabetes and skin conditions diabetes and thrush diabetes in China diabetes insipidus diabetes latest diabetic ketoacidosis diabetic neuropathy Diabetic prevalence diabetic retinopathy diet for diabetes diet for obesity Disability Act Down's Syndrome Dr Mark Vanderpump e-consulting endocrine system fertility folic acid Freestyle Libre frozen shoulder and thyroid Fruit sugars gestational diabetes Gigantism Glucose Monitoring Glucose Tolerance Test gluten free Goitre Graves Disease Graves Orbitopathy guthrie test hair loss Hashimoto's Disease healthcare services hearing loss Heart Disease heel prick test Hepatitis C Hormones - most important how to lose weight hyperparathyroidism Hypersecretion Hyperthyroidism hyperthyroidism and respiratory problems Hypocalcaemia Hypogonadism hypoparathyroidism hypophysitis Hyposecretion Hypothyroidism hypothyroidism and respiratory problems IFG IGT immunotherapy side effects Impaired Fasting Glucose Impaired Glucose Tolerance Insulin Resistance Iodine IR iron Labour and birth late onset hypogonadism Levothyroxine Long Covid losing weight Low testosterone Mark Vanderpump MEN1 MEN2 menopause metabolic syndrome mood changes morning sickness Multiple endocrine neoplasia neuroendocrine tumour neuropathy Obesity obstructive sleep apnoea older patients online doctor OSA Osteoporosis overactive thyroid ozempic Pancreas Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic Diabetes parathyroid glands Patient Resources Patient Support Groups PCOS PCOS and acne PCOS and fertility PCOS and Insulin PCOS diet Phaeochromocytomas Pituitary Gland POF Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Post menopause thyroid problem Post pregnancy thyroid problem postnatal diabetes medication postnatal thyroid medication Prader-Willi Syndrome pre-eclampsia prediabetes pregnancy Pregnancy and Diabetes Pregnancy and Thyroid Disease Premature Ovarian Failure prolactinomas PTH puberty Radioactive Iodine RAI resistant hypertension semaglutide Sheehan's Syndrome Skin tags sleep and diabetes sleep and obesity soy Soya steroid dependent subacute thyroiditis T4 Tara Palmer Tomkinson testosterone Tetany The endocrine system Thyroid thyroid and menstruation thyroid cancer Thyroid disease in children thyroid nodules Thyroid Storm thyroid tests Thyroiditis Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis Thyroxine TSH levels TSH Testing tumours Type 1 diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Type 3 diabetes underactive thyroid Vitamin B complex Vitamin D Waist circumference weight gain weightloss

Please get in touch

Phone: 07565 978310