muscle twitches

younggranny

I have had lots of muscle twitching for many years now. When i first got it, it really made me anxious and all i could think about was, what terrible nerve disease am i getting. I thought forsure i was getting ALS. The more anxiety i got the more I twitched. I did finally go on an antidepressant and it helped my twitching tremendously. Now i am not on anything and i still getting twitching but i do not worry about it. If you have lots of anxiety it can cause twitching, but if you are really worried about it i would go to the doctors. It will ease your mind.

SpazGirl

Do I ever experience muscle twitching? I am right now! In my calves mostly, though I get them all over. Mine started in May, when I thought I was coming down with a horrible disease, and I've had them ever since. I told my doctor about them and she just smiled and told me not to worry about them. This was right after she put me on Effexor, and I was wondering about side affects, though I had the twitches before I ever popped one of those pills. Funny thing is, many of the side affects of the drug are pretty much the same as anxiety symptoms, which is so incredibly retarded.

jjules

Oh yeah I have had these funky spasms for over a year off and on. I've been getting them alot lately-stress. mine go crazy when I lay down for rest or sleep. At first I thought of MS or ALS but my doctor assured me that wasn't the case. I guess I will just have to live with it. Jules

SpazGirl

Yeah, my health concerns were the same as your - within the realm of neurological problems. I think cyberchondria, you know, health anxiety aggravated by googling symptoms, is just going to get worse for everyone.
I'm still nerveous, especially in the morning, and I'm paying way to much attention to my body...but there ya go. It's going to take awhile before I cut this crap out.

jennifer1978

I even get muscle pain like in my right leg, it comes and goes, sometimes it's pretty bad. Can all of this be because of anxiety? I just wonder sometimes. And it's not even after I've had an attack or anything.
The twitches are there no matter what, feeling good, no anxiety anything. I just feel so lost sometimes on how to feel and wonder if I am going to have to deal with this for the rest of my life. I'm tired of worrying and being frustrated and crying. I do have an appt. with a neurologist, see what happens with that.

SpazGirl

My doctor and my psychologist both told me muscle twitches are nothing to worry about. As far as your leg pain goes, well, if you're as keyed up as I am, then your muscles are probably wound tight. Muscle pain is inevitable. Also, you know how people have a nerveous facial tick? Our muscle twitches are another version of that. I have them all over by the way...arms, legs, rear-end, neck. The kick up especially when I'm trying to go to sleep. The fact is, our nervous systems are juiced up from anxiety, so things like twitches happen. Also, look up the "flight or fight" trigger on the web (but please, don't look up symptoms!), it explains how being nerveous or scared makes the body react in a certain way.

jennifer1978

Have you gone to a neurologist yet? What did you find out if anything?

I know what you mean about the internet, googling symptons and all, it's addictive almost because you meet people that understand you. It helps in a way. My family just thinks I'm crazy and don't really understand what is really going on with me, it's torture. I've never felt this bad in my whole life

jennifer1978

Thanks for all the replies, it makes me feel like I'm not so alone.

I just find it so hard this is all anxiety related. I don't even feel anxious a lot of the time and still get all they symptoms? If anything the symptoms make me anxious!!!

When will this all go away? Has anyone ever recovered from something like this? All the stories I read have been from people still suffering?

jennifer1978

How do you sleep at night when this is happening? I have the hardest time. My doctor gave me lorazepam to help sleep, but told me that they would only be short term, what am I going to do when they don't give anymore, be a walking zombie? I have 10 month old baby so this isn't easy. It makes me sad just thinking about it right now.

SpazGirl

No jennifer1978, I haven't been to a neurologist. I told my doc about these bodily sensations, and I know one thing, if she felt I needed to go to one, she'd send me. Just think about it, all the liability out there, it would be no skin off her back to send me to a neuro for an appointment if she suspected something. So keep that in mind, because it sounds like you've been going to a doctor already. Is it hard to believe these weird feelings are just from anxiety? Oh yes. Two weeks ago, I had trouble believing it, but no one else around me did. Once you reach a certain point with anxiety, your body does "things" even when you're not consciously nerveous. I still have doubts about things, mind you, I'm not cured. I just don't jump to the worst conclusions anymore. I keep hearing stories about people with our symptoms - and worse (one man even lost the use of his leg for a little while), and they got MRI's and they turned out clean. So try to think of that.

Rick7799

I have had twitches for 5 years. I get them all over my body. The legs are the worse. I have been to a Neurologist and he says it is Benign Fasciculation syndrome. Nothing serious. One thing for sure, it does get worse with anxiety. Even when I'm not anxious, they are there 24/7 just not as pronounced. As the years went by I just accepted it. Try not to worry about it because if you do, they will be worse. After I went to the Neurologist they were not as bad because he made me feel better. I think you will feel better to.

jennifer1978

How do you sleep? Just get used to it? I have a hard time sleeping. What does the neurologist say about the reason for benign fascisculations? There has to be a reason. I've read a lot about magnesium deficiencies? Was that mentioned?

Today I went to my GP and she gave Buspar to take at night. It is for anxiety. Not sure if I want to get the presc. filled or not. I'm just not that into taking meds. Although I've had to to be able to sleep. She wouldn't give me anymore xanax, says it's to addictive and would in the long run cause even more anxiety. That sucks because atleast that was allowing me to sleep. I feel so lost. Do neurologist prescribe anything for BFS?

lafs4me

Jennifer - motherhood does weird things to a person. I have two children 5 and almost 3. When my youngest was a little over a year, I started getting tingling on one side of my face that spread to my hands and feet. Freaked out I ran from my doctor to neurologist, had an mri which was normal, saw another neurologist had another mri and blood work which all showed nothing. I was told it was anxiety and given ativan to take as needed. That was 1 1/2 years ago.

I didn't believe (and still sometimes doubt) that the tingling, pin stick feelings I still get - are all due to stress. I don't know how old you are - I'm in my 30's, but stress never affected me this way. Maybe it is hormonal. I know my symptoms get worse with the onset of my period.

Initally, ativan was the majic bullet. When I take the ativan those twitchy feelings go away - however the drug is not as effective for me now as it once was - I don't like the way I feel the next day.

You said you have a 10 month old. That is an enormous responsibility and a huge stress. Give yourself a break. Reassure yourself. See the neuro - it will probably put your mind at ease. Worry and anxiety, I think are natural to parenthood - especially moms. Have you had any time to yourself? To read a book, have a spa day, go shopping by yourself? That is so important. As a mom, you need to take care of yourself so you can take care of your family.

I sympathize. Anxiety is no fun and the symptoms it brings create a vicious cycle. If you have problems sleeping - try this. When my kids were infants both of them had a hard time sleeping at night. My mom got me a cd with lullabies that have a heart beat in the background that I would play for them. It put me and the kids to sleep. Try it.

Knowing that others are experiencing what you are and that you are not crazy means alot. I really hope you feel better soon.

jennifer1978

lafs4me, thank you so much for your reply and it does make me feel better knowing that I am not the only one to deal with this. So you are still taking the ativan? My doctor will not prescribe to me, saying it is too addictive and that it would not always work like it once did. Then you have to switch something else, then it becomes vicious circle trying to chase something that will work. I do need some time to myself I believe, I was just actually thinking about that today.

My not sleeping is probably the worst and I have to believe it is because of the muscle twitching, and the worrying. Because even if I do take ativan it doesn't go away, it just makes it so I don't worry about it. I feel so hopeless sometimes and I don't want to be this way because I love my daughter so much and want to be there for her 110%. But I also do realize that I need to be better to do that. I would give anything to feel better again. I have an appt. with a neurologist next wed. and then directly following that I have an appt. with my psychologist. I've never dealt with so many doctors in my life than I have in these last 8 months or so.

Do you still have a lot of the symptoms or have they gotten better. Probably is better when you know that you don't have anything seriously wrong. That will probably be a good start for me. Although in the back of my mind I still wonder if this isn't something worse. I'm sure you know what I mean. Some days are better than others. It is especially worse if I don't get sleep.