Twitching

[Sluggy]

Hi, I've been away for a while now, and have been doing relatively well in terms of keeping my anxiety and symptoms in check. After a string of 4 great, almost symptom free days I really felt like I was beating this fear of ALS.

But after a bad day yesterday and me focussing on my twitching, I just want to see if anyone has the same twitching experience. I want to try and make this the last thread I make, and move on.

With my twitching at least, I get 10-20 seconds of twitching in one spot, and then it'll stop. This is has occured in every limb I can think of, and almost every section. Even the back of my head.

It goes on for around 10-20 seconds and usually stops, or another spot starts twitching for the same length of time. I can USUALLY make it stop by simply tensing the muscle, but today and last night I started getting a hand twitch in the crease between by ring and pinky finger that makes my ring finger move. I can't really make this twitch stop, and it's what's flared up my anxiety again. I mostly twitch in my feet, but it really has happened everywhere.

Thanks for any help in advance, trying to get through this.

[luckyme]

Hello there Sluggy,

I have this happening to me lately a lot.. my thigh, feet, arms, calves everywhere.. I also have a buzzing, pins and needle sensation everywhere.. I don't know what it is and I too think its MS and ALS but I have ready that it could be anxiety.. just want you to know that you're not alone and I hope you feel better soon

[Emilym80]

Hi there,

Yes, that sounds very familiar. Are you drinking enough water and getting enough sleep?

I'll bet that it'll stop once you manage to stop fixating on the twitching. That's been my experience.

Best wishes :)

[popejoan]

It doesn't sound like an ALS twitch at all. Even it starts before muscle weakness which is even rarer than this extremely rare disease, it would be constant and very localised. Shortly after muscle weakness starts. TALS twitching wouldn't stop, it is pretty much constant at one area, an then it spreads to whole body but by then you would have a foot drop or lose dexterity in your fingers.

[Sluggy]

Thanks for the responses. With this finger twitch, I can actually induce it by just spread out my fingers really hard, not too sure what this is, but it isn't related to any condition I don't think.

[Sam123]

Hi everyone, I suffered from muscle twitches constantly for 2 years. When i tell people about my experience i can understand why they think i'm exaggerating, so did my gp.

I went to the extent of recording my twitches, yes recording them so i had video proof to show my doctor :blush: i wouldn't advise this however lol!

My muscle twitches started out as just a foot/leg thing, and over time i swear to you all i had constant twitching ALL over my body, i can't think of a place where i didn't experience the twitches it was the most surreal experience.
I was convinced i had ALS or some motor neuron disease or a brain tumor. 4 years later and i am still here, still alive and breathing and thankfully i do NOT suffer anymore, i get the occasional twitch every now and then.

It is a scary and hard cycle to break, i used to always say " I'm not anxious or stressed so it can't be that causing it" Well it can! you may not even feel anxious, you may be relaxed happy and having a ball but health anxiety and worry doesn't just disappear your subconscious has it programmed.

I visited a neurologist and had scans/tests done ect, nothing.

My advise for muscle twitching would be, if there is no extreme weakness(inability to use your limbs) then think of it like this, your nervous system sends signals all around your body, when you have anxiety and too much adrenaline in your system these signals get all messed up, the twitches are just your muscles/nerves.. drunk! :roflmao:

What really helped me and i honestly believe i would still be twitching if it wasn't for this..

Changing my diet, deficiency can make you more prone to twitches. I increased my intake of fruits and vegetables, potassium magnesium iron ect.
More water! I've never been one for drinking much water(bad choice) as it can cause a whole host of problems, try increasing your water intake slowly and be consistent.

Where possible, exercise, even if it's very small just increase your activity. When ever you get twitches try and do something, get up walk around do a stretch or do something to keep your mind occupied for a while, this will not make it go away but is far better than sitting there watching and feeling them as i used to do! lol
Hope some of this helped and anyone suffering from twitches YOU'RE NOT CRAZY although it can make you feel like that sometimes :hugs:

[Sluggy]

Thanks for the responses guys. It's weird, I've never been totally besotted with worry about twitching, as I've always known it's an extremely common thing with anxiety. I guess this hand thing got the better of me.

Hopefully I can get another string of good days. I really should just focus on the fact that I actually had a good day, with few twitches and no other problems. You don't get good days with degenerative conditions.

Thanks again for the responses. Any other people been able to induce their own twitching? Weird I know.

[Jbaine]

I can induce twitching in my foot by raising my leg to my chest. Also if I scrunch up nose and then release it begins to twitch. I had a terrible bout of twitching some years back and spent quite a bit of time on the BFS forums...there are many people on the forum that can induce twitching also.

[worrywart29]

I can be wrong but I think this als fear came about after the ice bucket challenge now this is just me speaking for myself I personally didn't even know of this disease until then as the ice bucket challenge brought about awareness. I think most everyone that have a als fear on the forum symptoms don't point to als at all from What I read als is a disease with terrible symptoms that don't involve a liveable twitch the symptoms are gradually life changing. Once a limb is affected its not affected for a few minutes and then go back to normal it's pretty much a constant all day issue. Most people with als can't even grasp a cup it just goes to show that just a twitch is something I'm sure a als sufferer would gladly live with. I understand how hard it is once the mind is set on a certain sickness but I really don't think it's als

[Gary A]

Twitching isn't a symptom of ALS. Muscle weakness in a particular limb is usually the first sign, and it's not a come and go symptom, it comes, stays, and in fact gets progressively worse. The confusion may be due to the fact that ALS is described as a condition that affects voluntary muscles, but this means that have trouble using the muscles. You may have a leg that drags as you walk, you may find manual dexterity tasks difficult, like buttoning a shirt or something equally pernickety.

Twitching is not a symptom of ALS, if anything, that will be caused by built up tension, a misfiring nervous system or general anxiety. I'm 99.9% sure you do not have ALS, try to keep telling yourself you don't have any reason to think you do, because you really haven't.

[pollynewsome]

I am suffering with anxiety and taking prozac to help reduce it.. along with come cbt.. however the twitching is horrible.. happens mostly round corner of mouth and eye lids.. it does go but it makes me more anxious and aware of it.. damn thing! hope everyone ok and the twitching eases.. i dont think it does me any harm but it not nice.

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