Losing the plot

[LittleWorried]

I am not sure if I am being paranoid and crazy or if I am entirely justified in being terrified.

I am a 37 year old, very happily married, great job, mom to a cute and busy 2 year old Ever since I can remember I have had my share of health anxiety but in the past year it has gotten far worse.

4 weeks ago, I woke up with an eye twitch, persistent and constant. I started making sure I was keeping hydrated, cut out caffeine and stocked up on magnesium. A week later, I was still twitching and I took to google. Big mistake. I got to a litany of ALS sites and I found myself at my doctors office less than 2 hours later. She dismissed my fears, did a neuro basic exam and sent me on my way with "it will pass". And it did - only, it hit my tongue. Ever since, my throat has been feeling tight, I have trouble swallowing (although I can eat and drink), my voice sounds hoarse and my tongue is stiff at best. I returned to the doc - and she said it's most likely anxiety - and gave me Lorazepam (which I haven't taken).

Now, since Sunday, both my legs twitch, with on occasional one in my arm, my eye has periods of twitching throughout the day and my throat is so tight I can barely initiate a swallow.

I can't sleep, I can't eat - all I think of is my own decline - within 24 months and not seeing my little guy grow up and it's killing me every second of the day.

Where do I begin?!

[Redsoles]

Have you had your Vit D levels tested? That can cause twitching. The eye twitch I get when I'm tired. Sometimes it goes for days. I would agree that this all sounds like anxiety though.

[sarahsarah]

I get twitches when I am tired and to be honest, you sound exhausted. What with your little boy and all the worry about this, I can only imagine how dog-tired you must feel. So you begin with that- you need a good night's sleep. I know that is easier said than done but it really will help enormously.

When I go through really bad periods of health anxiety, I get to a point where I just have to take myself offline and return to some simple habits. Phone and any other way of accessing the internet off in the evenings, a little tv, a bath, hot milk, a book and an early night. Often it is not so easy to fall asleep but if I don't immediately turn to my phone and all the potential anxieties that has to offer, then it's a lot easier to relax. Even if I lay awake, it is dark, quiet and peaceful and I do get some rest and relaxation just from that.

Loads of us here have been through the ALS fear and got out the other side. It will pass. I hate to think of a young mum such as yourself with so much to live for worrying about this. Try to keep away Google and post here whenever you feel yourself being drawn into a horrible googling session. Remember- you won't always feel like this xx

[dittarco]

I've been down this same exact road many times. Same symptoms and same fears. One twitch leads to wide spread twitching. Hell I even had my inner cheek twitch my tongue. Everywhere. I made myself so sick last summer. I ran to a neurologist.

It's a horrid disease. It's completely normal to not want it. But you don't have it.