View Full Version : Muscel Twitches/Jerks
Hi All
Another Newbie here...... Have been reading the forum for the past few days in seach for a few answers and support. Ive had heath anxiety for about 6 years now, but never as bad as im feeling right now.
About 1 month ago i came down with vertigo/dizziness. I couldnt get to see my normal GP so i went to one of those 24 hour medical centers. The Dr their said it was most likey a viral infection in the inner ear.
I then went to see another Dr the next day who said the same thing. So i sort of accepted that i had an inner ear infection ..... although MS and Brain Tumors were going through my mind and i kept googling diseases and symptoms so i had some mild anxiety.
Then 10 days later as i was watching TV i felt my leg jerk. Nothing Major. Just slight movement. I cant really remember if i have had this before. I never really noticed it before but i seem to think i may have had the odd jerk while watching TV in the past. (I guess this is normal in most people???)
But then the next night i noticed it again and then again ..... perhaps 2 an hour ...... and its been happening for the past 3 weeks while resting (sitting or laying down). It varies from 2 - 5 jerks an hour. Sometimes its in my legs but ive also felt it in my arm too.
Then for the past 2 weeks ive noticed muscel twitching - Mostly in my thighs, but also in my lower legs, arms, sholders and ankles. Mosty its one single twitch .... but on other times it can vibrate for a few seconds. Agian it only happens while im resting.
I had an MIR yesterday and should have the results by Tuesday. I just keep thinking i have a Brain Tumor or MS, or Motor Nuron Disease.
Ive also had weakness in my left arm. However i think thats just anxiety too. Its hard to describe how my arm feels. It just feels weak - sligtly strange - even when i have it laying flat out and resting. Its actually gotten better tonight - so that must be anxiety.
Also the other night i felt tingle sensations, and in the past ive imagined symptoms (stomach pains that wernt actually real)
But the Muscel twitches and Jerks..... They have been with me for 3 weeks now. Just wondering does anyone else have them? If its Anxiety/Stress/Worry ..... and i accept that ..... wouldnt the twitches disapear ? Or would it take time for the body to settle down?
Sorry for the long first post. :) hehe
Hi acrosplat,
Never had twitching muscles but do get tingling in my hands and arms alot, also feel very dizzy and off balance when I am anxious. The MRI scan results will put your mind at rest though so until then try and relax.
Let us know how you get on on Tuesday.
Jodie
Hi there
Have a look at the symptom pages on this site - you’ll see that muscle twitches, feeling weak, tingling etc are very common anxiety/panic symptoms. And I’m no expert, but from reading other people’s posts I see that it can take quite a while for things to calm down – I have been worried about how long things have been going on for me too. We feed our fear by constantly thinking about it so no wonder we are both still getting strange symptoms. I’ve experienced a lot of the same things you have and am still having some of the symptoms which started back in mid March (hopefully it won’t go on this long for you!) – I still get random muscle twitches, tingling and odd aches and pains.
Do you think that you accepted your GP’s initial diagnosis of the ear infection? Because I know I didn’t when I was told I had a trapped nerve in my arm. Before I’d even gone to the doctor I had already decided there was something horribly wrong with me – and MS was the monster. From there on, everything just went on a downward spiral – and I got a million more symptoms that hadn’t been there before. I don’t want to second guess you, but just from my own experience, do you think that you may have been thinking that the docs were missing something, or not believed their diagnosis? Cause that might explain all the other stuff that you got after the inner ear infection...
MS has been the big bad for me, and although my neurologist has said he doesn’t think I have any progressive illness, I am still very concerned – so much so that I’m scheduled to have an MRI next month (arranged by the neurologist only for my ‘peace of mind’ - what's that again???!).
He also told me that pins and needles and muscle twitches are very common and he always has patients thinking they have MS because of these sensations – and they don’t. But when someone who is worried about something like this thinks about it constantly, and then (big mistake) googles their symptoms, is it any surprise that we end up with the worst case scenario, rather than the more likely one? Easier said than done, I know, but try to relax and try your very very best to just ignore the physical stuff – and remember everyone is here to help for when things are tough.
Take care, and let us know how you get on.
pigtailplaits
16-05-08, 16:20
Hello
I also have concerns over a brain tumor. My health anxiety started 4 months ago with blurred vision and the occasional headache. I googled my symptoms and got very upset that i might have a brain tumor. I took myself to AandE in a very frightened state and they did an MRI scan, this was clear but i am still not happy. I have been reassured that i am suffering from anxiety and i can relate to your muscle twitches. Mine are also when i am relaxed- usually just before i fall asleep my leg jerks. I have very bad dizziness and when i bend down all the blood rushes to my head and my ears feel very full. Its really scary how anxiety can cause all these strange symptoms. Hopefully you will find lots of useful advice and support here. I certainly have. Please let us know how your result turns out, bet its clear. Mine was but i havent give up thinking 'what is wrong with me'
Acrosplat - I'm going through exactly the same thing as you. As I sit here at work typing this my left thigh is twitching. I'm very wound up and worried about the whole thing. Terrified about MS and Motor neurone.
Mine started with tennis elbow but I now have another sharp pain in same arm shoulder and collar bone too. Trapped nerve or referred pain - I don't know.
Also get the strange weakness in arm thing you mentioned and other tingles.
Don'y have any advice but can confirm that you are not alone! I'm seeing an Osteopath now and hope they can get my arm better. If not I'll be back to the docs to get a referral to a neurologist.
pigtailplaits, veebee and jodiehind thanks for replying and your advice.
VeeBee - If i had seen my main GP from the start i would of accepted his diagnose - but he was so busy i had to wait 2 weeks to see him. Instead i went to other drs who basically all said i have a viral infection of the inner ear (Labrinthitis). My main GP and another Dr said muscle jerks and twitches can be caused by anxiety .... but then im thinking .... how on earth can anxiety cause something so physical
How long does it take to have an MRI in England ? A month seems like a long wait ... no wonder you have all this anxiety. Waiting is another cause of Anxiety for me. I had to wait 10 days for my MRI and 2 - 3 working days for the results.
pigtailplaits - have you been to the eye dr about the blured vision ? My eyes "felt" blury rather than being blury. It was more of a sensation than having any loss of vision. The Optomitrist did a full examination and said that my tears were evaporating too fast causing the werid sensation in my eyes. She refered to it as "Dry Eye" which can cause blured vision.
When i first started having dry eye ..... i first thought Brain Tumor and then MS. I always tend to think the worse, and each and every time it has not once come true. Infact any diagnose ive done on my self has never come true. Im hoping that continues lol
Hi Eleven
Thanks for replying. My main Dr did tell me just the other day that Muscel twitching can be brought on by Anxiety. I asked him and his response was
"Yes it can.... BigTime!!" I guess we are all looking for some reasurance.
Hope eveything goes ok with you.
Hi Acrosplat
Muscle twitching can easily be bought on by anxiety, think of the adrenaline that is released during anxiety/stress states. I had years of twitching, legs, arms, every location pretty much at one time or another. Eventually I saw the connection between stress and twitching. There is a condition called 'Benign Fasciculation Syndrome'. Check out there forum...
http://www.nextination.com/aboutbfs/
DONT 'google' twitching, firstly it can tell you nothing and is NOT definately a sign of something ominous. Secondly it will just feed your anxiety...and make you twitch more, dont get into this cycle. I would supplement with 'magnesium citrate' and avoid sodium. Learn to meditate, this I think is so important so we can learn to calm ourselves.
Weakness 'real and percieved' can also be bought about by anxiety, this has been observed time and time again. Try to work out regularly so that you can see that you are still strong, plus it will use up the adrenaline and help to release the happy chemicals.
As someone else who fights the anxiety demons I know this is easy to say, but dont give in in too easily to the subtle voices and inner chatter. Do as many nice things for yourself as you can, most of all dont forget to laugh.
Wishing you all the best!! : )
Hi Everyone
Well i got my MRI results back today. It came back fine. No tumors or signs of MS, so im releaved about that.
But still my muscel twitching and leg jerking still keeps happening when i sit or lay down..... although tonight its not been that bad.
Whats anoying me at the moment is that for the last 2 days is that i have a feeling of skin crawling or tingling on the skin, almost if 1 ant is crawling over it or there is a droplet of water on my skin and i want to wipe it away. It mostly occurs on my ankles or lower legs... but a few times on my wrists or arms. Another way of describing it is that somone is touching a single hair on my arm or leg and they are moving it slightly.
Is this another symptom of Anxiety ???
I mean i do have Motor Nurone Disease on the mind and even though my brain says - "no thats rubbish" i still wonder and think "what if".
I am so pleased that your MRI was clear! That's absolutely brilliant news.
Crawling/tingling is most definitely an anxiety symptom - just check the symptoms part of the site and you'll see!
The 'what if?' thing is natural - I know, cause I think that way too. But it really is not good for you, I know because I've got myself in a real state over the past couple of days thinking this way - please try your hardest not to do it, its so very damaging.
A clear MRI is fantastic news. Please try to do everything you can to keep yourself from thinking the what ifs. Dismiss the anxiety symptoms for what they are - a trick that your mind is trying to play on you.
Hey acrosplat- i had this (still do occasionally) but after i realised it was anxiety it has lessened. I used to get muscle jerks too when i was resting. I think that's the scariest thing but by drinking lots of water and exercising i found that it went. If you have had a clear MRI then you are fine which is great!!! also if you concentrate on it then it means that sometimes you can create it! Hope it all works out for you. Good luck.
itoldyouiwasill
19-05-08, 17:11
I have twitching big style....started with a left eyelid twitch last August and spread from there, mainly get twitches in legs and arms but can also get them in chest...also get those big myclonic jerks and thumps. My left eye lid is still going strong after 9 months.
Along with the twitching I get the pins and needles, percieved weakness and most annoying the buzzing/vibrating sensations. I have had the MS and MND/ALS terrors but the later has been beaten, I do still worry about MS at times.
The thing to remember is that MS and MND/ALS are different beasts, MS is sensory and MND/ALS is a disease of CLINICAL weakness....if you are experiencing both twitching and the sensory stuff the likelyhood is that this is anxiety as anxiety effects both the PNS and the CNS.
The MND/ALS worry is really an easy one to beat....DO NOT Google twitching as twitching is really sod all to do with the disease, yes, you may twitch but this is in the later stages and believe me by then you would be having far more things to worry about than twitching. Muscular weakness is the thing to note and not the fuzzy feeling week thing that anxiety can give you but rather failing strength tests that are objective and verifiable.
Wow this thread sums up so much of what i have been going through recently!
I have had anxiety since the start of this year and recently developed 'perceived weakness' in one arm, as well as muscle twitches and jerks, and trembling hands.
I thought at the time 'that's it, i've defintely got ms or something', but reading your post has reassured me no end.
I really need to stop continuously analysing the sensations in my hands/arms/legs as that is what is fuelling my anxiety, but it's easier said than done!
itoldyouiwasill
19-05-08, 22:40
Wow this thread sums up so much of what i have been going through recently!
I have had anxiety since the start of this year and recently developed 'perceived weakness' in one arm, as well as muscle twitches and jerks, and trembling hands.
I thought at the time 'that's it, i've defintely got ms or something', but reading your post has reassured me no end.
I really need to stop continuously analysing the sensations in my hands/arms/legs as that is what is fuelling my anxiety, but it's easier said than done!
Yes, these sensations are perfectly fitting with an anxiety thesis BUT we get concerned and confused by them and once this happens out thoughts mean that these strange sensations get interpreted incorrectly.
I mentioned in another thread that our minds and bodies cannot really tell the difference between what is real and what is just a thought...bearing this in mind, just having the constant thoughts that something is seriously wrong will constantly stress your Central Nervous System even more.
I know how hard it is and I cannot claim to always practise what I preach but acceptance and patience is the key.
Ok, the previous few answers have been very reassurring. Can I ask though, does anyone else get load of twitches even when they are not feeling anxious or stressed? I'm getting loads this morning (little pulses in my legs, arms even base of my thumb) and I'm feeling ok in myself. Of course now I'm feeling these I'm definitely questioning everything internally!
I also notice them a lot when I'm trying to get to sleep.
itoldyouiwasill
20-05-08, 09:38
Ok, the previous few answers have been very reassurring. Can I ask though, does anyone else get load of twitches even when they are not feeling anxious or stressed? I'm getting loads this morning (little pulses in my legs, arms even base of my thumb) and I'm feeling ok in myself. Of course now I'm feeling these I'm definitely questioning everything internally!
I also notice them a lot when I'm trying to get to sleep.
This is an anxiety/health anxiety forum then I'm assuming that you have come here because you are currently or have in the past suffered from anxiety!
Anxiety is twofold....it is a mental disorder but it also has a profound and long lasting effect on our bodies. Many people seem to struggle with a specific point, the idea that all these sensations still keep appearing even though we are no longer anxious, the problem is that once all these sensations start then the damage has been done and our nervous system has been thrown out of balance...our current mental situation cannot mend this overnight it can be a long and frustrating journey to recover.
Look at it like this, if you ate junk food for 20 years the likelyhood is you would be overweight, have bad skin and feel like crap...if you then decided to start eating well you wouldn't suddenly drop 20 pounds and feel amazing...you have damaged your body by a bad lifestyle choice and it can take a lengthy period of corrective action before things start to turn around.
To deal with this aspect of the disorder, I no longer define myself as being an anxiety sufferer but rather as someone who is recovering from the physical damage that anxiety has caused.
Ok, the previous few answers have been very reassurring. Can I ask though, does anyone else get load of twitches even when they are not feeling anxious or stressed? I'm getting loads this morning (little pulses in my legs, arms even base of my thumb) and I'm feeling ok in myself. Of course now I'm feeling these I'm definitely questioning everything internally!
I also notice them a lot when I'm trying to get to sleep.
Yes. My state of mind has been better these past couple of months (though not completely fine), but I'm still developing and noticing new symptoms. I also think your body can be in a state of stress without having those panicky feelings that signify the mental state of anxiety.
In Claire Weekes' book she writes that it can take months for the nervous system to reset itself even though anxious thoughts and feelings have subsided.
I think the whole waiting for the symptoms to disappear is what keeps it going - each day I wake up feeling ok and then within an hour or so some symptom, such as muscle twitches, appears out of nowhere. And I think 'hang on, I don't feel so bad today, what's going on?' And of course that starts the whole cycle of worry again. Its a nasty little trick that our mind plays on us. I can only say that we need to give ourselves time - like itoldyouiwasill says below, we're all recovering from physical damage so need to give ourselves a chance to get back on track again. Ignore those symptoms - I tried it yesterday when my hand started tingling and it really did just go away.
Hi All .....
Well i went to the Dr yesterday (i was in her office for 30mins)..... and she did a few neuro tests for motor nuron diesease..... she overall she said i had nothing wrong with me.
We chatted about heath anxiety a bit, she didnt seem to think the twitching and jerking was anything major. Shes a good Dr, and has always been right in the past. So i belive her.
So yesterday afternoon, all my nervousness had gone and felt completely well again. When laying down i didnt feel any twitches so i was happy.
However i did feel a few last night while sitting down..... but not as many.
I also felt them today..... which has made that nervous feeling come back.
Guess i have to give it time and not think about it ....
Easier said than done lol.
In Claire Weekes' book she writes that it can take months for the nervous system to reset itself even though anxious thoughts and feelings have subsided.
Im hoping thats true ....
Whats making me anxious/upset today is the leg jerking. Im starting to worry that i may have something wrong with me.
When i sit down in the arm chair ...... Its like a get a muscle twitch that will cause some movement in my body ..... Its minor movement. I dont hit anything... its like 2mm to 5mm of movement.
Sometimes its in the thigh area which will cause my leg to jerk just a bit.
Once or twice it felt like it came from the center of my waist which causes my abdomen/hip area to jerk or move to the left or right.
Last night my arm was at rest and my index finger moved on its own too. Just a 1 second jerk.
Sometimes i feel my arms jerking. They all last for 1 second. Yesterday afternoon and today ..... Ive felt like 4 jerks in 10 minutes.
Im starting to think its something like MS or Parkinsons, or something far worse. :weep:
Its been 4 day since i was told be the dr that nothing was wrong.... so with the anxiety gone and with the positve thinking ..... i thought it would of gone.
Also wondering whats the correct term for this. Muscel Jerking or Muscel Spasms?
itoldyouiwasill
24-05-08, 09:09
The correct term for the small twitches are BENIGN fasculations. The correct term for the bigger, all over thumper body jerk is a myclonic jerk. Both are totally harmless and both are very common with anxiety sufferers.
Physical anxiety sensations exist seperatly from mental anxiety. If you had a junk food diet for 20 years and gained 3 st of weight you would not lose this weight a week into a low fat diet. Anxiety is the same, the physical sensations of anxiety are the result of years of bad stress/anxiety management and once the physical stuff starts this shows your body has crossed the anxiety threshold. It can take months or in cases years for the body to fully recover from the physical effects of anxiety.
To not expect to see results straight way....this is a long and often frustrating process that is often one step forward and two back, patience and acceptance are the key here.
Whats making me anxious/upset today is the leg jerking. Im starting to worry that i may have something wrong with me.
When i sit down in the arm chair ...... Its like a get a muscle twitch that will cause some movement in my body ..... Its minor movement. I dont hit anything... its like 2mm to 5mm of movement.
Sometimes its in the thigh area which will cause my leg to jerk just a bit.
Once or twice it felt like it came from the center of my waist which causes my abdomen/hip area to jerk or move to the left or right.
Last night my arm was at rest and my index finger moved on its own too. Just a 1 second jerk.
Sometimes i feel my arms jerking. They all last for 1 second. Yesterday afternoon and today ..... Ive felt like 4 jerks in 10 minutes.
Im starting to think its something like MS or Parkinsons, or something far worse. :weep:
Its been 4 day since i was told be the dr that nothing was wrong.... so with the anxiety gone and with the positve thinking ..... i thought it would of gone.
Also wondering whats the correct term for this. Muscel Jerking or Muscel Spasms?
Acro, I have exactly the same symptoms as you. Both my leg and arm occasionally jerk involuntarily, and i have loads of twitches which drive me nuts.
As you have said, you had the MRI and it came back fine so you don't have ms. If you had parkinsons you would have numerous other obvious symptoms - e.g. visible shaking, trouble walking, speaking and writing.
You should read claire weekes' book and realise that they key to getting better is to accept the symptoms, and stop analysing and fearing them. I know this is easier said than done but in thinking about the jerks and worrying about them you perpetuate they symptoms, even if you aren't feeling overly anxious.
gman84 ... have you seen a dr about your leg jerks and muscle twitches ?
gman84 ... have you seen a dr about your leg jerks and muscle twitches ?
No.
I've been thinking about it, but every time I go to the doctor with little complaints like these they say I'm fine and have nothing to worry about.
Going to the doctor does nothing towards accepting the symptoms in the long term, even if it does give some short term reassurance.
Reading that people on here are experiencing similar things have made me realise that anxiety is almost certainly the culprit.
I've decided to leave it for now and only go to the doctor if i notice things getting worse.
AcroSplat,
I get muscle twitches sometimes, especially in the wake of viral infections. It's uncomfortable but it goes away. At the moment I'm also getting them at night a fair bit; I think it's perhaps a result of excessive muscle contraction due to anxiety. I don't worry about it; I have other things on my mind for the most part :)
Regards,
Francis
Thanks for all the replies.
Everyone keeps saying its anxiety ... and how it takes a while to get out of my system.
But the last few days ive been relaxed and calm ... accepted its anxiety... but still the leg jerking persists. It only happens when im sitting down or laying down.
When im sitting its like my leg jerks just a tiny bit ... about 5 minutes ago it felt like it twisted. They all last for 1 second. Sometimes when it moves it sends a weird feeling to my abdomen area.
Now im thinking Parkinsons ... and its some early symptom. Or perhaps some other neurological disorder thats going to get worse. :unsure:
I feel like im going mad. One minute im fine, i feel like im back to normal and then i get a jerk and start to worry.
I just find it hard to accept that anxiety can cause this when ive had anxiety in the past and have never had twitches and limb jerking, however the twitches have started to die down a bit.
Going back to my GP again on Monday..... Ive had this crap for a month now.
Going insane!! :mad: :mad: :mad:
I get the same if I get over stimulated, for example flashing on tv, or watching the news.
itoldyouiwasill
26-05-08, 19:38
Thanks for all the replies.
Everyone keeps saying its anxiety ... and how it takes a while to get out of my system.
But the last few days ive been relaxed and calm ... accepted its anxiety... but still the leg jerking persists. It only happens when im sitting down or laying down.
When im sitting its like my leg jerks just a tiny bit ... about 5 minutes ago it felt like it twisted. They all last for 1 second. Sometimes when it moves it sends a weird feeling to my abdomen area.
Now im thinking Parkinsons ... and its some early symptom. Or perhaps some other neurological disorder thats going to get worse. :unsure:
I feel like im going mad. One minute im fine, i feel like im back to normal and then i get a jerk and start to worry.
I just find it hard to accept that anxiety can cause this when ive had anxiety in the past and have never had twitches and limb jerking, however the twitches have started to die down a bit.
Going back to my GP again on Monday..... Ive had this crap for a month now.
Going insane!! :mad: :mad: :mad:
A month you say....I've had it since last July and I know of people who have suffered from this for years.
As I mentioned....being calm and accepting it is anxiety is the tip of the iceberg, once you have crossed your anxiety threshold and are getting the physical stuff it can take months or years for it to reset itself....annoying yes but totally benign.
You say that you are fine for a while but then you jerk again and start to worry....this isn't really accepting it as a benign condition then. When the twitching and the jerks are going full pelt just try and not to interpret them for anything other than what they are...a misfiring CNS which has been fatigued by anxiety.
Recovering from this can be a long long process and it can months or even years before you see an improvement....the omly guarantee in all this is that the sooner you stop second guessing and misinterpreting the sensations the quicker the recovery will be.
The correct term for the small twitches are BENIGN fasculations. The correct term for the bigger, all over thumper body jerk is a myclonic jerk. Both are totally harmless and both are very common with anxiety sufferers.
Physical anxiety sensations exist seperatly from mental anxiety. If you had a junk food diet for 20 years and gained 3 st of weight you would not lose this weight a week into a low fat diet. Anxiety is the same, the physical sensations of anxiety are the result of years of bad stress/anxiety management and once the physical stuff starts this shows your body has crossed the anxiety threshold. It can take months or in cases years for the body to fully recover from the physical effects of anxiety.
To not expect to see results straight way....this is a long and often frustrating process that is often one step forward and two back, patience and acceptance are the key here.
Glad it's not just me. I crossed that threshold 6 months ago and since then have had chronic muscle tension and spent much of every day with a knot in my stomach :( Even on days where I don't encounter many triggers, the cumulative effect is still there from what's happened in the past and I feel fearful and depressed.
Some of the self-help books say you should give in to your anxiety and let it "wash over you", but that doesn't work when you've entered the stage of the chronic physical anxiety syndrome. When you're at that stage, my experience is that exposure just makes you worse.
F
I have to say i am relieved that other people feel like this to i seem to be stuck in the cycle of convincing my self something terrible is wrong i had a ct scan and it was clear so no tumours but even more convinced i have ms i have a had tingling in my fingers numbness in my face hot burning scalp aching muscles this has to be the most frightened ive ever been i talk to family and friends and can see that look of "not this again" written all over there faces and i feel bad for burdening them with it....you can wait ages for a scan i was told that it could be up to 18 weeks for a non urgent so i went private and had one 2 days later its amazing how money talks and also quite sad to think people wait weeks worrying them selves sick and if your willing to pay like me you can be seen in 2 days....i am now left with a big bill which i cant afford but the thought of waiting 18 weeks was unbearable...i suppose i am trying to say anyone who has these horrible feelings and thoughts you have my deepest sympathy it can be terryfying i am just glad that there are sights like this which can help xxxxx
always anxious
27-05-08, 15:09
hi there!!
i get muscle twitches in my face and jaw and think i have a serious illness. i no wat its like to be scared of these symptons but we have got to try and not worry!!
take care
itoldyouiwasill
27-05-08, 18:10
I have to say i am relieved that other people feel like this to i seem to be stuck in the cycle of convincing my self something terrible is wrong i had a ct scan and it was clear so no tumours but even more convinced i have ms i have a had tingling in my fingers numbness in my face hot burning scalp aching muscles this has to be the most frightened ive ever been i talk to family and friends and can see that look of "not this again" written all over there faces and i feel bad for burdening them with it....you can wait ages for a scan i was told that it could be up to 18 weeks for a non urgent so i went private and had one 2 days later its amazing how money talks and also quite sad to think people wait weeks worrying them selves sick and if your willing to pay like me you can be seen in 2 days....i am now left with a big bill which i cant afford but the thought of waiting 18 weeks was unbearable...i suppose i am trying to say anyone who has these horrible feelings and thoughts you have my deepest sympathy it can be terryfying i am just glad that there are sights like this which can help xxxxx
Did you have a neuro check you over before the private scan? The reason I ask that is if a neuro picked up something on the clinical test you would not be waiting that timescale for an MRI. It is a sad fact that the NHS in the UK is pretty much at breaking point and people are rocking up at GP surgerys with optic neurosis etc etc and these people will obviously take precedent on a limited resource....I know this doesn't help us, the anxiety riddled health anxiety sufferer but the bottom line is that a huge number of us who get refered for an MRI are done so not for physical reasons but purely for our mental state of mind....not that there is anything wrong with that per se but priority does have to come into this.
I know as a health anxiety and GAD sufferer that 'not knowing' is an awful thing to have to live with and that is why the MS terror is a health anxiety favourite, it mimics the sensations of anxiety and it is also incredibly hard to get a firm diagnosis....anyway, glad your scan went well.
hi i told you i was ill
i suppose i just needed to know there was no impending doom so borrowed the money and went private....the thing is since my ct scan came back ok i cant shake of the ms thing its like you said the symptoms mimic each other so its really hard to accept that its anxiety its easier to think the worst.....the fear is unbearable sometimes i felt ok 6 weeks ago then bam just like that everything has changed xx
Hi I told you I was ill
Is it hard to get a firm diagnosis for MS? I thought MRI would confirm one way or another....feeling really worried now!
itoldyouiwasill
27-05-08, 23:29
Hi I told you I was ill
Is it hard to get a firm diagnosis for MS? I thought MRI would confirm one way or another....feeling really worried now!
It is not that clear cut...I won't go into details as I'm no medical expert but many people do actually have lesions that show on an MRI and they still do not get a MS diagnosis....there are various factors that must fall into line to get a clear MS dx and it is not really that straightforward, this is why this disease is such a killer for the health anxiety sufferer.
Yep, if you have a clear MRI scan you are pretty much good to go and MS should not concern you but things can show on an MRI that are of a 'maybe/maybe not' nature....this would have been discussed with you if that had showed so this is obvioulsy not the case with you.
The bottom line is that as GAD and Health Anxiety sufferers we want the golden grail...the 100% cast iron guarantee that all is 100% fine with us, the thing is pretty much the best disease that can buck this is MS as it is such a tricky thing to dx with 100% success...crikes, there are people who have recieved an MS dx in the past who are in actual fact totally clear of the disease.
This is not about MS....it is about having a fear, an anxiety, of MS! By chasing the disease we are totally missing the point and will never get closure...you have to accept the uncertainty and move forward.
Glad it's not just me. I crossed that threshold 6 months ago and since then have had chronic muscle tension and spent much of every day with a knot in my stomach :( Even on days where I don't encounter many triggers, the cumulative effect is still there from what's happened in the past and I feel fearful and depressed.
Some of the self-help books say you should give in to your anxiety and let it "wash over you", but that doesn't work when you've entered the stage of the chronic physical anxiety syndrome. When you're at that stage, my experience is that exposure just makes you worse.
F
My anxiety started 3 years ago and I still have twitching. I have accepted these twitches as part of my life, it wasn't easy but my cure was allowing myself to think about MS (my nemesis!!) For some distraction works but that just made me worse, I decided to think about MS if I wanted and I gradually found my mind wandering onto other things! My counsellor suggested it and it really was the answer.
I think I'd miss my foot twitching to be honest lol! Sometimes I think to myself 'oooh, I've not twitched today!' and then my foot will twitch just to remind me lol!!
I read a lovely page on here last year about benign fasciliations (twitches) but I can't find it now, that was really helpful too, I cried with relief when I read it! If anyone knows a link to that page coukd they put a link to it on here? it might help someone!!
itoldyouiwasill
27-05-08, 23:46
hi i told you i was ill
i suppose i just needed to know there was no impending doom so borrowed the money and went private....the thing is since my ct scan came back ok i cant shake of the ms thing its like you said the symptoms mimic each other so its really hard to accept that its anxiety its easier to think the worst.....the fear is unbearable sometimes i felt ok 6 weeks ago then bam just like that everything has changed xx
That is the thing with Health Anxiety, it is very often a case of one step forward and two back....once this gets coupled up with the symptom shifting every month or so it does indeed drive you mad!
Remember, anxiety can only exist in an anxious body and therefore your anxiety is trying to get a response from you so as it can keep on living...it will try and do every trick in the book to get the desired response and it is often a case of making sure you don't blink first. Have a quick 5 minute think now, I'm sure there are occasions that you have caught your anxiety out and seen it for the fraud it is....the problem is those occasions are easily forgotten, try and remember them and they will become far more common.
That is the thing with Health Anxiety, it is very often a case of one step forward and two back....once this gets coupled up with the symptom shifting every month or so it does indeed drive you mad!
Remember, anxiety can only exist in an anxious body and therefore your anxiety is trying to get a response from you so as it can keep on living...it will try and do every trick in the book to get the desired response and it is often a case of making sure you don't blink first. Have a quick 5 minute think now, I'm sure there are occasions that you have caught your anxiety out and seen it for the fraud it is....the problem is those occasions are easily forgotten, try and remember them and they will become far more common.
Yeah thats so true.
Just when I've come to terms with a symptom such as constant headaches and think I'm through the worst of it, something else will crop up and it throws me right back to where I started. So frustrating!
My stress levels have been very very high over years due to being a carer and had 3 in close familiy with Dementia. This included my husband who got it young. I had to fight to get any help and ended up caring 24/7. He also went though the aggression stage and i had to cope with it. I've been hit, kicked etc but i knew it was the condition. He just died 7 weeks ago so now have the financil worry as well. I get muscle twitching at times it used to be worse. I also have tingling ,electrical feelings in my legs, weakness, balance problems, pins and needles and my feet have dropped. I have been house bound for so long i've lost my confidence now to go out. I'm so frightened i fall. I've seem a Neuroligist who is trying to say i have motor neuron as my creatine kinase level is high (but its not that high) I didnt think you got sensory feelings in motor neuron. He knows how much of a bad time i have had and hasn't considered stress. Do any of you think the same as me that there is a posibility that stress has knocked my nervous system crazy? ( It started 5 years ago)
agent orange
05-10-08, 17:42
I have had similiar problems. I have been and had an MRI because I was worried about M.S, but all came back negative. I still have problems with off balance and slight dizziness, tense muscles in legs, neck and arms. I also have weakness in legs. Some of these symptoms are the same as M.S but I have had them for two years-Have they missed something? Or is this just high anxiety?
MarioMangler
05-10-08, 21:58
More than likely anxiety.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.