muscle twitches / jerks?

[tashbarnes87]

hey all, ok i am still worrying about MS . I know muscle twitches are a common symptom of anxiety but are muscle jerks? i have been getting them for a while i just dont think i noticed hem before. I have just been sat down with my son and my leg just jumps slightly or i get like a pop in my arm or a little jump. I have been feeling really really tired & dizzy in the past 3 days and my eye has started to twitch too. Im reallyy really scared its MS please reassure me i have managed to stay off google so far :weep: xx

[j2]

Are you getting enough sleep? When I am sleep deprived over a day or two I get muscles that jump beyond the usual twitching.

[tashbarnes87]

i am very tired i have a young baby and lately have been feeling like i could fall asleep at any point. It only happens when im resting :( im so worried

[tashbarnes87]

what constitutes a twitch? is it a little jump or a flutter?

[nataliean1982]

i am pretty sure if anxiety can cause muscle twitches, then it can cause muscle jerks, or whatever it wants to cause. i was getting twitches and the jerks too, i tried to let them run thier course and ignore them as much as possible, then i started worrying about some other things and of course after my worry shifted, i stopped getting the jerks, now if i can just stop worrying about all of my disturbing sympoms maybe they would all go away as well???

[RosieXXX]

Hello tash,

It is very common to have muscle twitches with anxiety. I have experienced this myself and like you was very concerned.. It seemed to be more noticeable when I was 'relaxed' - either sitting down or in bed. After a few months they disappeared, but they do return from time to time when I am feeling stressed. You will find a lot of threads about muscle twitches, because it is such a common symptom which runs alongside anxiety. You have been stressed lately, and of course you must be tired being a new mum. It is difficult to ignore these symptoms, but do try to accept them as a normal response to anxiety.

[Kerrigan]

I'm almost too ashamed to admit this but I also get twitches in my neck when I'm lying in bed, my head will jerk up only a tiny fraction but it because I've been swallowing excessively all day and now the muscles are unwinding, at least thats what I tell myself, I would be mortified if it got any worse. It also happens if I spent alot of time alone-which I do anyway and then someone will walk through the door and I'll start speaking to them and my head will jerk back again, just the tiniest movement but really disconcerting. Unlike the swallowing I don't think about it all the time and yes it's worse if I'm tired or overstimulated.

Take care :)

[tashbarnes87]

so a twitch can also be a little jump? thanks guys its so so reassuring to know others get it xxxx

[joyce1980]

Hey Tash,

I really do see a lot of me when you post... these are the things I went through when I was suffering with HA/OCD

I would start to fall asleep and my arm would twitch and jerk also when I was sitting my left leg would jerk as well, I also thought I had MS

I made my dr send me to a neuro !! he did some basic tests on me like me walking in a straight line and such and said I was 100% fine, of course after that I started to think I could not get my words out properly and I would not play catch ball with my hubby cos if i missed the ball I thought it was more signs of ms..... sigh I'm sending you a hug.


Long story short Twitching and jerky movements are linked to excess stress on the body.

my bub is dues in three months. i wanted to ask you a question, I was sitting down the other day and my bub felt like she was having a 1 second fit in my belly, it's happened a few times and i only just thought maybe this is not good, she is always kicking and such...... have you ever felt your bub move like that???

All the best Joyce:hugs:

[Worry-wart]

Eye twitches and muscle spasms can be due to low thyroid levels too. If you are concerned, there is a simple and inexpensive blood test to check for that.

[tashbarnes87]

hi joyce omg yes!! i did have that about 3 time it felt like the baby had a fit really jagged kicks almost vibrating. I rushed off to the doctors and he said the baby was just moving around. Im not recommend you google :) but a lot of woman have had the same feeling its bizaare. Thank you again for helping me and it amuses me that i am follwing all the same patterns as you. I start cbt on the 22nd so fingers crossed that will help xx

[joyce1980]

Ohhh thanks for that! almost vibrating is a better description really worried me, that makes me feel so much better, it was a really weird feeling.

I asked my midwife yesterday and she said she had it once too, they think it's the nerves working and getting ready.

Thanks again x x x

Good luck with the cbt

[moore]

Tense muscles will eventually spasm and twitch (fasciculation - big word alert!) like mad. I did read why, but I cant remember. Look at wikipedia for 'benign fascisculation syndrome', aka unexplained twitches:

Another common feature of the disorder, when seen by physicians, is an increase in the patient's level of anxiety (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/wiki/Anxiety), especially health-related anxiety. It's not uncommon for the patient to fixate on ALS (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/wiki/Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis), MS (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/wiki/Multiple_Sclerosis), ME (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/wiki/Myalgic_Encephalomyelitis), Parkinson's (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/wiki/Parkinson%27s_disease), vCJD (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/wiki/Creutzfeldt-Jakob_disease), Wilson's Disease (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/wiki/Wilson%27s_Disease), or some other serious neurological disorder, refusing to believe the BFS diagnosis.

I usually find that if I have a twitch or other involuntary movement then I am also subconsciously tensing that part. Usually it's hands/arms/eye/mouth for me but thats because I tend to find thats where my anxiety goes!
Again according to wikipedia "virtually everyone will experience [it] during their lifetime'

So there you go. :)

[rubymolloy]

hiya, I also used to worry that it was ms developing. I have anxiety and panic disorder and every night I twitch big time, my legs mostly, it's annoying but I no longer worry about it like I used to.
I also used to get a tic in my eye that was frustrating.
I am so used to it now that I don't worry, it is so easy for us to muddle symptoms of anxiety with other things, bless you, hope this helps
kind regards
rubyx

[cassy1989]

Hey Tash, the fact that you say you get these muscle twitches as you settle down says it all really. I was told by my doctor that the body naturally jumps and twitches as you are relaxing. Plus yours will be worse because of your anxiety.
Please don't worry, you are fine xx

[cassy1989]

Joyce, I just wanted to say you have made me feel a little better. I have been worrying so badly about MS lately but reading that your doctor made you walk in a straight line has put my mind at rest a little as I know I have no problems whatsoever with balance! x

[joyce1980]

Oh good cassey.

Yeah balance has quite a lot to do with it and if you have ms you actually fall over.. i mean your legs just go and you would know.

However don't panic if you trip cos that's normal lol I was a bit funny about that too, everytime i tripped i worried hahah but it's not the samething!

Going back on my meds showed me that

All the best :hugs:

[tashbarnes87]

hi joyce what else did they get you to do? your post helpd me too. I have been standing on one leg with my eyes closed lol and im ok xx

[ElizabethJane]

Hi Tash I agree with the others that the twitches are due to anxiety. Our bodies jerk and twitch when we are about to fall asleep also. Joyce are these twitches branxton hicks contractions ie tightening of the uterus? These are normal usually called false contractions as your body prepares for the birth.

[tasia]

Hay there Tash,

Yes like the rest ive suffered too and have done for a couple of years i had it so bad a few weeks ago i thought i had either MS or Parkinsons...when you suffer with anxiety you think you have everything but in reality its just a normal thing that happens with your body but you have become very sensitized to every feeling...ive also had eyetwitches that lasted for about two weeks but when i finally calmed myself down and didnt sit thinking about the twitching etc., it got better..hope you feel better soon xx

[joyce1980]

Hi Tash I agree with the others that the twitches are due to anxiety. Our bodies jerk and twitch when we are about to fall asleep also. Joyce are these twitches branxton hicks contractions ie tightening of the uterus? These are normal usually called false contractions as your body prepares for the birth.


That could be, this is my fist bub so the feelings are new but it did feel like my bub was shaking around for 2 seconds. Thanks!

[joyce1980]

hi joyce what else did they get you to do? your post helpd me too. I have been standing on one leg with my eyes closed lol and im ok xx


Hahah he got me to do less than that, if you can balance on one leg like that then you are totaly fine!!!

It was more like just walking in a line one foot in front of the other, don't do it though tash you don't have ms just like I didn't

Your normal GP can also do these tests with you too, remeber the Dr ever checking your reflex by hitting your knee and it would bounce back ??? the neuro did that too, get your Dr to check it next time you are there, you will see your leg will jerk just as it should

x x x x

:D

[justbananas]

yes my arms and legs jerk sometimes, mostly at night when i'm asleep or falling asleep or waking up. dang the anxiety. dang it.