ALS Anxiety - Long read, input appreciated -

[EverythingsAlright]

Although I've been told by many not to refer to Dr. Google (including my Family Doctor), I found myself wandering a few months back and it's made my anxiety much worse.

My family has a history of anxiety/depression however it had never affected me until this point. I'm a 25 Y/O male and I feel that I'm a very healthy, non-smoker and workout 4-5 days a week for the past few years.

It started for me worrying about a friend who had recently been diagnosed with Cancer. After starting to worry about myself, I noticed a small amount of blood in my stools and a sore throat, I also felt dizzy and had occasional headaches about 2-3 months ago. I also had a few panic attacks just worrying about different things. After researching, I read about ALS and "muscle twitches" and looked down at my calf muscles and noticed the twitching.

Current symptoms:
- Muscle Twitching (75% calves, 15% thighs, 10% shoulder/back/rear-end etc) They are all visible and sometimes it feels like vibrations in my legs. I still workout and for the pas 2-3 months I find myself doing leg strength tests, no loss of strength. The twitches do bounce from muscle to muscle at certain times of the day. Sometimes constant in legs.
- Dizziness while walking at times, never while sitting.
- Leg stiffness/pain (I assume this is from me putting stress on my legs trying to stop the twitching, walking differently etc for a few months)
- Falling asleep on my hand and waking up with it asleep. Having sleep issues rolling back and forth, sleeping awkwardly causing joint cracking and muscle pain.
- Full body jerks when trying to fall asleep and waking up with sweat on neck/back and rapid heart-rate
- Soreness in hands/wrists (I also assume this is from strength tests which I seem to focus on doing)

As I've been constantly worrying about these symptoms since January (3+ months), I assume I have put a strain on my nervous system.

Are these common signs of anxiety? Is anxiety something that can be worse /w/ genetics? Has anyone else experienced similar issues?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks,

1WorriedCanadian

---------- Post added at 14:00 ---------- Previous post was at 13:58 ----------

Also - Pins and needles in feet and ankles. Cold feet and ankles even while wearing socks.

[Gary A]

This is a combination of anxiety and hyper-awareness. You're getting some physical sensations because of your anxiety, like the dizziness and "body jerks", but you're also hyper-aware of yourself at the minute, which is making you see and feel all these other things like muscle twitches and pins and needles. If you work out 4-5 days a week it's not at all surprising that your muscles twitch and tense, your anxiety is making you notice it more and catostraphise it.

[Sam123]

I agree with Gary, i had constant muscle twitches all over my body for a very long time. I just could not and would not believe it wasn't something serious. It drove me crazy.
I could see them to, they caused no pain and i could usually stop the twitching once i started using that muscle. It literally was all day all night.
I had many appointments where my GP tested my muscle strength and reactions ect all fine. I still didn't feel at ease.

I saw a neurologist in the end and when he told me that all was fine, i just looked at him in utter disbelief

Happy to say i don't have them anymore, well i get the odd little one every now and then. My anxiety is far better and my diet so i put it all down to this.

[EverythingsAlright]

Thanks very much for the input, I'm glad to know that other people have had similar symptoms to myself.

Anxiety sure can cause havoc on people's mind and physical being.

[popejoan]

Don't forget that muscle twitches on their own mean nothing, I've been having fine twitches in my left hand for like two weeks, they worry me but I don't have any weakness so I try to be calm.

[cattia]

Muscle twitches with ALS don't happen until the disease is advanced. You would have a lot of other very obvious and serious symptoms first. However muscle twitches are super common with anxiety. I used to get these all the time. I still do from time to time but they usually go quite quickly now as I know they are nothing to worry about.