Generalized Muscle Twitching
Posted , 65 users are following.
Hello All,
I am so frustrated I have no idea what else to do. Currently I am suffering with generalized body wide muscle twitching. They initially started in December of this year after I had a twitch in my right shoulder. I decided to google the symptoms and ended up in the worst panic of my life. I thought at first it could be MS and I then learned of ALS and my twitches exploded all over. I went to a neurologist in March who did not want to do the EMG and she said it was something called benign fasciculation syndrome. It took some time but the twitches became less frequent but never went away. In July I had a full physical and my GP stated it was nothing and could be attributed to stress or somatization of symptoms. I began an accelerated nursing program and now I can't concentrate because I am scared to death again because the twitching has come back.
My biggest problem is the unbelievable amount of discrepancy there is related to the subject. You can look on any site and it states that "muscle twitching" is a sign of MND. There are people who have been diagnosed who say they started out with twitching as their first symptoms. There are people in their 20s saying they have been diagnosed with the illness. Then there are hoards of people who state twitching is related to anxiety and stress. That it is benign if no other symptoms are present. I just do not know what to think.
I am 27 and have never been diagnosed with GAD or anything but I have had a very stressful childhood. Maybe I do need to see a psychiatrist?
If anyone has these issues please let me know. I would love to discuss them I hate this so much
10 likes, 110 replies
Patient_CC michael49023
Posted
mine Started with muscle spasm in back a week ago. Then a day later, foot started having some nerve sensations + Pain in neck and shoulders.
Later, Nerve tingling and twitching started to move up legs.
Currently twitching throughout body, though legs are still where it happens most. Strange nerve sensations in legs, Intermittent numbness in hands and feet, muscle cramps at various points in the body.
This is extremely scary and I cannot sleep.
It is kinda worse when I rest as I am more aware of these symptoms then.
I am a 35 years old (otherwise) healthy woman and am about to lose it.
they checked my chemical panel (e.g., electrolytes) and nothing was off.
kendall04216 Patient_CC
Posted
Hi there!
I have also been having the same symptoms as you @Patient_CC. I am a 26 year old female. I had a baby not too long before the twitching started and was under a lot of stress at the time so I am guessing that was the main cause of them.
I have had the muscle twitching for almost 9 months now, I have had tons of testing done all coming back normal.
I did see a neurologist back in June who felt I did not need and emg. I am currently looking for a new neurologist to get a second opinion just for peace of mind sense my symptoms are persisting.
Patient_CC kendall04216
Posted
brain & spine MRI - clear
nerve conduction study (EMG) - normal
it seems like it is either iron deficiency (as all other stuff was normal in my blood) or anxiety for me.
i hope these symptoms resolve both for you & me kendall04216.
i am so surprised that anxiety can do these kind of things to one's body.
charlotte08023 michael49023
Posted
hi I'm not sure if this thread is still ongoing but I've been getting muscle twitches/spasms all over my body It started back in oct 2020 my left leg felt really achy i put it down to working more hours at work and being a house keeper bur within a few days my calfs thighs butt cheeks arms back just everywhere were twitching. I was in so much pain with my joints too so I went to see the GP who done bloods to see if I was lacking vitamin d which I was. So dec 2020 I was fine no more twitching until a week ago it has come back but now my shins on both legs are really sore to touch they feel like they are about to snap since my legs have been twitching. I really can't deal with it i feel like I'm obsessed with looking up stuff online and keep scaring myself. Has anyones twitches stopped i just can't live with this its taking over my life!!!!
peter73137 charlotte08023
Posted
hi charlotte. ive just started getting the twitchs about 1 week ago. ALS related, very scary. gotta twitch in my shoulder an it was fine until i googled. that was it, the information from the internet plus my hyper vigilant anxious state made the twitchs migrate all over my body. however after reading these threads iam convinced neither me or anyone else on this forum will get ALS. also ALS us an incredibly rare disease to get, even rarer to get with twitchs as the first symtom with no muscle weakness or atrophy.
peter73137
Posted
also iam 1 week into this and my googling days are over, iam not feeding this little monster no more. my i phone is gettin binned and iam getting a basic phone with no internet. ive been parking my car up at the back of the house to have a sly google away from the family, whats that all about? reassurance i assume. this BFS Is like ALS's little brother, for wannabe ALS'ers. fuelled by anxiety and fear.
peter73137 michael49023
Posted
wow that story is so me, right shoulder the lot. u cool now???
joshuapryce1987 michael49023
Posted
I agree with the hoards of people, twitching does stem from anxiety and stress.
mark49806 michael49023
Edited
I'm in the same situation as many of you. It started in Summer 2020 with twitching in my left lower leg and foot. It then started days later everywhere else in my body--arms, legs, feet, shoulders, back, chest, buttocks, etc. Thanks to Dr. Google, I diagnosed myself with ALS. Some days I feel like both hands and legs are weak. Keeping in motion seems to mask the twitches. I walked ten miles today out of fear so as not to feel the twitches. I've been doing it out of fear on most days; not a positive motivation for wanting to be healthy. I had shingles in Sept. 2020 due to all the worry. I've created this monster and must live with it. It makes me depressed and lonely. Sometimes it makes me cry. Someone with weak legs wouldn't bother walking ten miles a day. My GP did setup a neurology appointment for me next Friday to get some answers and to get some peace of mind. The pandemic has changed me. I'm not the same happy person I once was. It will take a neurologist to convince me that I'm fine. As I type this, I'm pacing in a circle inside my kitchen to mask the twitches. I identify with everyone here. For all I know, something could be wrong with me--mental or physical?
-Mark
ayoub51493 michael49023
Posted
im a medical student from morroco and i haave the same syndrome it all start in my second year but i forgot about it and it happend recently i never experienced such huge anxiety in my life .mybe because this year i studied neurology . but you haave nothing to worry about it s completely due to anxiety and hypochondria .
my symptomes were : fasciculation
muscle jerks
numbness
my throat felt funny because of stress
normally it would prevent me from having a good sleep but im a heavy sleeper . i stop thinking about it and i passed out
you have nothing to worry about this very common in medical student and anxious people and hypochondriac
krisl02 michael49023
Posted
I have had this for going on 8 years now. to think of it, I had always had "twitching" just one day I noticed it more, as I suppose they had increased, Googled the symptoms, and thought I had ALS. Of course they only made the twitching worse, and I became obsessed with checking my muscle strength with daily tests, checking for wasting, checking reflexes, just on and on. I have never been formally diagnosed with bfs, as my doctor always dismissed my concerns and never sent me to a specialist. However, the fasciculations aren't as bad now. I have read a looooooooooottttttt about bfs, and from what I can tell the syndrome never fully goes away, but tends to wax and wane. I just do my best to ignore it, but I know that's easier said than done. For some people it's the twitching that drives them crazy, for me it was thinking I was going to die from ALS. If your concern is more about the cause than the symptom, then I would rest easy that your doctor diagnosed you with bfs. If it's the twitching that's driving you mad, just know it will dissipate with time, and for many the twitching will become very infrequent. For some, like me, I still have them daily, but it's not near as bad. Sometimes my body will go into overdrive, but I have noticed when I'm stressed or dehydrated, that's when they will get worse. I pray you gain piece of mind knowing bfs cannot physically hurt you, although it's very very annoying and can inhibit sleep/ cause anxiety worrying it's something worse (which it's not 😃 and that your twitching greatly reduces or ceases altogether.
irish02314 michael49023
Posted
Do you have stiffness with the twitches, i have constant stiffness in my legs especially, or where it twitches. Also sometimes a tingling feeling. Im told feeling ie discomfort of any kind points away from ALS. Also twitches on both sides of the body an without clinical weakness also points away.
audrey70430 michael49023
Posted
Twitching started after second Moderna covid vaccine. First started in my upper thigh, and it went away. Then my lip, and that went away. Now both leg muscles. I reported this to v safe and vares . If this is common... what next? a lot of anxiety.
esma765 audrey70430
Posted
i had twitching after pfizer vaccine 5 weeks ago. then tremor in hands and now jaw... has yours inproved?
michelle70460 michael49023
Edited
Hi there. I hope what i tell you gives you some peace of mind. It's amazing how many people think that twitching is one of the first signs of ALS. IT ISN'T. The first symptom of ALS is always clinical weakness. For example, some people may get a footdrop & they keep falling over or others may keep dropping things due to weakness in their hands. Twitching comes much later in the disease because the muscle is dying. Anxiety is the most likely cause of your twitching. Also, just as a side note, ALS is about failing not feeling. You will be fine & please stop googling as the information is not always correct.