Internal vibration sensation - caused by stress??
Posted , 91 users are following.
I've found several forums where there have been posts from people experiencing this disconcerting feeling of an internal quivering or vibration but none of them are current, so I wanted to see if anyone else out there is having the same experience and can share an insight into what might be causing it.
I started to get this feeling of internal vibration when I was mainly lying in bed and then occasionally if I shifted position it might last for 30 seconds or so before disappearing. That was about 8 months ago. Now I feel it every night and during the day as well quite often. The other day after a short walk of a few hundred yards followed by a period of standing still it felt like the ground was vibrating because it was in my feet. It seems to move around to different areas of the body - sometimes I feel it in my legs, an arm, torso - it's quite random but often felt when I've shifted position in bed. At first I thought it was circulatory but now I think it's probably neurological. I thought I was having palpitations but an ECG showed nothing abnormal. I've also had a full spine & brain MRI as I've been having other strange symptoms of occasional numbness and sensations of burning and cold areas of my arms/hands and legs/feet and a sore tongue which comes and goes and often feels like I've just cleaned my teeth with menthol toothpaste when I haven't. I thought I had all the signs of MS, but it hasn't been diagnosed. I've also had a number of blood tests for immune issues, evoked potentials and nerve conductivity tests. Nothing! The MRI does show a lot of wear to my cervical vertebrae and two anterior spondylolisthesis - one cervical, one lumbar, so I wonder if my spinal issues could be the cause. My neurologist was doubtful. He also couldn't explain the vibration sensation except to say that it can be caused by a migraine, which I certainly haven't had.
I just don't know where to go with this now. My GP isn't interested and puts everything down to stress which I AM under it's certainly true to say, but I don't think she's right. I've had to pay for all my neuro investigations as a result because she won't refer me or do any more blood tests etc. I'm trying homeopathy, osteopathy and acupuncture as I want to find something that will relieve these weird symptoms and prefer to avoid drugs if I can.
I'm 58, eat reasonably heathily, no alcohol, only 1 cup of coffee a day and my weight is normal. I broke my wrist badly at the end of August last year which is when my problems all seemed to start. i
I also wonder if the metal plate that was used to fix the fracture could be causing some kind of strange reaction.
If anyone else is having these symptoms please let me know if you've been able to identify the cause and how to deal with it.
7 likes, 240 replies
WhatLuck Sally4Edgar
Posted
I have this! Actually for years my legs would have this sensation of vibrations, especially when trying to sleep. they would also feel hot and achy. never thought anything of it.
Then it started in my torso last fall. like a low current of electricity going right down through my torso. I seen a cardiologist and nothing is out of the norm. Neurologist found some brain lesions but said they would not cause my inner vibration.
mr.55617 Sally4Edgar
Posted
now i am the same point that, I can ignore , and pretty much feeling well but my anti-anxiety and antidepression meds destroyed me with side effect i am about to take only one meds Amitriptyline 🙄 I don't know it good for me or worst
Njc65 Sally4Edgar
Posted
HI!
I registered with this site just to answer your post, so I hope you see my reply.
i haven't read every response you have received, so maybe somebody has already suggested this, but, have you considered Lyme Disease as a cause of your vibrations and back, neck problems?
I have had internal shakes, vibrations and bubbling sensations for several months since a tick bite, along with back, neck and keg pains
Anyway, sorry if this has already been suggested
Njc65
Posted
obviously, no 'keg pains' but plenty of leg pains!
studavey Sally4Edgar
Posted
im not going to go into detail about what i have been through and the severity of it, nor all of the tests i have had. those that want to scroll through this thread will find this in my previous posts. because of all ny physical symptoms however, i was honestly suicidal at points. still have dark days even though the physical stuff has all but subsided.
anyway, this is actually a positive post! saw an umpteenth neurologist, another battery of tests, all clear. but for the first time i felt listened to. he suggested i try a migraine/nerve pain/stress tablet called amytriptiline. bear in mind i have tried just about everything going. 10 mgs a day before bed. a month in and for first time in 2 years my internal vibration is almost gone. honestly i cant believe it.
blevine218 studavey
Posted
I believe that this condition is a type of neuropathy caused by a hyper-sensitive nervous system. This would be similar to neuropathic pain. However, instead of pain we experience this as a vibration. I don't remember whether I ever posted here about this, but I actually say a gastroenterologist at one point because I felt like the vibrations were centered around my sternum and might be related to reflux. He was one of the only physicians who actually recognized this symptom and didn't say it was "just stress." Even though I was tested negative for GERD (my reflux measurements were in the normal range) he thought it was a form of "visceral hypersensitivity" caused by stomach acids coming into contact with my lower esophagus possibly exacerbated by my hiatal hernia.
His treatment for this is low-dose "neuromodulators" like gabapentin and low-dose acid suppressors. I didn't want to take the acid suppressors. We tried gabapentin, but that didn't work and I was worried about possible habituation (even though it was very low dose). Amytriptiline is well known for treating neuropathies. We tried that and it worked. The vibrations aren't completely gone, but they're much better. I suppose that increasing the dosage would help, but I really don't like drugs like this so I'm willing to trade some vibrations for keeping the dose low.
So then the question is what is the root cause of this hypersensitivity. My theory is that it's a (possibly sub-clinical) vitamin deficiency. Vitamin deficiencies are known to cause nervous system dysfunction. If I'm right, then addressing the cause of the vitamin deficiency might cure this problem. I'm still working on that...
You might be interested in reading this thread about this issue to see if anything rings true for you. You'll note that one of the early posters also had some success with amytriptiline. The thread has been active for more than 10 years so it's a long read.
studavey Sally4Edgar
Posted
hi blevine, glad to hear anytriptiline works for you. im only on 10mg per night and have already made inroads. totally cpncur that this is nervous system hypersensitivity and very cross at the disinterest i faced from multiple drs before the last neurologist empathised. 2 years of my life totally wasted, it has been utter hell, body feels like it is in shock constantly.
lack of quality sleep, hunger, overdoing it in the gym and vibrations from vehicles all set mine off. Also sometimes the simple act of looking at my phone screen. i have had so many other horrendous symptoms, but the vibration has been the worst.
oh the other thong that sends it haywire is if i get a big palpitation, where heart stops then goes utterly wild.
i might up the amytriptiline, actually have had a few normal days and the remainder totally bearable. if i can use more of this for a relatively short period and rewire myself, i might be able to come off.
ps for those out there prescribed SSRIs, honestly dont do it. theu made me feel absolutely shocking for a month then seemed to kick in, problem is they didnt abate my symptoms just made me more mentally tolerant. but it was at a big price, i lost my empathy and actually became seriously depressed. i thought that was just going to be the way of it from now on, actually forgot what feeling normal felt like. anyway im down to the smallest dose of venlefaxine now and mentally so much more positive, they are definitely depressants.
pps all those sufferers should avoid stop-start public transport, the vibrations they give definitely accentuate the ones we sufferers feel. sounds utterly mental, two years ago i would have laughed in disbelief if anyone relayed my set of symptoms to me.
all the best
studavey Sally4Edgar
Posted
hi blevine, glad to hear anytriptiline works for you. im only on 10mg per night and have already made inroads. totally cpncur that this is nervous system hypersensitivity and very cross at the disinterest i faced from multiple drs before the last neurologist empathised. 2 years of my life totally wasted, it has been utter hell, body feels like it is in shock constantly.
lack of quality sleep, hunger, overdoing it in the gym and vibrations from vehicles all set mine off. Also sometimes the simple act of looking at my phone screen. i have had so many other horrendous symptoms, but the vibration has been the worst.
oh the other thong that sends it haywire is if i get a big palpitation, where heart stops then goes utterly wild.
i might up the amytriptiline, actually have had a few normal days and the remainder totally bearable. if i can use more of this for a relatively short period and rewire myself, i might be able to come off.
ps for those out there prescribed SSRIs, honestly dont do it. theu made me feel absolutely shocking for a month then seemed to kick in, problem is they didnt abate my symptoms just made me more mentally tolerant. but it was at a big price, i lost my empathy and actually became seriously depressed. i thought that was just going to be the way of it from now on, actually forgot what feeling normal felt like. anyway im down to the smallest dose of venlefaxine now and mentally so much more positive, they are definitely depressants.
pps all those sufferers should avoid stop-start public transport, the vibrations they give definitely accentuate the ones we sufferers feel. sounds utterly mental, two years ago i would have laughed in disbelief if anyone relayed my set of symptoms to me.
all the best
blevine218 studavey
Posted
Apparently, the powers that be didn't like my posting a link to another health site even though the information is directly applicable to the subject being discussed here. If you Google "tremors during sleep" bobito , you should be able to find it.
studavey Sally4Edgar
Posted
in terms of your ref to the other site, which i have found, is there any particular posts you want me to read? there re 560 of them!
second question, when you really hone in on it, do you sometimes fewl the vibration stops momentarily, but completely, then it feels like something kick starts it again?
skin feels like it is crawling roght now, another fantastic feeling 😦
blevine218 studavey
Posted
Yes, the stop/start thing happens sometimes. In general, I think my vibrations are less severe than yours. I don't get them during the day--only while falling asleep or during sleep. I think they happen to me during transition between different stages of sleep. What you describe sounds like the symptoms of Lyme disease. Have you been tested?
As far as the other site, yeah it's very long. I thought you'd be interested in the fact that many others have this issue and that this particular thread has been active for 10+ years. I guess I'd just recommend that you read the entire thread (not necessarily in one sitting) to see if any of the experiences described hit home for you.
Njc65 studavey
Posted
Hi Studavey,
I was awake again last night with internal shaking and vibrating etc. Mine too seems to almost disappear at times, only to be kick-started by shifting position etc. I also get accentuated vibrations after a palpitation, a hot bath, or a burst of physical activity. I don't notice the vibrations if I am traveling by car or bus etc. but certainly notice them when the vehicle stops. My vibrations are almost constant, day and night, and have been for the past 6 weeks or more.
I think my internal vibrations, buzzing sensations, and a feeling almost like my blood is bubbling through my veins are part of Lyme disease as I have had many other symptoms that fit with that particular infection. They are distracting at best and downright miserable at worst. I feel they make me shakier on my feet, the seem, at times to effect my eyes also, which makes concentrating on things hard, visually. Even if my body does not physically shake, it feels as if it does, and this makes completing tasks frustrating and difficult., particularly ones involving fine movements, like sewing.
Anyway, none of this helps you beyond me saying that I know how you feel
studavey Njc65
Posted
hi njc65, you are experiencing exactly the same as me. i know you think lyme might jave been your catalyst, have you tested positive? im cautious about blaming lyme, i tested positive on one measure but the (apparently) more accurate follow up test did showed it was a false positive.
i think what kicked mine off was essentially 5 or 6 weird seizure like activity due to severe physical and mental stress.
its totally debilitating and makes me feel on edge a lot.
totally the same as you by the way, feel fine in transport and shakey as hell a wee whule after travelling. sitting too long them moving or screen time kick it off.
try and really tune into it, best in your bed. when its bad, that is really intense, you can definitely feel it switching off momentarily, but toally, for about half a second, but any movement even an exhale kocks it off again. bizarelly, when i have a b***h of a cold or something, yes i feel rubbish but no shaking/vibration at all.
Njc65 studavey
Posted
studavey,
I replied to you, but didn't direct it to you...sorry
Njc65 Sally4Edgar
Posted
HI,
I had a tick bite back in June and a few days after discovering it I had aches and pains, chills and headaches and fatigue etc. After that I got really odd spasms and cramping in my legs for a week, then more aches and pains followed by these last 6 weeks of varying degrees of vibrating, shaking ( invisible) and other odd nerve pain.
I had two negative ELISA blood test , one too early and once after starting antibiotics ( as my gp diagnosed LD on clinical presentation rather than blood test results. He has said he will arrange the more sensitive test, in October, if I am still symptomatic, because NiCE guidlines allow for that.
There seem to be a lot of people with these symptoms, and yet most people will also say that their gps look baffled at the mention of internal tremor. I still cannot believe that my husband cant feel it when to me it seems like a minor earhquake is happening.
odd question, does one of your eyes water painlessly and apparently for no reason, from time to time?
Best wishes for a better day for you, soon