Muscle twitches/aches: Does anyone else... - Anxiety and Depre...

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Muscle twitches/aches

34 Replies

Does anyone else get twitchy muscles and achey/weakness with stress and anxiety?

For a couple of months I’ve had random twitches all over (mainly my arms and legs) and for the past couple of weeks my upper arms and legs have felt a bit weak and achey.

I have been stressed lately and wondering if the stress and anxiety is causing it?! I’m beside myself with worry. My anxiety often manifests as health anxiety. I just want to wake up and feel ‘normal’ again.

34 Replies
pink83737 profile image
pink83737

Yes!!! I get tremors in my head ugh

Dogmom55 profile image
Dogmom55 in reply to pink83737

I just started! This is a first the last week or two it's like my neck up into my head is just tremoring! It's horrible!

in reply to Dogmom55

I’ve had head twitching before; like my head does little twitches to the side. That’s caused by neck tension.

kenster1 profile image
kenster1

I get them every night as far as I know its the medication.

in reply to kenster1

I’m not on any medication other than iron tablets and vitamin D.

Karen

You suffer from Anxiety and your problems are associated with that, you need to gain confidence and move yourself on in life. Given that your GP should be able to consider a treatment pathway for you to move on,

There are various things you can try, consider MINDFULNESS Relaxation Technique you can purchase a book on Amazon for about £7.00. Breathing Techniques can also be looked up on the web

BOB

in reply to

I think the trouble with anxiety is that there’s always that little ‘what if’.

I’ve had it a few times before and managed to move past it so I’m hoping I can do the same again.

My dad has recently been diagnosed with an illness which will end up terminal and that has really made me bad again.

I have tried mindfulness before but will give it another try.

Thanks Bob.

Sunnidayz1 profile image
Sunnidayz1 in reply to

Yes the "what ifs" keep us from doing what we need to do. I understand.

Take care of yourself and try to focus on the here and now.

in reply to Sunnidayz1

Thank you, best of wishes to you.

Karen

You need to talk, I am generally around regards your Father. or PM me

in reply to

Thank you!

Penny565 profile image
Penny565

Hi Karen, I'm a new member.

I have been through a shocking time recently. It all started in October while away on holiday. It started with stiff feet when I woke up in the morning. When returning home to England, the stiffness got worse. I then started experiencing twitches all over my body. I think it started in my legs at first then arms, back, bottom and stomach... pretty much all over. Sometimes my leg would jerk.

I then started with hand stiffness, then I started feeling drunk ( maybe vertigo) by this point I could hardly stand up and when I walked, I walked like a robot. I went to the doctors a few times who said that I need to have a brain scan.

I started having panic attacks? Where I felt like I couldn't swallow and I couldn't take a deep breath.

When I googled my symptoms it would always come back with MS or motor neuron disease. This freaked me out even more! I actually convinced myself that I had either disease. I was admitted for an emergency brain scan from my own doctors.

Vertigo started to fade. All over Twitches got worse.. anxiety was awful. BP and heart rate were threw the roof that I had to have 2 ECGs ( which were normal)

Anyway my brain scan came back all clear...

Spoke with the doctor. He said he needs to sort my anxiety out and that I'm over producing adrenalin and I'm low in something else. So I started taking beta blockers and some other medication and the twitches have faded. I can't believe it. Today I have hardly felt them. First time in months. I'm starting to feel so much better. So sorry for this long post but I wanted to just share my story. It's been hell in my head mainly because muscle twitching comes up with awful things when it can just be a sign of anxiety.

in reply to Penny565

Thank you so much Penny for you reply; it does offer me some hope. My dad was diagnosed with MND late October and my twitches started after that. I was shocked at his diagnosis but equally scared about the disease as I have health anxiety.

I’m now taking propranolol so I hope that helps too.

Like you, my twitches are all over, had them in my bum, stomach, arms and legs; though mainly in my legs. Often like lots of bubbles popping and other times a constant twitch in one place. My tongue had a single twitch a couple of times and I nearly pooped my pants as I know they checked dads tongue.

Today I have felt a lot of buzzing/vibrating in my right leg too.

I pray that I wake up soon and experience a day with no twitches, it would be a huge relief for me.

Sunnidayz1 profile image
Sunnidayz1 in reply to Penny565

Thank you for sharing your story.

Thank goodness you are on the right meds to help. Im glad you are feeling better. Use this site to help with your reelings. It's very helpful. People here are great.

Good luck to you. Take care😊

Penny565 profile image
Penny565 in reply to Sunnidayz1

Thank you sunnidayz1. First time I've ever used a forum before but I feel like I'm on the right path now and anxiety is a cruel illness x

Sunnidayz1 profile image
Sunnidayz1 in reply to Penny565

And yes it is but there is hope😊

Penny565 profile image
Penny565

I am so sorry to hear about your dad. I cannot imagine what you are all going through.

The exact feeling is how I explain it to people.. Like little bubbles popping or Flutters. I'm sure I also had just the one in my tonge also? My twitches are so much worse at night when I start to relax. I don't have them while moving (which is meant to be a good sign) also apparently, I have read that with mnd the muscle twitches usually stay in the area affected at first then works it's way up. I read that if they were all over that's a good sign it isn't anything serious. It kind of got me through it all.

Did you say you have been to the doctors? X

in reply to Penny565

It’s sounds like yours were the same as mine pretty much!

Yes, I went last Friday. He got me to push and pull on his arms and then checked my reflexes; which were fine.

He said as I have anxiety/health anxiety he knows he cannot reassure me much but he’s pretty certain the cause is stress and anxiety.

I’m on beta blockers (10mg x 3 per day) for four weeks, then he will see me again. If I’m still getting symptoms he will refer me to the neurologist for an EMG as that is what diagnosed dad’s. He’d been having issues for over a year but as he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer late 2016, then had his thyroid and two parathyroids removed, they kept thinking his issues were due to that.

I think he’ll refer me for an EMG just to reassure me more than anything as he said he doesn’t see any other reason for me needing to see the neurologist in the next month, or the next year.

Penny565 profile image
Penny565 in reply to

Wow your dad has been through it all hasn't he. How is he in himself? I hope he is ok. My heart goes out to him so much.

Yes I am also on beta blockers but 40mg 3 times a day. How have the twitches been since?

in reply to Penny565

Maybe that’s why mine aren’t doing a lot, they’re pretty low! I do feel a bit less panicky about it, the twitches have maybe lessened a tiny bit. Are yours propranolol?

My dad is doing his best but is scared, not that he tells us that. He’s fed up of being stuck indoors too so he’s managed to build a little ramp so that he can use a Mobility scooter and get it out of the back gate; he’s trialling it at the weekend.

It’s hard as I want to do research to help him and find him support but at the same time I then scare myself.

Penny565 profile image
Penny565 in reply to

Yes I totally get why you feel like that. Google has a lot to answer for. Maybe get someone else to do the googling for you.. I'm pleased to hear that your dad will be getting out this weekend.

Yes propranolol. Mine have defo got better but still having the odd one here and there but getting less and less every day.

I have a good link for you.. have a read of this ( if you havent already.)

anxietycentre.com/anxiety-s...

in reply to Penny565

Thank you, I’ll take a look. I might ask the Dr about upping my dose.

Are you in the UK?

I get really achey a lot too. Tense muscles maybe?

in reply to

I do get some mild aching so I wondered whether I’m holding tension in my muscles. I’ve had it with my neck and shoulders before from tension.

in reply to

Yes, me too. I'm betting that's it. I hope you feel better!

in reply to

Thank you.

in reply to

Hi Karen,

I spoke to you under another thread I think a few weeks ago. How are things now? I hope you and your family are doing ok.

Well after reassuring other people about their symptoms mines are now back again different to the way they were a few months ago :(. Twitching all over, tingling/buzzing in toes and feet, sometimes feel a sort of burning at the bottom of my right ankle but that came on after worrying about the tingling and googling symptoms. Today my off balance feeling has come back when I am walking and I'm just feeling dreadful with worry again. Have you had any joy with easing your twitching at all? Hate this :( X

in reply to

Sorry to hear that you are feeling this way.

I am still getting the twitches. They may not be quite as bad but still get them all day each day.

Last week I had 2-3 days where I really thought they were going as I hardly noticed them and I felt so much more relaxed and happy.

I seem to get a bit of aching in my thigh muscles at the front and upper left arm around the tricep too.

I still have the same fear over what it is but I have my follow up doctors appt on the 31st.

in reply to

Its such a worry isn’t it :( I’ll not babble in about my symptoms as sometimes you can worry others more when you do that. Its good to hear you had a few better days - thats a positive sign as I hear the thing you are worried about is quite a fast progressing disease. How is your dad? I hope your follow up appointment goes well. Let me know how you get on.

in reply to

Dad is getting weaker but doing ok. He saw the neurologist a week or so ago and he was also surprised how well he’s doing. My dad had symptoms for a year and a half before diagnosis so things like that always worry me.

in reply to

Oh right, have you told your dad about your worry? He will maybe be able to re-assure you if his experience was different from yours. Its like I want time to fast forward as all you can do is wait and see if you get better or worse or more symptoms. Then i think to myself if it is anxiety I feel terrible that i’m going on so much as though im hard done by when there are people out there with terminal illnesses :( I have the docs on monday so will see what she has to say X

Yes I have told him. He says not to be silly. I know exactly how you feel about fast-forwarding time. When I’ve had health anxiety before, and this time, I always say that I wish I could see 6 months or 1 year into the future and know that everything will be ok.

I also felt bad for worrying that I may have the same as dad when he actually has it and has to live with it and it’s outcome.

Littleone88 profile image
Littleone88 in reply to

Hey this thread was a. Year ago, how r u now?

Ii suffer the same problem. Wondering whether u managed to ease the twitching xx

Symonp profile image
Symonp

Yes

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