Help - Twitching & Worried

Well hello,ok im a 27 yr old male living in the UK. About a month or so ago i started to 'twitch', totally out of the blue. It's literally wide spread over my body; neck, arms, calves, thighs etc. Sometimes my shoulder will 'jump' almost and its freaking me out. I have tried desperatly not to commit the cardinal sin of googling twitching but i gave in and googled and now im even worse and worried about MS, MND, etc. I have been to a doctor and she said its probably stress, anxiety.Can anybody help?Ta loveLeex

Sounds like BFS to me. I have had widespread twitching for 6 months now. All my tests have been normal and the neurologist just says "benign fascilations". Have you seen a neurologist yet? Go get checked out. They can put your mind at ease.

I'm not very lovely, but it sounds pretty similar to most everyone else that posts here. As for the shoulder, my tricep just thumped like that about 5 or 6 times in a row...very visible underneath my shirt sleeve. It's freaky, but probably not a big deal.

Hi Lee,Yep - it's harmless. EXACTLY how mine was 18 months ago. Please don't waste a year like I did. I had a private neurological consultation as the good old NHS were too slow. He bounced me back to the NHS for an EMG and that was that! Nothing wrong! For brits like us we then don't have the choice of other investigations like our fellow American sufferers on this board. We have to take what we are given. I think thats' best in a way - I kind of think that the availability of test after test just worsens the anxiety. I sometimes wonder if the private health care schemes rub their hands together when they see a twitcher! If I were you I'd get it looked at just to give you peace of mind. After that, forget it. Will it stop? Probably not, but you WILL stop caring.Jan

HeyTwitching is normal just some of us twitch more than others.Ignore it you will learn to live with it or it will go away. Things like MND don't present with the occasional twitch.Sharon

Not seen a neurologist yet and probably wont get to see one as my doc thinks its stress/anxiety. Also it only seems to twitch when resting or sleeping plus i have began to notice my neck is starting to hurt. Any ideas? I cant really afford private health care either.

If your twitching is really occasional and could easily be ignored if you knew for certain it is nothing then I would do nothing. I would only seek neurological advice if there is real suffering or interference with a necessary activity. For me, my symptoms made me uncomfortable all day and I could not sleep. This is not true for the majority here.If you seek advice with just a few minor symptoms, you will wonder if the tests were done too early when your symptoms change even in the slightest and the whole visit will then not be as reassuring as you hoped. If you let a good chunk of time go by (remembering all the while how many people as evidenced by this board have sudden widespread twitching or other weird neuro symptoms that go nowhere sinister after many years), then when that time passes you will be comforted that that fact is the best proof that you will be fine. The passage of time without serious progression or development of weakness is the best evidence of being ok. It is better evidence than all the testing you can possibly have. Believe me, I have had all the testing and the 16 months with no weakness is the biggest clue of the nature and outlook for my mysterious symptoms. I had to have medication to ease my symptoms as this time passed. Be delighted if you do not. The time will pass quickly just keep yourself as preoccupied as much as possible.When the twitches happen, read an oldtimer post and be encouraged that what is happening to you is not unusual. If your twitches are really few, it may even be absolutely normal as opposed to abnormal but still ok.Krackersones

Did someone call for a lovely person? Here I am Your doctor is right. It is probably stress and/or anxiety accumulated over your short lifetime. Stress hormones wreak havoc on our systems, as we are all finding out. Take care of any underlying issues you may have through therapy or meds or whatever you choose. The twitches may or may not go away, but you will feel a lot better mentally. They are frightening, but actually harmless.

Thanks for the replies you lovely lovely people! Mwah. It's this weakness thing that worries me slightly. It is pain? Or just unable to do things you could do before? Sometimes it feels like my hands and fingers have lost feeling - like itchy almost! Don't know if im going overboard with all this or what! Eeek!

I will try, just as the catchphrase on House is "it's never lupus" the catchphrase here is that it is never ALS.We are all here because we twitch to varying extents in various places, and a lot of us have seen multiple neurologist over time and undergone all manner of tests.I don't go with those who say it is solely anxiety, though anxiety does not help. It is a puzzle but you can take comfort in numbers here.The important thing is not to let it take over your life and become an obsession.

Hope this helps it was written by top neuros, i am some one who has recovered from this so there is hope.It might help you understand the condition and it's symptoms too.take care ChrisBenign fasciculation syndrome (BFS) is a neurological disorder characterized by fasciculation (twitching) of various voluntary muscles in the body. The twitching can occur in any voluntary muscle group but is most common in the eyelids, arms, legs, and feet. Even the tongue may be affected. The twitching may be occasional or may go on nearly continuously. Any intentional movement of the involved muscle causes the fasciculation to cease immediately, but they may return once the muscle is at rest again.Common featuresIn addition to twitching, patients with BFS often experience pain, paraesthesia, generalized fatigue, exercise intolerance, globus sensation and/or muscle cramping.Another common feature of the disorder, when seen by physicians, is an increase in the patient's level of anxiety, especially health-related anxiety. It's not uncommon for the patient to fixate on ***/**/**********, etc, or some other serious neurological disorder, refusing to believe the BFS diagnosis Since it is sometimes anxiety, not fasciculations, that brings patients to physicians, the association of BFS and anxiety is probably an example of ascertainment bias. Causesit is much more often due to more benign causes (BFS, over-exertion, etc), and virtually everyone will experience some episodes of benign fasciculation during their lifetime.The precise cause of BFS is unknown, and, in fact, Mitsikostas et al found that fasciculations "were slightly correlated to the body weight and height and to the anxiety level" in normal subjects. [1] Another factor that seems to be common in many cases is a history of regular strenuous exercise. Or a related disorder may be a contributing factor, and people with essential tremor appear to have a greater than normal likelihood of developing BFS. [citation needed] In addition, there are likely other genetic and environmental factors that make the patient more susceptible to BFS. There are some intriguing similarities between BFS and chronic organophosphate poisoning, but these similarities have not been explored. It may be that chronically elevated levels of stress hormones in the body cause damage similar to the damage caused by organophosphatesTreatmentSome degree of control of the fasciculation may be achieved with the same medication used to treat essential tremor (beta-blockers and anti-seizure drugs). However, often the most effective approach to treatment is to treat any accompanying anxiety. No drugs, supplements, or other treatments have been found that completely control the symptomsIn many cases, the severity of BFS symptoms can be significantly reduced through a proactive approach to decrease the overall daily stress. Common ways to reduce stress include: exercising more, sleeping more, working less, meditation, and eliminating all forms of dietary caffeine (e.g. coffee, chocolate, cola, and certain over-the counter medications).OutlookBFS is not life-threatening and generally not disabling, but it may be persistent enough to create some degree of disability, especially if cramps or pain are also present. In many cases, however, the accompanying anxiety is more disabling than the disease itself. The vast majority of cases clear up spontaneously in a few days or weeks (and in fact are never presented for diagnosis), but some may continue for years.

Thanks for the replies folks. Last night was probably the worst i have experienced twitching. Been having terrible neck pains and waking up with no feeling/numbness in my left arm, hand and fingers. The twitching is widespread - arms, neck, hands, legs, calves, feet and shoulders. I feel sick with it all. Im planning on going to my doctor next week sometime to explain my worries.

Bellster,I have twitches in every place you listed every day and have for 16 months but no weakness anywhere. I will be curious what your doctor has to say. Please let us know. I was told that it is possible for this to all just go away. It hasn't for me but I hope it does for you.Krackersones

I will report back when i go to the docs to see what he says - im guessing anxiety etc will all crop up again. Before the doc had me turning and raising my neck, extending my arms out to one side and back in again etc and said that was fine. I dont wont to say it but can the dreaded *** start in the neck causing pain? It's weird i can just be sitting here watching tv or whatever and my shoulder will jump, my leg will flick out and then i get the tiny tremor style twitches like the common eye twitch etc. Obviously being a newbie here i googled when i shouldnt have and now have terrified myself. Lee

*LS starts at the extremities, or the mouth and throat, never the neck.My latest persistant and annoying twitch has been on the outside of my left hand and my little finger, the whole finger goes sometimes it seems to be increasing in strenght right now. I am absolutely positive that is coming from my neck. The worst thing you are likely to have is cervical stenosis, which of course is an absolute pain in the neck

Bellster,If nothing shows up on the initial testing (EMG, NCV, clinical strength and sensory testing) as nothing did in my case several times over at first, you will likely be told "bfs" or anxiety or you are imagining or lying about your symptoms. I was told all three. You are the best judge of whether your situation warrants more investigation or medication or not. If your symptoms are not disrupting your life/sleep etc in a severe way and there is no progressive weakness, then it does not really matter what a doc says because nothing needs to be or really can be done in my experience. I needed meds for symptom relief but if you don't then that tells you a lot about the severity of your symptoms. Time is really the only thing that will reveal anything when it comes to non-disabling symptoms that are just strange. Although no one wants to hear that. There are a slew of blood tests you can get. Depending on how much it might cost you, you might want to have some of these in case your problems are related to some type of deficiency or viruses. Ask your doctor what type of viruses or deficiencies can cause your symptoms. If he does not know, you might want to find a better doctor. If your symptoms are minor in scale and do not progress, I wouldn't even pursue the blood testing.Krackersones

Well i went to the docs today and explained about my non stop twitching. I had to strip to the waist (top half of course)! I had my arms checked had to bring them in from an outwards position and also do the same again with my eyes closed. Had my neck checked and chest and back. Doc said 'there is a conditon called ***'. I freaked at this point. He said he was looking for something beginning with 'F' i cant remember the word he used now it wasn't fasiculation but something similar i think. He said i had no medical condition and that if he even thought there was a slight chance of me having 'something' he would have refered me to a specialist asap. I got back to work afterwards and even now as i type i can literally see my biceps twitching and my calves going mad. Its like there is a pulse literally everywhere in my body. Does anybody else experience this twitch? Like you can see it visibly? My doctor also said that the twitching experienced in *** is like a wave effect - although just him mentioning the dreaded 3 words has seriously worried me even more!! I never mentioned 'that' to him just i had been experiencing twitching. He also went onto say he has been a G.P here in the UK since 1972 and has only ever seen 2 cases of *** and he said its still extremely rare. Should i just take what he said and try and forget about the extremities? Would twitching be the first or one of the first symptoms in ***?Lee

Congrats! Sounds like you have BFS. You should try your best to stop worrying. my twitches are very visible. One time I was talking to another mom in a pediatricians office and my bicep was twitching so visibly the other woman kept staring at it. I think visible twitches are actually supposed to be a good sign.

Hey Lee,Don't worry about the nature of your twitches. Most people here have experienced a wide variety of shapes and forms and yes, twitching can be seen quite often. Last week I had my quad muscle going at it for a short time - you could see it thumping under my jeans! The trick is not to associate the twitching with als. This is a conscious decision that you must try to do in order to be successful and stop letting symptoms affecting your life. You need to decide that you believe in your benign diagnosis, otherwise, there will always be "what ifs" and neverending doubts. I would only pursue anything further if the symptoms are unbearable, disabling or majorly affecting daily functioning (and I don't believe this is you). Otherwise you're safe to let this whole thing go. It should be very very reassuring that your doctor was so confident that you did not even had to be referred to a specialist. Your fasciculations are benign and now you can relax! Kat

Hey Kat,thanks for your reply and to everone else that has contributed on my post here. This morning and pretty much most mornings i wake up i have this loss of feeling in the arms/hands - hands feel ticklish almost (only way i can describe it really). I have pains in my arms and fingers mainly not extreme pain but pain enough to know its there. I use a keyboard everyday at work - not sure if that is to do with anything but thought i would mention it. I am trying to forget the worst possible scenario's but its hard and now i have read up on *** everytime i experience pain or if i feel weak my mind will automatically think ***. I wished i had never googled it now - like many of us on here. Currently im taking a multi vitamin and a magnesium tablet with breakfast every morning as i heard magnesium was good for potentially stopping or slowing down twitching. Had no effect so far.Lee