One Year Anniversary of Health Anxiety

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simonw00

Well-known member
Hi allHave had a break from the site as I was finding it was fuelling my health anxiety for some reason... hearing about other people's worries may have been perpetuating my own. But this is just a quick ntoe to let you all know that I assume that I am now offically an old timer, having recently marked the 1st anniversary of my twitchiness. So for anyone who is newer to this site and is seeking reassurance, I can confirm that even the most anxious twitcher such as me, who has been as anxious as they come and who has had a couple of nasty surprises with an abnormal EMG and reflexes, can now see light at the end of the tunnel. The fasciculation is still ever-present in my case but is by and large easier to ignore, although not always, especially during flare-ups. The fear of MND/ ALS is for the most part a thing of the past - I mean, after a year of twitching with no weakness, what are the odds of this being a progressive neurological condition? (That was a rhetorical question, by the way, just in case any well-meaning people were thinking of responding with any anecdotes of people who twiched for longer than a year before developing ALS!) Occasionally, I have an anxious day when a new cluster of symptoms emerges but it is easier to 'talk myself down' than it used to be. Self testing is now more or less a thing of the past thank goodness and is now replaced by a healthy amount of 'ordinary exercise.' My advice to all you self testers out there is DON'T DO IT! I will continue to check in from time to time and am more than happy to be contacted by PM if anyone wants any support from me.Look after yourselves and be well.Kind regards to allSimon
 
Thanks for checking in Simon. I always love reading your posts. I am now past the 6 month mark and feel like I too am getting past the fear (although it's not completely gone yet). Hopefully I will make it to the 1 year mark also. Take care.~Leslie
 
Every twitcher should at least do annual posts reporting good news. I am glad you are starting this tradition. I will do this same. I totally understand your break from the board. You should do whatever keeps your anxiety down but the annual posts are a true gift as you know.Krackersones
 
Hi Somon, Here ia some info on the condition that may help some Newbies, it has been written by top neuros and may help you a little.I hope so, hope you got my PM , and good luck. Remember i am over this now and so can you, just fight, fight and fight,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.
 

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