Random Twitches in Early December 2011

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nataliarae

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Hi, I am a 31 year old male who first noticed a few random twitches back in early December 2011. They were there only for a few hours in the morning time for about 3-4 days. I felt some random ones in my stomach, legs, calves, foot, etc. Like I said, it wasn't very long and seemed to go away after a few days. I just wrote it off as being funny and weird body sensations and they went away. Over the next month, I did not notice anything really.Fast forward to about a week ago. I was/still am in the midst of trying to get over a sinus infection that has/had moved to my throat as well. I had a visit with my general practitioner who gave me a course of antibiotics and also showed him a lump that was concerning to me but he said it was nothing. Of course this lump set me off in fear of different cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, etc), especially since I had a sinus infection back in Nov 2011 (since recurrent infection can be a symptom). I am also in the midst of a good workout routine running everyday to try and get a decent amount of weight off and back into better shape.Starting about last Tuesday (so 1 week ago), thats when the twitches started up again. However, this time, I still do get them all over, but primarily on the left side of my body. I feel them in the feet, calves, knees primarily. I went through the whole ALS scare last week and I got over that quickly realizing that I didn't have truly clinical weakness or any muscle atrophy.However, the fear of young-onset Parkinson's disease is what has my in its grips now, mainly due to the fact that the worst place I get the twitches now are my left index finger.My left index finger pretty much twitches constantly, especially when it is at rest. It twitches to the right, goes back, and then will do it again a second or so later, then stop for a few seconds, then do it again. It pretty much will do this all day. Now during this time I do feel random twitches throughout my body, but like I said, they aren't as concerning to me as this finger twitch. I know a lot of people on here said they have a constant finger twitch as one of their BFS symptoms, but I just want some reassurance. I do not think the finger is a tremor, as it is not constantly moving. It twitches to the side, goes back to normal position, and does this again. Over and over, all day now for the past 5-6 days, pretty much all day and night. Also, when standing and with my hand at my side, it will continue to do this same exact thing over and over. I do not notice twitching in my hand area itself, just mainly the finger.I do have some left shoulder pain and I feel tight in the shoulder and arm area in general. I know the shoulder pain/tightness is real, just not sure how much of the weakness/tightness of the foremarm/wrist/fingers there are. Please alleviate my fears and tell me that this sounds like it could be BFS and not Parkinsons? I know most on here worry about ALS, but I am over that fear, but Parkinsons' is what I am freaking out about currently. Since I am currently really analyzing my fingers, I now think my left thumb is also starting to vibrate a little and my whole hand seems really shaky and jittery, and my body is now starting to shake all over. UGHHHH> This is getting so overwhelming mentally. I am having a tough time getting stuff done at work due to this worrying. I feel like I need xanax to get by. I have a lovely wife and 18-month old little girl at home, so it just makes me even more nervous thinking about all this crap.I do have a visit with a neurologist scheduled in 2 days on this Thursday. I am quite fearful but also really wanting to get to the visit so I can have my thoughts and whats going on with me checked out by a professional. All of you long time BFSers, please let me know what is going on! Thanks so much!
 
Hi!Please rest assured that there's nothing wrong with you. Your twitches are just manifestations of your anxiety, your new workout regimen and -- since you mention a 18 month old daughter -- your new life situation.Please research health-related anxiety. You progression (cancer - parkinson...) is absolutely typical. If you don't stop reading about twitching on the Internet, I can promise you that you'll think you suffer from MS and finally ALS, too.
 
I suppose you can worry needlessly about any disease you want, but at the end of the day your symptoms represent a rather boring case of BFS in my opinion. :)
 
If it makes you feel better, my index finger twitched for about a week once when I was pregnant. This was way before my BFS twitching started.I didn't think much of it, but had back problems at the time, and asked my orthopedic what he thought. He said it was likely carpal tunnel syndrome that believe it or not, is common to acquire in pregnancy, and that it would go away, and I wouldn't need to see a neurologist. And, lo and behold - it did go away. I have no idea what really caused it, but I was also concerned at the time because it would just move on its own like that.I also have a friend who had a finger twitch for a while during a time of immense stress and she also saw a neurologist who just said it was stress and she could put it to rest.My point being - even in normal, non-BFS people, finger twitches are super common.Mitra
 
i was the same! foot infection, antibiotics (amoxiline), cancer fear and examination because of a slightly swollen lymphnod, twitching and pain sensations. it is three years since. it is not als but an annoying crap which is not killing you.
 
My first symptom was a toe that behaved EXACTLY as your finger. I thought Parkinson's as well. Not one neuro, and I saw many, mentioned Parkinson's. I had to bring it up and they all said my symptoms don't match.Two and a half years later, I am still posting. The toe took a long time to settle down, like a year even on medication, and it still does it sometimes. I was 37 years old at the time.
 
tremors in fingers and/or toes are quite common and not a sign of parkinson per se. my thumb does this quite often for years now. it is even not bfs-related.
 
So I saw my Neurologist on Thursday. He made me do a few walking tests, did a pin *beep* test, and checked my strength/reflexes. He said he was "99.9% sure there is nothing going on in regards to a motor neuron disease". He never used the term "BFS" or anything, he just said they are normal fasciculations that everyone has, just some people have more or can perceive them/are more sensitive to them. He said an EMG would 100% rule out any MND, but he thought it was completely unnecessary to do so in my case.That said, as I left his office it made me feel much better to have been checked out by him. However, since about a week before the visit, I have really had trouble will sleeping/insomnia. I figured that this would automatically go away after having this appointment. It has actually been completely the opposite. I had the neuro appt. on Thursday, and I have slept like crap the last 3 nights since (last night I do not even think I fell asleep). Its freaking horrible, which I know is making my fasciculations worse. I have jumped from trying valerian 1 night, to benadryl 1 night, to nothing the next, then to 2 glasses of wine (did pretty good on that night). My last choice is to try some marijuana tonight. My wife seems to think this might be the best thing to try to get to sleep. I used to smoke all the time but stopped about 3 weeks ago, so I know I sleep like a baby when getting high regularly. However, I have come to get anxiety now thinking about bedtime/going to bed, and it REALLY sucks. I feel like I am in a vicious cycle and going through this lack of chronic good sleep is causing my fasciculations to continue at a strong intensity and I just cannot turn my mind off. My only hope if the herb doesn't work is to try some ambien for a week (if my PCP will give it to me), get back on track with sleeping, and then go off it and be natural again. I know natural is the only way to truly go for the long-term, but i feel like i need help at this point. Am I the only one that has went through these sleep problems/anxiety? Also, do you guys ever wake up with numb forearms/fingers in the night/morning? I usually sleep on my stomach so I hope/figure that it is mostly like from this, but just want to make sure it isn't something else. If you were in my shoes, would you get an EMG done? Thanks!
 
There are a few people on the board that are experiencing insomnia right now. There was a post last week about it. Good luck with this. Even though your anxiety is reduced, your body is probably still affected by it. Think of it as minor post-traumatic stress disorder. Two things that might work temporarily: Ambien (but I would advise to take it every other night, and get the Ambien CR for a longer night's sleep), and a benzo like Xanax. Xanax works the best with me for sleep (I take it once a week to treat myself to a long, calm sleep). Tylenol PM can have a reverse effect on a lot of people.Mitra
 

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