Seeking Help for Anxiety and Twitching

[variousparker]

Hi Everyone,

Like many other people I found this site upon GOOGLING all my symptoms. I went through a bunch of stressful experiences last September and had a lot of anxiety, a few panic attacks...etc. Then I started twitching. I started taking an anti anxiety drug, Lexpro and took that until November, it helped with the anxiety, but the twitching didn't subside as much. I stopped taking it and was okay until about late January. I was stressing over money issues, other non important stuff and the twitching started up again. Mostly in my legs, but also my toes, and my fingers seem to twitch. When I am sitting still at work or at home I notice it most. Also when I start getting upset or angry I notice I twitch more. Like a lot of other people on this site I convinced myself I had MS a few weeks ago and completely started freaking out. Went to my doctor on Friday, he put some vibrating thing on my legs, asked if I could feel that and I said yes and he said "you don't have MS" and told me to go see a psychologist and work on my anxiety. I know I have anxiety problems but I guess my question is could my anxiety be causing all of this? Or is it BFS, and my anxiety on top of it is making it worse? I have no weakness, atrophy, no vision problems or numbness or tingling. I do have calve cramps, but I am also a jogger and probably need to stretch better. Any reassurance anyone can give me would be SO APPRECIATED! Oh, I am a 26 year old female. Thank you!

 

[MarksmanS]

Twitching is not a common sign in MS. Als and its cousins have associated weakness and atrophy as you know. I have yet to see anyone twitching bodywide with no weakness or atrophy come here and ultimately be dxed with a serious problem. In fact, only one woman was dxed with als and she had foot drop with focal twitching in that limb.

Moreover, your age and the fact that you are female plays totally in your favor regarding these types of diseases...that's just statistics but very important.

Are you sure you were twitching before the Lexapro? I took that and cipro around the same time and that's when mine began.

I STRONGLY suspect you are fine. Some twitching can be caused by anxiety. More extensive versions the jury is out on...could be though. Anxiety increases twitching substantially.

Mark