Hi all:I'm 37 and in good health - I think. 
I've had twitches as long as I can remember - ever since I was a kid at least. They never bothered me as they were always just local "hot spots," appeared almost anywhere and always resolved in a day or so. I had them often enough to be quite familiar with them but not so often that they were bothersome. I'd been having some symptoms of dizziness and tingling fingers/toes around Christmas and like an idiot I started searching the net. I don't know how, but I stumbled across an *** website and when I saw the "fasciculations" mentioned, I completely freaked out. I honestly can't say that I had them, or if I did, that I noticed them, before I read this website, (which makes me think some of it at least is in my head), but since then I've been a total twitching wreck. Twitches everywhere - almost continuously, maybe slightly concentrated in right leg/foot. Since then I've been on a weakness high alert - checking myself multiple times daily, which at least has led to sore muscles and probably more twitching. I'm absolutely terrified of *** - I've so convinced myself that I have it, I haven't been able to eat or have a normal conversation with my husband b/c I'm so distracted and upset. I was near hysterics yesterday b/c my right hand felt weak and I was having a hard time writing. I think now, though, that both my thumbs are sore and tired b/c I've been "testing" them so much. My hand felt better today - I was able to write normally at least - though the thumbs are still sore. 
I saw my GP today and she gave me a basic neuro exam and said she has "almost no concern" that it's ***. (I could have done without the "almost.") She thinks there are a number of benign conditions going on, including high anxiety, lack of sleep (I've got a baby who's decided sleep is no longer fun for her), benign vertigo (I was diagnosed with it 10 years ago), dehydration, poor diet, and nerve compression. She also thinks the fact that I'm nursing on top of that is taxing on the body. My ring and pinkie on my right hand get numb and tingly often, and I have woken up many times (including 2 nights ago) with terrible shoulder pain and numbness in those two fingers from sleeping on my arm the wrong way. She took blood and is doing a CBC, B12 level and metabolic panel. She says the twitching, since I've always had it, could be worse with anxiety but she is curious about the B12. Even as I write this, I'm feeling weak all over somehow. I think - HOPE - that mostly it's anxiety. I am the first to admit that I am a hypochondriac and that I can be very creative with my fears, however the fact that any "twitching" search on the net seems to pull up *** totally terrifies me. MY GP didn't send me to a neuro yet - she didn't seem very concerned that it was serious, but told me to contact her if symptoms persist/get worse.Well, I'm very sorry the long rambling post. Can anyone ease my mind - without telling me to rush out to the neuro for an EMG? Thanks much -Joanne
I've had twitches as long as I can remember - ever since I was a kid at least. They never bothered me as they were always just local "hot spots," appeared almost anywhere and always resolved in a day or so. I had them often enough to be quite familiar with them but not so often that they were bothersome. I'd been having some symptoms of dizziness and tingling fingers/toes around Christmas and like an idiot I started searching the net. I don't know how, but I stumbled across an *** website and when I saw the "fasciculations" mentioned, I completely freaked out. I honestly can't say that I had them, or if I did, that I noticed them, before I read this website, (which makes me think some of it at least is in my head), but since then I've been a total twitching wreck. Twitches everywhere - almost continuously, maybe slightly concentrated in right leg/foot. Since then I've been on a weakness high alert - checking myself multiple times daily, which at least has led to sore muscles and probably more twitching. I'm absolutely terrified of *** - I've so convinced myself that I have it, I haven't been able to eat or have a normal conversation with my husband b/c I'm so distracted and upset. I was near hysterics yesterday b/c my right hand felt weak and I was having a hard time writing. I think now, though, that both my thumbs are sore and tired b/c I've been "testing" them so much. My hand felt better today - I was able to write normally at least - though the thumbs are still sore. I saw my GP today and she gave me a basic neuro exam and said she has "almost no concern" that it's ***. (I could have done without the "almost.") She thinks there are a number of benign conditions going on, including high anxiety, lack of sleep (I've got a baby who's decided sleep is no longer fun for her), benign vertigo (I was diagnosed with it 10 years ago), dehydration, poor diet, and nerve compression. She also thinks the fact that I'm nursing on top of that is taxing on the body. My ring and pinkie on my right hand get numb and tingly often, and I have woken up many times (including 2 nights ago) with terrible shoulder pain and numbness in those two fingers from sleeping on my arm the wrong way. She took blood and is doing a CBC, B12 level and metabolic panel. She says the twitching, since I've always had it, could be worse with anxiety but she is curious about the B12. Even as I write this, I'm feeling weak all over somehow. I think - HOPE - that mostly it's anxiety. I am the first to admit that I am a hypochondriac and that I can be very creative with my fears, however the fact that any "twitching" search on the net seems to pull up *** totally terrifies me. MY GP didn't send me to a neuro yet - she didn't seem very concerned that it was serious, but told me to contact her if symptoms persist/get worse.Well, I'm very sorry the long rambling post. Can anyone ease my mind - without telling me to rush out to the neuro for an EMG? Thanks much -Joanne
Those *** websites are absolutely terrible!! And some of those message boards - could they be more frightening!! The twitching has been with me forever and has not bothered me until reading those *#!*% sites! Even now, my hands feel better - my right leg feels a little, weak? "funny?" Can't explain. Doesn't seem to have lost any strength though - it just feels like it will. I may even have some sciatic nerve irritation though - it seems to go up the back of my leg through my butt on the right side. My anxiety has taken on a life of its own lately and I know I need to get it under control. I was so irrational the other day that if someone had told me "No, you don't have ***, you have MS." I would have actually been relieved (for a while). THAT's how freaked out I was. I still think that MS may be a realistic concern, however my doctor said she doesn't think it's that either and I'm not going to worry about it for the moment. In the meantime, I'm trying to improve how I take care of myself. I am trying to eat better, hydrate and I am going to see my acupuncturist on Saturday. I'm not all freaky new-agey or anything, but I used to see a acupuncturist upon the recommendation of a friend for irregular cycles, and I found it incredibly relaxing. At the very least, I think I will help with the near-constant tension and edginess that I'm feeling. Don't know if anyone else here has tried it - I will let you know how it goes. I'm also going to start taking a gentle yoga class again next week. The stretching can't hurt and I think the breathing and relaxation should be good for me. I hope.Thank you both again - your posts were very reassuring.Joanne
I'm 37 years old and I'm going through the same kind of symptoms and axiety you do. Here's my story: My eyelid started to twitch in the middle of January 2008 and didnt' stop anymore for weeks. So i googled the problem to find suggestions for a cure. What I found was the word "fasciculations", so I searched the internet for that word. The first 10 Sites I landed on...Guess what? ALS! ALS! ALS! ALS! (most Forums). And as a coincidence they brought pictures from a young girl having ALS the same evening on TV. I totaly freaked out and from that point on my whole body began to twitch. Legs, arms, back, feet, fingers: It twitched me insane! I saw myself in a wheelchair, not able to talk, to eat, to swallow. I saw myself choosing free death, saying goodbye to all my loved ones. I couldn't think of anything else for days and I searched the Internet like an idiot. I found positive sites like this one and I also found the opposite. I watched my body very, very hard each day! Am I able to hold this cup without shaking hands? Can I speak clearly? Do I walk normaly? Am I weak? Why does my arm burn today? Isn't my right leg weaker than yesterday? Why did this spoon fall out of my hand? Can I pick up heavy things? Why do my arms feel week after working with the laptop? Why do I wake up twice every night? That twitches in my right food: they freak me out! Does my tongue twitch? Are there twiches on both sides or only on one side of my body? Etc. Etc. The circle of fear took control over me!!! So I decided to see a Psychologist first and I talked with him about my fears. He nearly laughed at me when I told him to be anxiet about ALS and said: No way (he practiced as a neurologist before)! I wished to believe him, but I didn't for 100%. I read a lot of posts on this sites and found myself exactly in the descriptions ("BFS in a nutshell" is my bible) and my mind tells me now: YOU DONT'S HAVE ALS, YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE BIG BFS-FAMILY! My bad anxient feeling tells me other things, but I try to ignore it. I have my anxiety under better control now and the twitches are already less. I have seen my doc, he checked my reflexes, asked many questions, made some blood tests and gave me Magnesium which helps by the way. He told me that he sees no reason to send me to a neurologist but if I would like to, he will do it anyway. I am sure that I have to see a neurologist and do an EMG-Test to lose my anxiety for good. But the fact is: I am not weaker than I was 2 month ago, I have bad days and I have good days. I have no other symptoms then typical BFS-Symptoms. Joannela: You're a pretty, young woman with a so sweet little baby! Enjoy your baby and say goodbye to anxiety! Go and see a neuro if it helps, do that EMG-Test and you will see, that you don't have to worry! I will do it to!I wish you a lot of power to get through all this and all the best for your family!Bruno