Twitching & Anxiety: My Story

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darwinmoore

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Hi folks,I'm a 46 year old male, physician, who for some strange reason cannot stop obsessing about a twitch in my right thumb. I have had twitches for years I even remember having them after writing too much in school years ago. The twitches can be anywhere from my eyes to stomach, feet, thighs, arms, etc.Like many folks here I suffer from anxiety big time and have been a hypochondriac since my Dad died at the age of 54 from brain cancer in 1984. Over the years I have "died" from many diseases in my mind.Lately I started a hobby polishing jewelry with my hands using a repetitive motion with my right thumb and inedx finger over and over again. I also was on vacation 2 weeks ago and read two books holding them mainly with my right hand again. 2 weeks ago I noticed a twitch in my right thumb, palm side, that was not present when my hand was relaxed but only when I flexed my thumb slowly. I have had no muscle wasting (that I can tell) and have no weakness in the right or left hands. I exercise daily on my elipitcal machine for 30 minutes.I broke down and saw a neurologist 2 days ago who did and EMG which was normal.I don't know why I am not reassured and I think I have become obsessed with this.Also I noticed that when I drink alcohol the twitches disappear for a while. It got to the point that I was drinking a lot over the last two weeks to eliminate my twitch in my thumb and fears. I quit 2 and a half days ago and my twitch in my thumb is worse than ever and in fact I feel them all over my body.My anxiety is pretty high though. I feel stupid because being an MD I know if I saw a patient like me I would think that the person has more anxiety than anything neuro life threatening disease.I guess I was wondering if my story rings true for anyone else out there.Thanks for listeningdavidsmo
 
Me too! You are the first one to mention this about the alcohol. I too have noticed that it seems to ease up after a few. Forsake my liver for some peace of mind? What a cycle! My therapist said to drink 6 oz of red wine after work daily. I think I am going to start. :D) This has my stress level so high. I know it BFS, I have been told by three doctors! What money I have spent. GNC has made big bucks off me as well. I find that your saying the same thing about alcohol is very interesting. There may be something there with this. May be we should research that a bit more...Anne B.
 
Hi Anne,Thanks for the reply. It really seems that BFS isn't really the problem but my attitude to it. The glass could be half empty or half full and i always choose the half empty version. I mean I had my worst worries come about after seeing the neurologist and telling me in very simple terms that my EMG is normal.Our condition is also called peripheral nerve hyperexcitability and alcohol definitely calms down nervous activity in the brain. I think that's why it works. When you stop drinking there is a bit of a rebound nervous output from our brains and the twitching worsens.I guess if we had *** alcohol wouldn't help. I never have read that has a treatment for any disease we worry about.How long have you been twitching and when you get a hotspot how long does it last?David
 
Hi Dr. David and welcome to the group. I've been twitching for 7 months. I have hashimoto's thyroid disease, which I am sure you know is autoimmune. I went hyperthyroid right after Labor day 2007 and my twitches began at the same time as heart palps, tremor, insomnia, sweating...all symptoms of hyperthyroid too. Like you, I have health anxiety since my dad died in 2004 from peripheral artery disease. He had a horrid death and had to have both legs amputated. Sometimes I wonder if I have post traumatic stress syndrome from witnessing all he went thru? At any rate, My twitches started in Sept. 2007 in my shoulder and my calves and then progressed randomly to just about everywhere. Since decreasing my thryroid meds and getting closer to optimum TSH ( still not there yet) my twitches have subsided considerably, but are still present. My GP tells me this is not **S. He said after 7 months there would be definite clinical signs. So, he has not referred me to a neuro. He believes the twitching to be benign. But, I did have him run a CK, which was low normal 25.I agree with you about a glass of wine helping. It helps me too...but I don't really want to become a habitual daily drinker. lol.I truly believe this condition just feeds on anxiety. And who wouldn't be anxious? The key is to not get obsessed, which is easier said than done and since we are all on this forum....i guess we are all a little OCD about our twitching.Hope you can relax a little. You don't have **S.Linda
 
David, You sound BFS all the way. Your emg is normal, you must stop the obsessing believe the EMG and go on with your life. This BFS attacks the mind, it motivates you to obsess and develop this intense health anxiety towards ALS...It will control all your thoughts and worries. If you EMG is normal, which it is, do not give it another thought it is benign and move on. I know it is easier said than done, I am telling you to do this, because I didn't and it captivated my life in a negative way. I have been twitching for 2 years, and I don't believe it will ever go away, the only thing you can do is accept it and move on.You answered your own question, you said if a patient came to you with the same complaint you would dismiss it as anxiety, you need to live by this statement or else you will become obsessed with this disease, you will start checking yourself daily for weakness, changes in the body and it will never end.Welcome to the forum, use the forum for support, help others don't let it become an obsession.Anne, I saw you mentioned about 6oz of red wine every day, be careful it is being said daily wine, due to reservetrol causes breast cancer. Healthy for the heart , but bad for other stuff.Lots of Hugs to all,Terri
 
Thanks guys. It's nice to have support out there. Makes me feel less alone in this condition.Linda, I think I probably have PTSD too as my Dad died a horrible quick death from brain cancer. He went from a very healthy 54 year old to death on one year. Freaked me out. Still does. I feel that if I am not so vigilant about all of my symptoms then I will be blindsided like he was.Terri thanks for the support and your wisdom. I was driving myself crazy yesterday thinking I had atrophy in my thumb muscle just after having a normal EMG. That's insane thinking for sure.I will try my best to focus on the support from you folks and not my crazy thoughts.David
 
David, I so relate to the PTSD. I have often thought I need to seek therapy to somehow resolve my dad's death. Like yours he got ill and was gone in less than a year. I think this fear of **S is really just a fear of dying in general.Thanks for responding and hang in there.Linda
 
I can identify too. My dad died at the age of 58 from a heart attack and as I plough on into my fifties I become increasingly concerned that I am not long for this world. Quite apart from fear of *LS my heart has been a constant worry to me notwithstanding it always turns out to be a false alarm.I have found booze an excellent thing for curing twitches, and even paradoxically slurred speech, however whatever the drink stops in the short term, tends to come back with a vengeance the next day, I know it is particularly bad for causing palpitations, along with caffiene and MSG.
 
Thanks for the replies.I started having my right thumb twitch after using it to polish a bracelet quite intensively for a few days after work. Has anybody else noted that their twitches come out in body areas that have been recently strained?David
 
Hi David,I also have twitching to my rt thumb (palm side) that bothers me quite frequently. I obsess about that area more than others because I can watch it & it really freaks me out. It is more pronounced after I exercise & when I'm stressed at work (I'm a med surg nurse). Anyway, it's been twitching for at least 3 months now along with many other areas of my body. I too have seen a neurologist & was then refered to a neuropsychiatrist. Okay, that was not what I needed but my neurologist was not up on bfs. So, try not to worry & know that you're not alone.Take care,Krista
 
Hey Krista,Thanks for the reply. you know you're right I have obsessed more about my friggin thumb because it is right there. My feet have been twitching for years and I can ignore them. My fingers and thumb off and on for years. It is just a bit worse than I remember my last hotspot "attack". That's why I went to see the neurologist and got an EMG.I really appreciate the support it helps to know I am not the only twitcher out thereDavid
 
HOLY COW! How many of us "twitchers" are in the medical field? I agree with you David, if I overuse something...(leg, hand from writing, shoes too tights, etc... anything that causes strain or pressure I then get a "hotspot". I am a nurse, and sometimes I wonder if we "know too much but not enough". It would be interesting to see how many are in the medical field of some kind though. Joy
 
Hi Joy,I think you are right. I think a lot of us are in the health field since we have a little knowledge of this stuff but not the experience to properly place it in perspective. My wife said to me recently that she wouldn't even have thought twice about a twitch. I think most people who don't know what it could represent don't pay a lot of attention to it because it is not painful or really that distressing.David
 
no not painful ANNOYING and makes a person anxious (or at least me). When I am out with "randome" friends, I will ask them if they get "twitches" and they ALWAYS say yes. Does not bother them in the least, however, they don't "know what I THINK I know'". Should have gone into the business world for success.
 
One more thing..... I notice if I relax AKA: Nap in the afternoon for at least 45 min. I feel more "normal" in the evening. Don't know if anyone else notices this as well.
 
Hey David - I, too, think I am suffering from the death of my mother-in-law, she just passed on Feb 29th from cancer. She was diagnosed in August and went dowhill from there! She beat breast cancer and was cancer free for 6 years. She passed from Pancreas cancer, which we all know is usually unbeatable! I just think we all fear having to go through what our loved ones went through, which I am sure all of you know was horrible to watch them suffer. It is very interesteing about all of you being in the medical field and having BFS, my neurologist who heads the *** clinic here in Los Angeles, told me that I remind her of herself, she too had the twitching and weakness and convinced herself that she had *** - and like Linda and Myself, and my neurologist we all suffer from Hashimoto's.I hope you are doing better, it is all just BFS. How come I can tell everyone else they are fine, but I can't convince myself?Karin
 

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