Twitching Muscles and My Concerns

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LilTiger92

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I'm on my phone so forgive spelling errors.. Here goes...I'm a 34 yr old female who started noticing what felt like "shaky muscles" in my arms. Like I had worked out hard and they had that little pulsing feeling you get when the muscle is fatigued after. I didn't think much of it. Now about a week ago I noticed my left side is twitching. Arm, hand, calf...all different areas. Again I didn't think much of it. Until last night when I realized that my leg was still twitching. Just the left one. So I of course freaked out bc I know that unilateral anything is not a great sign. So what did I do? I googled. And now here I am. I saw my GP this morning who said that this sounds nothing like ALS and doesn't really fit MS either but it does sound like anxiety. She said she's not ruling out a neuro work up but she wants me to wait on bloodwork and give Ativan a try tonight. This is all fine and well but I CANT STOP WORRYING. I'm obsessing and self testing and planning my own funeral and worrying about my precious child and plotting the videos to make so she won't forget me (she's only 2). I'm breaking down crying every so often which, of course, makes me think of the emotional outburst piece of ALS. I'm a mess. I have read so much here in the past 24 hours and I just need someone to say I'm not alone. In the past day my life has stopped. I'm consumed with worry and I don't want to be this way. Let me add I'm also have sleep disturbances where I fall asleep and wake up about 30 mins later feeling like my body is seizing. It's my whole body. It feels like strong vibrations. Like a Diesel engine is reving under my mattress. I have googled myself into a ventilator and wheel chair..someone please talk some sense into me!!!!
 
Hi here I am on duty :)))iti is hard to say do not worry becasue you already do it... but such irrational and strong worries are one of the signs of BFS.you did not mentioned too much details but usually BFS comes upon certain stress factors, and some of them really badly affect our mental abilities.If that can help, I can tell you that I was so sure about my imminent death that I told that to my family!!!!!!And in 2 years I am still alive, however twitching, vibrting, cramping etc. :))))
 
My situation..it's laughable because from what I read I'm the BFS poster child. I'm currently in school doing pre-reqs for a nursing program. Stress doesn't begin to describe my class load issues. Hell is a more accurate term. Throw in a 2 year old with some issues of her own we are dealing with, two part time jobs bartending (fun hours...and one place is an hour and change drive away. Yes. It is worth the drive.) and the demands of trying to be a good girlfriend and home maker and you have the perfect storm for anxiety. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder in my early 20's, was medicated for a few years and managed to get off meds and control it through other means but lately it's back. What's frustrating is KNOWING how the anxiety can destroy your life and still succumbing to it. Tonight I will try the Ativan and hopefully I at least get sleep. And maybe if I can get sleep I can relax. And maybe if I can relax I will stop obsessing. To the poster who said you told your whole family you were dying? I'm with you. I'm picking out my depends already lol. My boyfriend is trying to console me, bless his heart, but when the anxiety starts it's like a beast has been unleashed. I google and read and try to believe the positive but then I see one thing that suggests this might just be something awful and I'm back to where I started. I'm sorry for rambling but it feels so good to be heard by anyone who understands. Even if it is through virtual contact. I'm trying hard to adopt the mindset that no matter what it is... It's beyond me and I just need to accept if but then the little monster starts whispering in my ear and off I go on an obsession tangent. It's so tough!! But reading and reading and reading HERE helps. I feel less crazy. Less alone. And that's worth almost as much as any diagnosis (or lack of).
 
You are definitely not alone. I'm probably not the best to reassure you at the moment as I'm in the middle of my own panicky setback (twitching 9 months!) but it really does sound like it is anxiety. I get buzzing from time to time and cramps. I don't think these are associated with ALS. I hope you feel better soon and there are some really helpful people on here you have been very supportive to me. Hang around here and you'll definitely feel calmer - DONT go on other forums. Xx
 
Not going to lie...I was searching through old posts and came up on the one that linked to the 27 yr old diagnosed with ALS who presented with twitching first. Did. Not. Help. At all. I hate this :(
 
Just don't do it. Even though I swing backwards and forwards from feeling ok to terrified (read my posts) i know that going on those forums is BAD. The only other forum i allow myself on is the no more panic forum or similar anxiety sites. Google anxiety buzzing, anxiety twitching and see what comes up:)I'm 44 and have kids too. Believe me I've gone through the "I won't see them grow up" thoughts. It's horrible.Try not to google x
 
I am fairly new here myself, but can identify with your worry about one-sided symptoms. My left side is also where 90% of my twitching seems to occur and it had me panicked. I am a couple of years older than you with a 4 year old daughter and also was consumed with how my young child would live without her mommy. My twitching started about 10 weeks ago, along with what I thought were swallowing difficulties. I have seen a neurologist twice and had an EMG on my entire left side (at my own request). My neuro found no abnormalities and insisted I see a psychiatrist to treat my anxiety. I am doing much better now, but admittedly still have ALS fears and bad days. However, this site consistently reminds me that my symptoms are a MUCH better match for BFS than ALS. A large number of the members on here are in their thirties with young children, have a history of anxiety, have twitching/cramping/buzzing with no weakness, and experience the entire gamut of sensory issues that don't accompany ALS. You also fit this group. I would be willing to bet money that your neuro results would be identical to mine. BFS.
 
The more I worried, the worse it was. My primary symptom was tingling, but tgat has largely disappeared (knock on wood). It's since been replaced by runs of twitching now and then. Twitching, I can live with. What made the whole thing worse was the thought of what would happen to my daughter who just turned three. I had the funeral planned, too. Would she remember me? How would she react when I was finally bed-ridden, unable to breathe for myself, and unable to pick her up? I became positively morbid. The only thing that helped was when I'd found forums like this where people had been living with these things for YEARS. If they were still going strong, alive and kicking, I was finally able to convince myself it wasn't terminal or disabling. I stopped obsessing. My symptoms improved dramatically. Keep calm. Convince yourself you'll be around to play with your grandchildern. It's the only way it improved for me.
 
What made the whole thing worse was the thought of what would happen to my daughter who just turned three. I had the funeral planned, too. Would she remember me? How would she react when I was finally bed-ridden, unable to breathe for myself, and unable to pick her up? I became positively morbid.^^^^This! This is what's happening to me and it's driving me insane. Literally! I'm going to be in the *beep* looney bin. It really is nice to hear my thoughts are not unique but I still can't stop these horrible, obsessive thoughts.
 
i am the exact same!i have 3year old and an 8month oldl,ive been so consumed with all this worry since he was born i havent realy been able to enjoy him without thinking ''oh he wont remember me,i wont be able to hold him etc etc... its awful :( im havin a lot of good days lately though... :)
 
First things first...for all of you who are just starting out on this journey and in the "funeral planning phase" (yep I was there too) please listen up. Focus on curbing your anxiety first. Take up meditation, exercise, or prayer. Consider taking prescription medication, or Chinese herbs and acupuncture (which helped me get the anxiety under control). Anxiety WILL make your twitching and perceived weakness that much worse. Trust me on this. Secondly, stay away from Dr. Google. Stay away from self-testing. And, it might do you some good to stay away from the search feature from this site (or maybe this site entirely) too until your in a better state of mind. That is because it is easy to see what others are posting here, and take those fears and make them your own. Someone will post "Im terrified because I read here that ____ is a symptom of ALS" and then some other unsuspecting member will read that statement and freak out too. Fear breeds more fear. This should be a heads up for the newbies: don't do the above either. Meaning, don't post scary stories from other forums that are not proven, because it won't do anyone any good. Its like posting "I have a stomachache, and I read that means its inoperable liver cancer, because this one guy with liver cancer said that was his first symptom, HELP!" Take care, I pray for all of you...I know how your heart is hurting right now, and how you feel terrified not for yourself, but for your loved ones. Take comfort and know that you are not alone, and you will beat this. It's mostly mental, get past the mental aspect and you will see the twitching subside.
 
I have to thank people like you Emmie, Gracely and Jonny the jet !! You have and continue to give time to us who are new to the site and genuinely finding our symptoms difficult ! Mostly everyone's post is full of anxiety and stress (imcluding mine) and having someone to talk too that understands is a blessing !! If and when I get my self back to normal I will do my best to be an active helper on this site as I want to do my bit in return for the help I am getting ! I am generally a well balanced logical person but this has totally hit me hard mentally and upset me with worry and i find myself asking lots of "what ifs" !! I hope I make a full recovery soon so that I can help others who find their way to this site...Thanks !!
 
Stress eats logical persons as well as emotional ones (and often even more easily). Becasue one of the stress reactions is decrease in crticality and practical inability to think logically, such people suffer even more probably becasue they seem to be thrown far out of their normal way of thinking and perception, and that could be felt as a real disability for them I think.Good news are that this is temporay issue :))) Releving stress helps to regain logic back. Just be patient :)))
 
well said anxious guy..like you id be lost without this site and the great people on it,always there to offer reassurance and good advice..i hope too once i overcome my fears and worries i can do the same as them :)
 

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