Aa
Muscle twitching
I have been experiencing muscle twitching all over my body for the past three years and three months now. I have seen the neurologist for my condition and I was told that it was benign fasciculations that I was experiencing and that it is harmless and will eventually go away. However I refused to believe that because I couldn't understand what was causing them and why they won't go away and how did I develop this condition. I was afraid unsure and didn't know what to do. The neurologist prescribed me citalopram for my twitches that didn't help so I discontinued the medication.I am now seeing a psychiatrist for my condition he told me that I was experiencing some anxiety and that is related to the muscle twitches. I didn't think that it was anxiety. I still don't believe it's anxiety. I thought that it was some side effect of medication that I was taking in the past that brought it on. However it started in my eyelids then it went to my stomach and other body parts my arms, legs, feet, shoulders, head. I have been dealing with this for so long and still is it's not as bad as it used to be but it is still present what is this and how can it be treated.
Hi....has your Neurologist done any blood work to rule out medical conditions that cause your body to twitch? Go to the website below to see what conditions can cause this which does include anxiety. Take care.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003296.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003296.htm
Yes I had testing done mri catscan nerve conduction studies thyroid checked every thing came out normal. My primary physician told me to see a psychiatrist because he said that I was experiencing some anxiety. I am seeing a psychiatrist at the time and he is talking to me about my muscle twitches and says that a little bit of antidepressants and talk therapy should help but I just want to do talk therapy for my condition instead of medication.I also don't sleep to well and I was experiencing cramps in my hands like spasms also in other parts of my body but I don't experience them as much as I used to. I also yawn a lot could that be related to anxiety if that's what I am experiencing.
Anxiety can cause some pretty severe symptoms. I would try therapy and see how that works for you, but if you do need medication...it's not the end of the world. Medication has given many of us our lives back, and allowed us to live a normal life. Often therapy alone will work, but keep an open mind regarding medication. You say "my primary physician told me to see a psychiatrist because he said I was experiencing some anxiety." "Some anxiety" doesn't sound serious enough to cause such bad symptoms and you need to find out which came first the symptoms or the anxiety. Dealing with your symptoms would cause "some anxiety". But it's good to address it so you can either rule it out or learn that it is the problem...process of elimination. I know you're tired of it all and I hope you find the cause so you can finally get some relief.
I think the symptoms came first it's hard to tell because the twitching started in September 2009. I had a fire in December 2006 and I had to live with my sister and at the time my father was in a extended care facility recovering from a stroke. I moved from her place in April 2007. Then I moved again in March 2008. My father passed away in December 2008. I was also taking advair for asthma in 2008 because I was diagnosed with asthma when I went to The Center of Asthma and Allergy for shortness of breath. I was told my breathing was bad and I had asthma and needed to take advair. I took it for a few months then discontinued it to see how I would feel because I didn't believe that I had asthma all of a sudden. I was prescribed prednisone also to take for a short time. Like I said in a earlier post I think that certain medications I was taking could have contributed to the muscle twitching but I also been experiencing stress for the past couple of years on and off so it is hard to tell what is the cause of this muscle twitching. I am not sure it's related to anxiety but my doctor and the psychiatrist says it's anxiety. I read on anxiety and some of the symptoms I am experiencing are related but it is still hard to pinpoint the cause.
You've been through plenty to cause you a lot of anxiety...so sorry about your father. Many times we don't think we have anxiety but we do, and it needs to be addressed so at least you know. It's often the symptoms of anxiety that leads to us learning we have it. But since anxiety can cause this, it's certainly worthwhile to determine if it is the cause of the twitching. If the twitching continues after treatment for anxiety I would ask the doctor every condition he tested you for, you may need more blood work to look for all the conditions that cause twitching. If you can determine the cause of your anxiety via therapy then you can address it and the jerking should subside. If not, you need to think about medication, it would be well worth it to alleviate the twitching. Good luck.
If you don't feel anxious, you don't have anxiety. I can't tell from your post whether you do or not, but you indicate you don't think so. You might be suffering from stress, which isn't the same as anxiety but both require one to learn how to relax. But it could also be from medication -- interestingly, muscle cramping and twitching are one of the more common symptoms of taking antidepressants such as Lexapro. You might see how your magnesium levels are -- most Americans have been convinced to take extraordinary amounts of calcium, which leaches magnesium out of the system, and many medications, including antidepressants, also can do this. Magnesium is responsible for relaxing our muscles. It could also be food allergies or intolerances or a neuropathy related to some autoimmune reaction to food or something else, such as wheat or dairy. Keep on looking and trust your instincts, and good luck.
I would like to know do anxiety cause you to feel nervous agitated moody at times increased appetite excessive talking worrying and a host of other symptoms that feel like you are in another world sometimes. I don't know for sure if I am suffering from anxiety, depression or stress. I have been dealing with a lot of different symptoms for 3 years now. I started feeling symptoms in September 2009. Then from there things started to get worse. Sometimes I have decent days but every since the symptoms started I tend to worry and daydream. I sometimes just sit and wonder in a days and zoom in to another world. Get my thoughts together then repeat again. Some days I don't do that then some days I do. I am seeing a psychiatrist for my symptoms which I still don't think is anxiety but the psychiatrist say it is what do you think from what I explained to you.
Hi paxiled or someone in the anxiety community I would like some advice in reference to my question. I would certainly appreciate it.
Yes, the symptoms you're having can be caused by stress, anxiety and depression.
It can be very hard to except you have anxiety and depression. I had the symptoms for a long time before I was diagnosed. I told my Dr she was wrong. As time went by with my therapy with her I realized she was right. I was started on meds and did much better.
Citalopram may not be the right med for you. We all respond to these meds differently because we're all different. There are others to try though so you might want to think about giving a different med a chance.
It can be very hard to except you have anxiety and depression. I had the symptoms for a long time before I was diagnosed. I told my Dr she was wrong. As time went by with my therapy with her I realized she was right. I was started on meds and did much better.
Citalopram may not be the right med for you. We all respond to these meds differently because we're all different. There are others to try though so you might want to think about giving a different med a chance.
Do anxiety causes muscle twitching. I have been experiencing muscle twitching for the past 4 years almost 5 years. It started in my left eye and surfaced to all over my body. I still experience this everyday my left eye twitches on and off everyday practically when I sneeze laugh or cough it twitches. It even twitches when I am putting on my shirt and it touches my left eye it's that sensitive. The twitching has decreased over the years but it still happens
everyday it's like quick jerking spasms that you can see under my skin when it happens.It is very annoying but I guess I got used to them that is why they don't bother me as much but I sure would like to find relief almost five years is this related to anxiety in any way.
everyday it's like quick jerking spasms that you can see under my skin when it happens.It is very annoying but I guess I got used to them that is why they don't bother me as much but I sure would like to find relief almost five years is this related to anxiety in any way.
Since your psychiatrist says you have anxiety in your Dec 5 post, it probably is anxiety. You need to accept his judgement if you want to work on the problem, or else get another opinion from another psychiatrist.
Anxiety makes you more aware of everything going on in your body because you are worried that something is actually physically wrong. You start noticing things that you wouldn't normally notice, then you think they just started so there must be a problem that just started. It becomes a vicious circle, because naturally your anxiety rises with each new self diagnosis you make, except you are perplexed what could be making all these problems.
In reality you probably do not have any physical problems, since your doctors haven't diagnosed you with a physical issue.
The best solution is to accept that there is nothing physically wrong, since doctors don't think there is and you are not a doctor. That is not easy for everyone to accept and it is not their fault because they may just be wired to be anxious, so if you can't do that at this point, you should go on meds to give yourself a break from all the anxiety.
If you are one of the lucky ones that a med works for (not everyone can find one that works for them) then you will eventually remember something that you forgot how to do a long time ago - that is remember how to be happy and free of anxiety, or at least manage it.
So try for a few days or weeks to stop thinking that the twitching means something, It doesn't mean anything because everyone gets a twitch once in a while and maybe you used to get as many as you do now. Maybe even more back then? I can remember having lots of twitches a decade ago but no disease erupted, and I have mainly forgotten about them, although now that I am thinking about it I notice an itch and a twitch. They are meaningless.
Anxiety makes you more aware of everything going on in your body because you are worried that something is actually physically wrong. You start noticing things that you wouldn't normally notice, then you think they just started so there must be a problem that just started. It becomes a vicious circle, because naturally your anxiety rises with each new self diagnosis you make, except you are perplexed what could be making all these problems.
In reality you probably do not have any physical problems, since your doctors haven't diagnosed you with a physical issue.
The best solution is to accept that there is nothing physically wrong, since doctors don't think there is and you are not a doctor. That is not easy for everyone to accept and it is not their fault because they may just be wired to be anxious, so if you can't do that at this point, you should go on meds to give yourself a break from all the anxiety.
If you are one of the lucky ones that a med works for (not everyone can find one that works for them) then you will eventually remember something that you forgot how to do a long time ago - that is remember how to be happy and free of anxiety, or at least manage it.
So try for a few days or weeks to stop thinking that the twitching means something, It doesn't mean anything because everyone gets a twitch once in a while and maybe you used to get as many as you do now. Maybe even more back then? I can remember having lots of twitches a decade ago but no disease erupted, and I have mainly forgotten about them, although now that I am thinking about it I notice an itch and a twitch. They are meaningless.
I had suffered this muscle twitching & took long (years) to come to know that it was because anxiety, (Stress) & due to (OCD, thinking, staying alone, sluggish work, far from city)
Symptoms include twitching of eye lids, the on face arms, muscles, pinning, head ache, pain in bones, etc
Symptoms include twitching of eye lids, the on face arms, muscles, pinning, head ache, pain in bones, etc
You are not unique with your twitching.
From Wikipedia, " virtually everyone will experience some episodes of benign fasciculation during their lifetime"
From Wikipedia, " virtually everyone will experience some episodes of benign fasciculation during their lifetime"
I don't think it is normal to be experiencing muscle twitching everyday for almost five years. Why so long and haven't went away.
I have had this body twitching for almost five years now and still have it everyday my left eye twitches every time I laugh, sneeze or even cough when I put on my shirt and it touches it twitches it's just that sensitive. I don't think this is normal why am I having these twitches everyday in my face, arms, legs, feet wherever you name it isn't this abnormal to be still experiencing for so long.
What kinds of doctors have you seen? Have you tried any kind of treatment, either for the twitching, and/or the possible anxiety? What kinds of medical tests have you undergone?
In his Dec 1 post he said ..."the neurologist for my condition and I was told that it was benign fasciculations that I was experiencing and that it is harmless and will eventually go away."
In his Dec 5 post the psychiatrist says he has anxiety
In his Dec 5 post the psychiatrist says he has anxiety
I have had numerous tests done MRI a Catscan nerve conduction studies test. They all came out normal. I have seen a neurologist a psychiatrist for anxiety which I am not sure I am experiencing. I am still seeing the psychiatrist for anxiety related condition that my primary physician said I may be experiencing..I was taking citalopram an antidepressant for anxiety about two years ago. I stopped taking it because it seem like it wasn't helping. I also started taking magnesium and B-12 vitamins to see if the twitching would improve it seemed like it was helping a little but it didn't. I also made a diet transition by eating lots of fruits and vegetables as well as nuts because I was thinking that maybe the twitching was a nutritional deficiency and I was lacking vitamins or minerals. I still haven't found a cause of the twitching but I do think it could be related to a side effect of medications I have taken in the past stress or even anxiety depression worrying or maybe tragedies that I have experienced in the past.
Birdie I am a female the name probably threw you off. But do you think it is abnormal to be experiencing twitching for such a long time. If it is related to anxiety could this be so. I want some relief from this twitching but I must say it has decreased over the years which is a little relief but not completely ceased. Do you think some herbal supplements would help.
There is no regulation for over the counter drugs. No guarantee of purity. None have been clinically tested so it can be the manufacturer's brother making the claim it has been proven to work. I doubt there is any way to stop twitching, and I sure wouldn't believe some witch doctor's claim his brother was cured.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/23/frum.supplements.drugs/index.html
How much sleep do you get?
How many days did you take citalopram, 2 years ago?
http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/23/frum.supplements.drugs/index.html
How much sleep do you get?
How many days did you take citalopram, 2 years ago?
poconoc has a question here too.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/General-Health/Ticking-sound-in-my-head/show/1853434
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/General-Health/Ticking-sound-in-my-head/show/1853434
My sleep varies sometimes I get six hours sometimes I get seven hours. I hardly ever get eight to nine hours of sleep. I am aware that eight or nine hours of sleep is sufficient amount of sleep and does the body well. However could the muscle twitching be related to allergies or food intolerances something I could be allergic to in The Food Group maybe. I don't know but I still haven't given up on this muscle twitching it bugs me but not as much as it used to. Like I said it affects me everyday but I am coping it is not the end of the world.
I took citalopram two years ago for about three weeks then I stopped and decided to see what happen without medication.
I bet allergies and food intolerance have nothing to do with twitching. Everyone gets twitches, but ignores them unless they are suffering from anxiety and think something could be wrong.
Your lack of sleep is more likely to be the culprit if indeed your twitching is excessive.
Why do you not get a full night of sleep?
Your lack of sleep is more likely to be the culprit if indeed your twitching is excessive.
Why do you not get a full night of sleep?
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
