How common is twitching muscles?

[macwoozy]

For the last 4 weeks my muscles seem to be having a good old workout. Everyday my muscles are twitching all over the place. Sometimes one muscle can be twitching for a couple of days, but generally it's a couple of twitches here and there every few minutes, it's doing my head in, it's in my arms, legs, hands and even chest.

Of course, as always, I've had a google and frightened myself silly reading about a particularly tragic disease that has twitching as a symptom.

So it would really calm me down a bit if other MN's could say 'oh yeah get them all the time' type thing!!

[macwoozy]

Oh and when I relax it feels like one of my legs is vibrating inside IYKWIM

[LazyLinePainterJane]

I get it frequently, think it's when I am stressed.

[littlepinkpixie]

My eyelid twitches when I'm tired.
Probably best to get along to your GP if this carries on though, if only for a more balanced view of things then you get with google (I'm really bad for scaring myself silly with google too.)

[barbapapa]

Another vote for stress . I am a veteran hypochondriac and went to my GP about this . She felt it was linked to stress and occasional hyperventilation and my symptoms decreased when I was not focusing on them. Think (disclaimer : I am not a medical person)that in serious diseases there is more likely to be a twitching in one place rather than all over your body .
Also - certain medications set this off - once had an awful time after taking a seasickness tablet.
See your GP if you are worried but think a lot of people get these.
HTH

[PersonalClown]

I occasionally twitch. My eyes, legs and arms are my main ones.
DP on the other hand twitches in his sleep. It's so irritating!! but he's a fidgety person during the day. If he's sitting down, he has his legs bouncing/swinging/feet tapping.

I think it's just a build up of energy in the muscles and it needs to be released.

[AbstractMouse]

I've always had randomly twitching muscles, from when I was a teenager till now (I'm 27), bizarely I enjoy it, maybe I should worry more lol.

[micci25]

i often get twitchy muscles usually in my leg just above my knee or the corner of my eye! i enjoy it too abstract

dp gets them and swears that they are mini epilectic fits as he has epilepsy and says that if i have twitchy muscles i must have it too! he is a tad dramatic at times though. he often has fits whilst asleep and doesnt know about them, nor do they wake me up, but they are bad enough to ensure that he does nothing the next day due to muscle pain

[macwoozy]

Thanks

I wouldn't have given it so much thought had I not googled. Damn this computer!

I suppose I am a little more tense lately, but I just can't see how it could have such a dramatic effect on so many muscles. I have had the odd twitching before but nothing like this.

[Bobbiewickham]

I've been getting this for a while - a few months.

It came on at a time when I was depressed and getting migraines,etc.

I also made the mistake of googling.

I went to the doctor's and he seemed unconcerned, put it down to anxiety and prescribed me some medication for anxiety which I did take for a while, and I have to say, the twitching stopped. I stopped taking the meds, and it comes back occasionally, but now I try to ignore it.

Don't google - it's fatal for something like this. The more you worry, the more you twitch.

It's adrenaline, I'm sure. Does it go off when you move about?

[macwoozy]

Thanks Bobbie, I've only just realised that you've answered to this thread, I had a look at my watch threads.

It's now really freaking me out, only because I've managed to get on a MND forum, and a sufferer has said that my symptoms sound similar to what she experienced before she had muscle atrophy.

I've become obsessed with checking myself, doing the so called MND strength tests every day and yet I'm passing with flyng colours! It's this constant twitching going on in my foot that freaks me out, my foot is not weak and yet I'm testing it out each day just to make sure it's not become atrophied.

I'm so shocked with how many other people are freaked out with the thought of having MND, googling is just the absolute worst.

Anyone else get this?

[Psychomum5]

my eye has been twitching now for two weeks....tiredness apparently!! (and quite true I reckon)

my legs alwasy twitch, but then, I suffer from 'irratable legs', so expect that.

normally to do with some deficiancy or minor irritants like stress/tiredness. rarely anything to worry about.

HTH

[macwoozy]

When you say your legs always twitch, is it a constant twitch or a twitch every now and again? It's just that it seems for me the twitches I experience is constant in a particular muscle, it used to be throughout the body, but more worringly it now seems to be contained in a particular area.

[Bobbiewickham]

STOP GOOGLING!!!

You are obviously suffering from anxiety; you are on an MND forum, and some random stranger is scaring you to death, probably because she feels bad about her condition and wants you to as well. And you are constantly self-checking, which will really not be helping.

Stop it, love. Really. Go and see your GP for some reassurance. It sounds to me like you have convinced yourself about your foot, to fit the symptoms this 'helpful' woman has told you about.

And get some magnesium supplements.

AND STOP GOOGLING!!!!!

[DavidCameronsTie]

Macwoozy,

I went through exactly the same thing last year. My twitching started as a result of an adverse drug reaction but it got rapidly worse due to anxiety about the scary medical conditions I found on google!

In the end I went to see a neurologist. I'm fine - the medical term for this condition is "benign fasciculation" (basically muscle twitching). Some people are more prone to this than others, and it is usually worse when you are anxious/stressed.

I'm not holding out any medical expertise but I hope what he told me will help you:-

1. Random twitching in different spots is not sinister and does not develop into MND etc
2. In degenerative neuromuscular conditions like MND you would usually notice muscle weakness before the twitching
3. MND etc is very rare in people (especially women) under the age of 50 (unless of course you have a family history)

Hope this helps - and please stop googling!

DCT

[Bobbiewickham]

DCT - I love you !

Just what us anxious twitchers needed to hear!

I hope Macwoozy reads this - I know just how scared she is feeling, because I've been through it myself.

Thanks

[macwoozy]

I agree with all that's been said on here and I appreciate all the helpful comments. I know I'm overly anxious about this stupid twitching, it's ridiculous I know. Someone said it was akin to fearing that you've got Parkinsons when you tremble with excitement, or fearing you have a brain tumour when you've got a headache. It's got to the stage where I'm seeking out any info I can find about MND. I do know that weakness begins before twitching but in a very small minority it can begin with twitching, and this is what is freaking me out right now. I know I'm sounding like a loony!! You're right, I've got to stop googling. I'm very anxious about all this, and I know anxiety can cause twitching!

Thanks for your all your help

[Bobbiewickham]

Deep breaths.
Magnesium supplements.
Stay away from MND forums.
Listen to what DCT's NEUROLOGIST said.
Bear in mind, the person you have spoken to on the MND forum might be a hairy trucker with a sick sense of humour.
Relax.
Please go and see your GP. I was in your position not so very long ago, and it's a horrible place to be. The more you think about it the worse it gets.

Do you ever think, "I've not had a twitch for a while" then BINGO there it goes again?

That's anxiety. Promise.

[macwoozy]

That's just what I needed to hear Bobbie

I will try out the magnesium too, and every time I feel the urge to click on a MND site I'll re-read this thread instead, and especially the neurologist advice on DCT's post.

Thank you

[Bobbiewickham]

[anxiousmax]

Mackwoozie, i'm going through exactly the same at the moment & have been put on meds for my anxiety. It all started in the last 2months with achy tired muscles & twiching, convinced myself I had some awful disease.
I've just had a couple of good days with no symptoms (because I was distracted) & then today I've been thinking about it & its all started again.
I know its in my mind but sometimes its hard to believe.
Max x

[Winetimeisfinetime]

I have twitching too - can be anywhere but most usually in my arms, hands, legs, eyelid and neck. I have seen my gp about it and he said it was just fasiculation - but he did mention MND and did the strength tests. He said that the muscle weakness would be very obvious and repeated the tests a few weeks later and when there was still no weakness he said that it wasn't MND. I do think if you have had the twitching for a while and no weakness then it isn't MND. Always best to get yourself checked though if you are worried.

I recently saw a website about menopause and loads of the women on there had twitching - so if you are peri menopausal or menopausal that could be a factor. In their cases it seems like there must be a hormonal link.

[macwoozy]

I agree Wine(love the name). I know that if twitching is connected to MND then it normally means that the twitching is happening due to muscle atrophy, which would obviously mean that weakness would appear. And there is definitely no weakness here, if anything my calf muscles will be looking pretty impressive soon with my MND strength tests of 100 hops a day on toes each leg!!!
I could never tell my dp that I do this as it would be confirmation that I have definitely lost the plot.

No, I'm feeling better already with this thread. But winetime you've got me worried about the menopause, surely I'm too young for that, oh no that means I'm going to get osteoporosis pretty soon

Max, hi I got back on your thread

[Bobbiewickham]

LOL - How many of us reading this thread have just done the hopping?

I'm knackered!

[macwoozy]

Don't get me started on the finger tests

[anxiousmax]

0K i've just done the hopping test & only managed 45 on one leg & 35 on the other - what does this mean other than i'm unfit!

So whats the finger test?