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Posted 3/22/2017 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Everyone!

So I do know that muscle twitching can be caused my stress and anxiety. I assume that's what's happening for me, but I am freaking out!! It's been going on for awhile and started in my calves, but now it's happened a bit in my cheek and wrists.

I do have a doctor appointment scheduled but I wanted to see if anyone has experienced this, how long it lasted and any tips to stop it!

Please help!
Posted 3/22/2017 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
P.,

Yes, I have had this...in a couple of forms.

One is a random twitch while awake. It usually is a muscle in my arm, chest (pectoral muscle) or cheek/eye area. This is annoying, but benign. Sometimes some massage of the area is enough to disrupt the nerve from misfiring. (not a medical explanation, lol)

The other twitch I sometimes get is in my ankle as I am falling asleep. As I just start to relax and drift off...my foot will move/spasm and wake me up. Grrrrrr....so annoying...but again, benign.

Progressive muscle relaxation and other physical-type decompression exercises should help.smile

Hugs and high fives!

S.C.
Posted 3/22/2017 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
I took the anti-depressant Mirtazapine for a year or two at bedtime and 10 to 15 minutes later when I laid down to go to bed, my toes would start twitching.

Of course, I made no connection between the toes twitching and my taking the medicine 10 or 15 minutes earlier. I thought the twitching was due to my laying down.

Through luck, I finally figured it out, it was the medicine causing my toes to twitch. My psychiatrist agreed to let me take only 1/2 of the Mirt, and my toes never twitched again.

So, are you taking any medicine? If so, it could be that. Does it start 10 or 20 minutes after you lay down and go to bed?

As for sleep, I take the health food store supplement Melatonin. I taken one, 1 mg pill at night, and, along with my meds, it helps be go to sleep. My psychiatrist doesn't mind me taking Melatonin, but she didn't like some of the other health food store sleep supplements.

Might check with your doctor or pharmacist to see how Melatonin works with your meds. Can also check on this same "Anxiety" forum under title, "Sleep Problems" on this and past 3 or 4 or more back pages to see what others have to say about sleep problems.
Posted 3/23/2017 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
Park,

I had twitching for a whole month. It ranged from my legs to my eyelids. It sucked, but eventually stopped.
Posted 3/23/2017 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
M-

Really??? How constant was the twitching?? You know I've diagnosed myself with crazy stuff!!
Posted 3/23/2017 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
I get twitching from time to time. Especially when very tense or have had very high anxiety. It can last me anywhere from a day to a few weeks.
Posted 3/23/2017 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for sharing. This has been driving me nuts.
Posted 3/24/2017 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
It was constant, Park. My eye was the worst, as I felt like people could actually see it twitching. The more aware I was of it, the worse it was. I was teaching in places I didn't even know twitched, haha!
Posted 3/24/2017 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Oh Mom!

Geez! We always end up with the same weird crap! I spoke to my doctor and while I'm still twitching, he has definitely eased my mind and I can already see it letting up a bit.

I had diagnosed myself with ALS. 🙄

Thanks Google.
Posted 3/26/2017 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
Still twitching, but my doctor doesn't seem concerned. I have a physical in about a month, but this twitching has already been going on for a month so it's just making me crazy! So much self diagnosis going on right now and I can't seem to stop.
Posted 3/28/2017 2:38 PM (GMT 0)
Ugh! Twitching is now in my eyelid too! I feel like I'm going crazy!!!
Posted 3/28/2017 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
That's really annoying...sorry.sad did you try some gentle massage of the affected area?

S.C.
Posted 3/29/2017 3:16 PM (GMT 0)
S.C., I have. No relief.

I'm just feeling so frustrated and anxious. My eyelid is twitching like crazy and I'm just starting to feel so scared about why this is happening.
Posted 3/29/2017 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
What sucks is that it is a cycle, being tense makes you twitch, and twitching makes you tense. I'm not going to say try to relax. But your body is probably in GO GO GO GO Mode.

I just remembered that my eyelid twitching usually happens when I'm under a lot of stress. It feels very similar to when I am either trying to hold back crying, or just finished crying my eyes out so to speak.
Posted 3/29/2017 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
You are so right. It's a pretty sucky cycle.

I took my xanax earlier to calm down some and the twitching hasn't bothered me since about 45 min after that, so I'm taking that as at least a temporary win.
Posted 3/29/2017 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
It's definitely only stress...so common, and the fact that your benzo helps is completely indicative of it being anxiety related.

It is still super annoying...but at least try to let the worry about it being something anything other than a bothersome symptom go.

S.C.
Posted 3/29/2017 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
I'm trying so hard. Now my left arm is twitching. This is just so upsetting for me for some reason and I'm having a very hard time letting it go.
Posted 3/29/2017 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
If this sounds weird or you can't do it. It's just a suggestion. But have you tried just letting go? As in jump up and down or wiggle your arm around or run in place for a sec?

Lucky for me my family is very supportive so if I have to let out a primal scream or jump around no one really thinks anything of it. Of course it helps that my family does the same thing without having to deal with anxiety/panic.
Posted 3/29/2017 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
You mean just kind get the energy out and scream and jump to try and release this?
Posted 3/29/2017 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah. Pretty much like that. lol.
Posted 3/29/2017 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Ya know, it certainly can't hurt to try!
Posted 3/30/2017 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
Ahhh, I can relate well to your comment about ALS. I did the same thing earlier this week, dealing with a problem with pain/weakness in one leg, and twitching all over. My mom has ALS, diagnosed last year, and when I started experiencing twitching, and spasms, my mind went directly to that same diagnosis.

Rest easy! Muscle twitches are often related to anxiety and stress, as those above have said. To further ease your mind, you might like to check out this ALS website where the head of an ALS/Neurological center answered a question related to twitching, and whether or not it's indicative of ALS.

http://web.alsa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ALSA_Ask_April2013

In short: No. If the twitching doesn't come with obvious and progressive muscle weakness, it isn't ALS.

Post Edited (TICHWA) : 3/29/2017 9:18:43 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/31/2017 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
I wish I could take everyone's advice and calm myself and get it together, but sadly I'm having a really bad time and ending up in a place that I have not been in a long time. This feels like a pretty major regression for me. This amount of anxiety is actually causing me depression at a time in my life that I really should be enjoying.

My face is on fire right now and I'm terrified that it's my blood pressure.
Posted 3/31/2017 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Aw, it seems to be going around...

Lots of posts about set backs within our group lately. You are not alone. Draw deep with your coping skills and work hard at getting back on track. You can and will!

...and hey, remember...at least you didn't pass out in a Walmart parking lot, right?? *raises hand* (about 7/8 weeks ago...:/

S.C.
Posted 3/31/2017 9:54 PM (GMT 0)
S.C., LOL.

I wonder what's going on in the universe. I swear my therapist told me it's something specific right now and I just can't remember what.

What a shame! I hate that everyone is feeling bleh.

I'm going on an adults trip to the Bahamas next Friday. I should be jumping for joy but instead I'm flipping out and crying about leaving my kids!
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