Muscle twitch

[Emma82]

Hi everyone.  This is my first post and I'm very happy to have found this website.  I've gotten tired of explaining my anxiety symptoms to people who don't suffer from it, I usually feel like they either think I'm making it up or I'm crazy.
Anyway, I am currently on meds for anxiety but it can still be a daily battle for me.  I believe I've become quite the hypochondriac, so its helpful to see all the symptoms people have posted here can be directly attributed to anxiety (because as you all know, obsessing about it makes you even more anxious, its a vicious cycle).  I've gotten alot of great info from what I read so far, but my specific question relates to the "muscle twitches" that people seem to have been experiencing.  I'd like to know exactly what it feels like for people, b/c for me I don't know if twitch would be the best way to describe it.  Sometimes its like a spasm, but most of the time it feels as if blood got backed up in my vein or something and it has to push its way through. Its hard to explain, but the closest thing I can describe it to is the sensations in your arm right after you've had your blood pressure taken.  Its not painful, just annoying and worrisome.  It happens mostly in my legs, but can happen anywhere on my body.  I've convinced myself that this is a vascular problem, but my doctor said no even though he didn't run any tests or anything.  He just said it was muscles.  Its very sporadic so I wasn't able to show him what it looked like (that's another thing, I can see my skin move when it happens, even through my clothes).  I also experience the buzzing in the feet that I've seen people discussing, which also made me think it was a vascular issue or something.  My doctor seemed a little dismissive of the whole thing, so I figured I'd ask others....what exactly does it feel like when you have muscle spasms or twitches?  Anything like what I'm experiencing?  Sorry for the long post, but it feels good to get this all out.  Thanks in advance!

[ILADVOCATE]

If someone has a vitamin defiecency that's a possibility although not as common these days. Some psychiatrists will use acupunture that makes sense. But I would not discontinue medication without a psychiatrist's consent. If someone is taking a benzo like Xanax or Klonopin it can actually be physically hazardous. Its good to get everything checked out but best to have common causes ruled out first. Anxiety attacks can cause people to feel like they want to "jump out of their skin". And some medications can cause temporary movement disorders like akathesia that are not in any way of concern but feel the same way and can be treated with a side effect pill. Anxiety disorder does also cause people to sometimes obsess they have rare diseases. But that doesn't mean people also don't get sick. But if something is wrong look for common causes first. Try not to self diagnose with a rare condition you may not have unless you are showing exact symptoms and common causes have been ruled out. In any case all this can be talked over with a doctor.

[Emma82]

Yes, it does feel like a pulse under the skin, thats an excellent way to describe it.  That's why it made me think it might be a vascular or heart condition.  My doc actually tested me for vitamin D and B12 deficiency, still waiting on the results, maybe that will give some insight?

I have not tried acupuncture.   Ideally, I'd like to not be on medication, if only to feel like I have control over my own life.  I've started researching ways to calm my anxiety on my own, so far not very efficient, maybe I should consider acupunture.  

I'm going to wait on my test results and then go from there.  I'm kind of hoping my doc will say I have a vitamin deficiency and it will explain all my symptoms. I know its weird to hope for something like that, but it would definitely ease my anxiety a bit if I could point to a specific cause.

[sairbear]

hi emma,
hav eyou tried acupuncture? you may like to investigate this. i have been going for a while now and when i explained my twitches under the skin ( and yes, the ones that make your skin jump, visible under clothes not painful but worrisome) she asked me if they were like a pulse under the skin. this was the best way someone has described them to me. i said yes! turns out i have a particular deficiency which contributes to these twitches this defiecincy also triggers anxiety. plllleeeaaase try and get off meds if you can. try acupuncture and see a shrink! they will give you techniques to conquer the anxiety and panic attacks and the acupuncturist will help with the pathology behind the symptoms. good luck, and remember to breath!!!!!!!!!!

[ILADVOCATE]

Yes I have done that. I do it to get rid of negative thinking when I need to do something that might be of importance so I make sure to have any angry or unwanted motives out of my mind so I make sure I am doing something constructive. There are a variety of meditation techniques, both spiritual and non spiritual. It can be very helpful for some people. I'm not sure what guide you have but meditation can be hard to accomplish but if its done wrong there is no real harm. It just doesn't work. I have read however, that hypnosis which is still used by some practitioners but less so these days can be a bad idea for people with bipolar and that's from clinical sources. Meditation is in general a positive technique and if it goes along with any legitamate spiritual practice that's fine too. I just found in the past there were a few "meditation groups" here and there that were steering grounds for cult groups. If its a group as long as the motive is positive and not some form of self gain for whoever leads the group or anti-treatment then it generally can be an acceptable part of recovery. I think most providers would agree with that.

[RichReligion]

Hey, do you meditate..I called myself entering a deeper and more critical meditation practice, and the packet warned me about doing it wrong...said that I could really mess myself up if I skipped a step or tried to pull my self out of the trance in the wrong manner. Just wanted to know if we had meditation in common.

[ILADVOCATE]

All depends on the cause. If it comes on with anxiety attacks and your medications are completely adjusted so they work, cognitive behavioral therapy can help target anxiety provoking situations and help things stabilize. If it happens outside of that and did not happen before starting medication, some medications can cause temporary movement disorders. A side effect pill can be given for that. Truthfully many common anti-anxiety medications such as Klonopin which I take, can relieve both things at once.

[RichReligion]

Take control..accept the fact that er'thing isn't gonna be so perfect..I know you may deserve more out life bases on what you put in, but life is...........Its funny how this condition exist mostly inside of good people. U are a leader and its about time you learn to lead yourself. Just as you focused your way in, focus your way out. You could do it, Emma. If you can, put your self amongst positive ans understanding people (like med help).

The Twitch..IMO. its me fighting deep within..come mostly when lying down or sleep. I was warned about the twitch from a stripper/part time nurse. She told me not to take the meds, but I needed them

They only come when I'm fighting my negative thoughts (lack of control). The more I start to feel in control the less I twitch.

[Caveman24]

Even before I had anxiety issues I would get the muscle twitches in different places all over my body and different times sometimes it would be months in between. I know they are muscle spasms and I get them in my arms and my legs and even my eyelid and yes you can see them through your clothes because, they are muscles and muscles make big movements. So don't worry about them it nothing other than a spasm.