Tingling in face due to stess?

[Anxiety?]

I've had tingling/crawling sensation in my face on and off for the last 6 months.  Sensation has been all over my face (forehead and both sides).  When I press on it, the sensations get worse.   It also gets worse when I'm in stressful situations, but I feel it at other times as well.  I've been to a nuerologist and had an MRI.  The doctor didn't think it was anything nuerlogical (like MS) and my MRI was clear.  I also have hypothyriodism and heard it could be attributed to that.

I found a person in this forum who had a similar experience.  The doctor's response was that it may indiciate a mental health problem.  Can you be more specific?  Why does this happen with stress?  Will it go away on its own?

[Jenny Wren]

I know exactly how you feel, I too get the headaches in the base of my skull, they feel like someone pulling your muscle tight, and its kinda like a burning, nagging pain for me.  It also extends down my neck and into my shoulder, heating pad helps, and definently hot baths and showers, but only for a little while.  When mine first stared, I worried about MS too, I never had a MRI though, I'm so scared, being I always have feared the worst my entire life, I've had these facial feelings for 6 years now, and they haven't ever led to pain of any sort just really weird, and then when it happens you start to worry.  I take a 1/2 of xanax sometimes and that seems to calm it down.  Let us all know how your MRI results turn out.  Anxiety will cause all kinds of WEIRD sensations.  Hang in there, your to young to feel this way, I'm going to be 35 next month, so I'm allowed to, ha ha! Take care.

[marylindah]

I to have had the tingling in my face,,,, it first started in my lips,,like little bugs,crawling around,and then it went to the sides of my noise,,then the burning seem to start,it seemed like everytime i breathed,it would burn,somewhat like going swimming and getting water up your noise.then it went to the left side of my face and onto my forehead and eyebrowers,,everytime i would frown,it seemed like the mussles in my eyebrow would tighten up and have a burning like feeling,,it sometimes even goes to my throat,,with jabing sharp neddle like pains..MY face systems seem to be the most bothersom,,but i also sometimes get a jab or to in my leg and ankles,,you can even see the movement in my ankles when you look hard enough.And i dont know if anyone else feels this but i also get like tic like sound that seems to come from inside my noise,,when im trying to sleep,,but who can some times with all that going on,,on your face all night.This has really distroyed my life,,my mood and my personality.I have been to every doctor around,,and just mention that your feel like this crawling,,and look at there face,,they look at you like your really nuts,,its embarrasing!!!And you are really in pain. Well i have had a mri,,nothing.ct scan,,nothing,,I have heard anything from tmj,,lyme disese,,trigeminal neuagal,,anxity,depression,,stress,,nasal congestion,and the new one is WHAT<<LISTEN TO THIS ONE>>> artheritise in the joint of my jaw causing,,the mussles to spasmum in my face and by me cliching my teeth at night from my sress it is also causing my teeth to become loose,,so buying a brase for my teeth should help all the pain in my face to go away and relax the mussle by not clincing my teeth.Well im going to get this brace and see if all this symptims seemed to disapear,,Ive been suffering now for 3 yrs I WOULD say that this should be covered under soc sec diability,,due to the fact that it is a very painful thing and it just doesnt go away!!! IF THE DOCTORS CANT HELP THEN THEY SHOULD AT LEAST STAND BEHIDE YOU AND SAY THAT IT IS A DISABILITY BECAUSE IT REALLY IS!!! WELL AT LEAST I KNOW THAT IM NOT THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE THAT HAS THIS!!!AND IM PRAYING EVERY NIGHT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO HELP,,NOT ONLY FOR ME KNOW BUT FOR ALL OF YOU TO!! GOD BLESS AND TAKE CARE     ANY NEW REMADIES PLEASE E-MAIL ME PLEASE  ***@****   GOD BLESS!!!!!

[ncarter123]

Hi everyone,

I've been having a tingling/sticky feeling across my right eyelid and eyebrow. Feels almost feathery sometimes, and gets worse if i touch the area. I've been really worried about MS, and had a neuro appt prior to this symptom. Neuro said MS was very unlikely, and could find 'no clinical evidence of any neurological deficit'. The feeling lasted about a month when i first had it, then i was distracted and worried less and it seemed to go away on its own. I recently had an MRI scan (awaiting results) and am about to take some really important exams, and now the feelings back again. Could this all be down to stress? One of my original symtpoms was tension headaches at the base of my skull down into my neck? I hate this feeling, as it makes me think somethings wrong with one of my facial nerves and all my MS fears are back again. When i have it (like now), a hot bath/shower tends to relieve it for an hour or so, and if i'm really distracted it sometimes goes away on its own for a bit. Your thoughts and comments would really be appreciated, is this similar to what any of you experience? I'm sick of this - i'm only 18, i'm supposed to be healthy and carefree!

[BD1742]

Hey, I'm also 18 and I've got the same thing, press it it gets worse, sort of a feathery sometimes pressure feeling like a muscle is contracting and then releases, only on one side of my face though.  I find that when I have a ton to do (like AP or IB exams coming up in the next few weeks, college stuff, etc.) that it gets worse, but when i'm relaxed and kicking back it hardly ever comes around.  It is definitely possible that it is related to stress (and most likely is), all other conditions that can cause similar symptoms are pretty rare to begin with, and at our age highly unlikely.  Stress often causes minute changes on the biochemical level that produce all sorts of physical symptoms (if you are interested in the science behind it, i'm sure i can dig it up).
Good luck with your exams, and try and relax a little and have fun (I've gotta do the same!)!

[Dando]

I've had these sensations for many years mine like most started intermittantly then became more frequent and intense! At first I could only describe as weird then a tickle, crawling, stroking, tingling feeling across forehead, bridge of nose and around eyes with a pressure/weighty/heaviness over eyes. Also throbbing and watery eyes. Felt tired all day and very sleepy at times hard to concentrate on anything as pre-occupied/distracted by it.As a result I miss a lot of things and thoughts are laboured and tiring. Also groups of people can make it worse, anxiety?? and bright /strip lighting like in office or supermarket!!

I've tried just about everything I can think of MRI, ENT, eye
consultant, 2 neurologists, Allergy testing, food intolerance testing lots of bloods all normal, infact i'm told i'm very healthy, but these sensations have ruined my life!!

I take a Beta Blocker for migraine over left eye and pain down left side of neck (I experience strobe like flashing then it sort of merges and I go completly blind one side for 20-30 mins. then get thumping headache as sight returns. The beta blocker works well and has pritty much sorted the migraine....THANK GOD!!

I turned to alternative medicine started having accupunture which did help at first, the throbbing and stroking felling seemed to move and then go, I thought great progress but things didn't improve anymore so I tried a second more authentic one, unfortunatly things remained the same so I stopped going. Now I take a herbal supplement called Zheng Tian Wan (999)and Xiao Yao Wan, anybody wanting to try it just needs to type names on internet I get it from America its still cheaper than buying through accupunturist even with shipping costs and tax duty.I find it helps quite a lot, takes the edge off, I noticed a good improvement within couple of days. I only take Zheng Tian Wan now. i'm trying to get another appointment with neurogist right now, maybe have scan on neck see if something there?


Every day is a struggle espically having to work with it so anyone else reading this please write in all thoughts and
ideas welcome!!

Also my email address is ***@**** if anybody would like to get in touch. STAY STRONG!

[BD1742]

Do your eyes occasionally wig out too?  For example one eye becomes a little heavier to open than the other (though it doesn't look all that droopy), or will your eyes randomly water?  That happens a lot when I aggravate my situation more by touching my forehead.. Often when I touch my forehead and then release i get that odd pressure/tightening feeling, is this what you are experiencing? Like right now it's going crazy, I think its because I've been up late doing work for a few nights already this week...Also anybody else who knows more about nerve disorders, I would appreciate your input.

P.S. I just read a book called The Trauma Spectrum: Hidden Wounds and Human Resiliency by Robert Scaer, M.D., in it he explains why many neurological symptoms in specific can becaused by traumatic events (little or small), anxiety, you name it.  Often times after car accidents or other heavy trauma (Chewbacca, if you're still reading this forum this book may be of interest to you).  So if the doctors can't find anything, perhaps there isn't any organic cause (read: serious physical disorder), but rather a mental cause. Thoughts?