Help, I'm really scared...muscle twitching

[sydney360]

I am really freaking out, I either have a horrible disease or am experiencing panic attacks for the first time in my life. In December I began to notice that my right leg muscle will twitch when in certain positions...so if I extend the muscles I receive this reflex. Also, my the 4 toe on my right foot sometimes bothers me. I am 35 and have worn uncomfortable heels for years and my right foot is slightly larger than my left foot. When I begin to panic about all of this and look things up on the web my chest bone begins to hurt and I then feel like my throat is closing up. I've always been a rational person and of late am completely freaked out that I might have ALS and it consumes me day and night. Please offer some guidance.

[ddoreenabc123]

Take a minute and notice the time of day and what you are doing when you have the twitches in the legs.  A common physical ailment that occurs with anxiety, people who are athletics, have a poor diet and consume too much caffeine is Restless Leg Syndrome.  You can type it up on the internet.  This is nothing for you to panic about.  With moderate excersise, a message of the legs, jacquizzi, some over the counter natural rub ons can calm the muscles. A good diet high in calcium and iron are also good.  Caffeine is the worst for this.  If this fails, your physican can prescribe something for you.

[sydney360]

I am not on any medications at all. And the muscle twitching is caused by certain movements and then when I move my leg it stops - but I can make them start at any time by moving in a certain way. When I look on the Internet I only see doom and gloom so it makes me panic that much more about it.
Thanks for your response.

[ILADVOCATE]

Are you on any medications that can cause temporary movement disorders such as akathesia or dystonia? Those can be treated with a side effect pill. Regardless it does seem that you have anxiety disorder so your reaction to the muscle twitching is part of that and its doubtful you have ALS. If you are taking any medication that can cause this is a common reaction and easily treatable. If you are not taking medication or did in the past and this suddenly emerged then I would speak to a neurologist. But it does sound as if you need follow up treatment for anxiety disorder and what you are experiencing in reaction is a severe anxiety attack including worrying about ALS which this does not sound like.