Twitching, tingling, bitter taste...

[SNORCHY]

In early May, I started having this back & forth twitching in my left middle finger and some twitching in my toes. I had had the toe twitches about a year and a half ago too which my Dr. told me was caused by stress. When it started in May, he also said stress as I was under LOTS of stress at that time. Now, the twitches in my feet continues, but the twtitching has morphed more into twitching that occurs as you are falling asleep. It happens a few times a day...in my arm, leg, hand, face. Also...I do have some pins & needles in my hands, feets, legs & arms but not so badthat it's debilitating. I've had this before & figured my circulation isn't great! Also..my back is so tweaked from the stress of writing my masters thesis and sitting at the computer day in & out typing with ine finger (!!) that when I roll my shoulders back, everything clicks. There seems to be lots ofswelling in my back, which I have had before but not this bad. I also have been experiencing a bitter taste in the back of my mouth after eating just about anything. Might be due to splenda? It comes and goes too. And about before the twitching started, I had about a month of dizziness, which I have had before & figured was stress too. I had a rash on my leg for over a year which the Dermatologist said was ringworm, but perhaps Lyme? I am a 43 year old woman, always been healthy, do have a history of anxiety disorder but not for a long time. I am not overly tired or fatigued, nor am I having any pain except in my back & neck sometimes and it's not that bad. Last night one of my fingers becamr sore though.

[golden_gadgets]

A related discussion, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeOUCH! was started.

[sult]

i had 4 amalgram fillings out on one side of the mouth this past monday and 4 on the right on wednesday. they numb your gums before the shot so it doesn't hurt. the only thing that bothers you is that your jaw gets a little sore. i also had nitrous oxide (laughing gas). i would suggest asking for a "dam" when they are removing the fillings. my doc did not at first; she said they had high powered suction which was sufficient, but the 2nd time around, i told her i felt more comfortable with it. i don't know whether it is a coincidence that i started having muscle pain in my arms on tuesday, and since wednesday, it has gotten worse. i have not had muscle pain since the first days of my symptoms, approx 2 years ago. i read that your mercury levels increase significantly just after removal and approximately 2 weeks after, they drop approx 80%.
i can't wait to see if my tinnitus, headache, and occasional muscle cramping and fasciculations improve or disappear. many studies claim it will... i will let you know.

[SNORCHY]

Thanks for all of that info. How painful wqas it to have all your fillings replaced? I thought about doing that, but I have lots of silver fillings!!!

[sult]

i have had the same symptoms as snorchy has been having. they started in Oct. 2004. my doc thought also that i had ms at first but all tests (cat, mri, bloodwork, spinal tap) came back negative. i also was tested for lyme which was negative. at the time the symptoms began (muscle aches, spaciness, tingling, headaches, fasciculations, etc), i also ran a light fever between 99.2 - 99.6 for a couple of months. some don't consider this a fever, but now i never run that temperature. over time and a ton of research, i now believe that i have benign fasciculation syndrome. the beginning symptoms were scary but now i rarely have any problems except a fasciculation once in a while and sometimes a headache. the muscle aches, spaciness, and tingling are gone. i was completely healthy before this episode. i am a 41 year old female whose symtoms started at 39. i also have tinnitus, which i think is unrelated, but began taking tinnitus relief formula from Arches Tinnitus website (my ear surgeon recommended this and he is one of the leading ear surgeons in the country). Arches Tinnitus Relief Formula is mostly high quality Gingko Biloba; the reason I am telling this is because most of my cramping/fasciculation and restless leg symptoms improved dramatically (pretty much gone) when I took this gingko biloba (420 mg) a day. i took it for the tinnitus but weirdly, it helped my cramps and fasciculations! when i read about gingko, it has many benefits. i also take a multi vitamin B formula from Arches. Vitamin B deficiencies can be very crucial in muscle symptoms. i just today also had my mercury removed from my mouth after hearing that it causes all kinds of immune problems. my father was a dentist who died swearing mercury didn't leak into your system but i had it out anyway to be on the safe side. i understand the stress these symptoms can cause; it is horrible not knowing why weird symptoms all of a sudden start in your body. good luck to all of you. i hope this info will be of some help.

[SNORCHY]

Hi there!
Thanks for checking in with me! I've been feeling pretty well...although still get the twitching here & there. Very annoying...wish it would just be gone for good! I do notice that when I am more stressed, it's worse. I just got engaged and so am now planning a wedding. Great, but stressful!
How are you doing?

[MeeowWow]

Just finally worked out i have BFS after one year of suffering.  Like everyone else have been is nose dive panics thinking I had some degenerative disease.  Just so relieved that the experts don't seem to think it goes into anything ominous. Now just have to live with the syndrome which is going to be a trial in itself
  
I would be interested to know if people with BFS had a health anxiety before they got BFS or if the syndrome causes increased anxiety by its very nature.  Can't say I was aware of health anxiety pre-BFS symptoms

Do people know if is likely if the syndrome will clear up on its own or will it just goe into periodic remission

Just wondered what people had tried that helps to get BFS into remission including hypnosis or other alternative therapies?  Or even thoughts about how to make it easier going to sleep at night when BFS is active

Interestingly I have seen an alternative therapist who thinks it is related to solvent or heavy metal toxicity (which she found that I suffered from.)  She reckons she can make a big difference in 3 months.  Who knows...?  Let's hope

[feed up]

Hi Snorchy,
How have you been ? Any improvement since you started the tread?
Some times I think I am really improving heaps, then if I get upset or stressed over something they act up again.Like today !!!! I think they have to be stress related.
Hope you are doing well.

[SNORCHY]

Thank you for the info. I agree with the stress thing...can really do a number on me physically.
Hope you are feeling well.

[joeysmom]

This may not be totally everyone's imagination. There are some disorders that can cause an overproduction of epinephrine and norepinephrine (the "fight or flight" hormones).

I had been sick for three and a half years with a zillion things wrong, but mainly what seem to be "episodes" of profuse sweating, facial flushing, high blood pressure and fast heartbeat.

It turns out that my levels of norepinephrine (measured as normetanephrine on a 24-hour urine test) are off the chart, and they suspect a hormone-secreting tumor. These can also cause anxiety, hyperglycemia and a zillion other things (digestive irregularities, nervous system problems).

I have also recently started to have twitching of the toes and fingers.

In my case, I have concurrently had cervical (neck) spinal stenosis since 1996, and I have read that this can also cause many problems, since all the nerves of the entire body pass through the neck. They had thought that this stenosis was caused by fibrous scar tissue, but growth of fibroma tumors on my body has made them question this (there is apparently a class of hormone-secreting ganglioneuroma tumors). It could be that my cervical spinal stenosis is also secreting hormones.

I guess my point is that twitching fingers can be caused by something mechanical in the spine, or it could be a metabolic effect from stress hormones. The latter could be from the effect of being under constant stress, or from a medical problem.

[SNORCHY]

I know how scary all these symptoms are...I was literally going crazy with it! Please check out the website I posted above...you will find lots of womwn on there with similar symptoms...those damn hormones! Anyway...it really made me fee a lot better...hope it helps you too!

[NG in NY]

I have been reading all of your comments and I would like to first say that i am comforted to know i am not alone in my worrying about these odd symptoms.  It actually makes me laugh becasue i see myself.  I see some similarities between us all.  For one I am a 45 year old woman with hashimotos disease.  i have been on tapizol for about a year.  
Lately i have suspected that i am in perimenopause becuse of an increased anxiety.  I used to have panick attacks in the past and in the past year they seem to be resurfacing.  Always at night.  I have been keeping a journal to note the occurance of my symptoms with my cycle.  
I also exercise regularly and i can't help but think that when my leg and arm muscles are stiff it makes me more tense.
Last night I had a twitch in my left foot and i can actually see my baby toe moving slightly.  I spent the early morning hours worrying if i was going to need to go to the emergency room.  

Juding by the thread of similiarities it sounds to me that it is either the hormones or the exercise...and the anxiety sure as hell doesn't help.    Maybe we all need a regular yoga class?  

[feed up]

Hi again,
I have a anxiety site that I just love...I've booked marked it and go back to it when I have different symptoms that scare me.
it is
http://www.lindenmethod.com/anxiety-symptoms/
Have a "look see" for yourself and see if it helps you.
Let me know how you get on.

[feed up]

Hi,
Sorry you had such a bad night. I don't know about you but I always notice my twitches much more of an evening when I'm sitting down doing nothing.........and everything feels "scarey-er" in the dark.
A few years ago I went to a course on trying to control anxiety. Have you ever been to something like this? I found it so helpful, and try to apply what I learnt there when I'm getting panicky.Plus it was great getting to chat with other people who suffer from anxiety and see that they had the same symptoms.....and they weren't weird or strange .....just lovely people.
I guess you have checked out BFS sites (if your like me you have looked up everything possible !!)
Take Care

[feed up]

Hi,
I can certainly relate to how you feel.
I am positive my twitches are anxiety related..............like the other night my teenage son was much later getting home on Saturday night (morning )than I thought (of course I was worried he was O.K) and my twitches that had settled down a bit flared up like crazy.
Also not long ago I got the flu and while I was sick with that they increased in frequency and intensity.
I have been reading around and trying to "take on board" anything that could help.Have you tried taking a magnesium / calcium supplement, and a daily vitiam ? I do this and I'm sure it helps. I have also greatly decreased my intake of caffine, chocolate, artifical sweetners and have limited alcohol to one night a week .(We still need to have some fun afterall !!!!)
Oh yeah......drink heaps of water and try to get some daily exercise.
This is the advise I am following and I feel it really is helping.
Stress can have a major inpact on our bodies..........after nearly worrying myself sick about the twitches I feel certain that mine and YOURS are stress related too
Hope you feel better soon.

[FaithInHim]

Hey,
thank you so much for the reply. I'm sitting here, it's 4:10am, my anxiety level is high and with every twitch, I get a flush of adrenaline through my system. Can't shake off the fear that maybe I have something terribly wrong w/me. But, I take small comfort in knowing that I do suffer from stress and anxiety and perhaps you're right about it all being stress related.

[FaithInHim]

Well, I was diagnosed with PD (Panic Disorder) about 2 years ago. Since then, I've come a long way in controling and overcoming. Read many books on the subject and Lucinda Bassett's
Attacking Anxiety & Depression program is awesome! And of course, GOD, above all else, is the reason for my success. Reason I'm here is because I too recently began experiencing twitching in my knuckles and fingers as well as on my toes. It scares the hell out of me. I fear I may have Parkinson's or something else. Of course, my Dr. says he believes it to be part of my anxiety disorder and I pray he is right! The twitching isn't 24/7, but does happen quite frequently throughout the day. I can say that in my life, throughout the years even going back to my teens, I have had the same twitching. It would come then go for long periods of time, then return, only to go again. I guess I can take some small comfort in that. But since I have anxiety, my mind tends to catastrophize everything. What can be simply my nerves causing the twitching, my mind believes is something much worse and I begin creating scenerios in my head that I'm going to have parkinsons disease and that this is the first symptoms of it, etc. I guess I just need to vent, this is why I'm here. My wife tells me not to worry, that I'm fine, that my Dr. already told me not to worry, that in his opinion it's not parkinsons. But, here I am, 5:47am, can't sleep, twitching occuring, pains in my stomach, andrenaline rushing though my body. Luckily, I'm not having a panic attack because I've learned how to stop the panic attack in it's tracks. But the anxiety however, is still here and with every twitch, my anxiety grows and the andrenal flows! Can anyone relate?

[FaithInHim]

I forgot to mention, I don't have any facial twitching, just mainly a finger here or there or a toe here or there, basically.
Sometimes I might feel a light "jap" in a muscle, like a bicep or even once on one of my butt cheeks. But mainly the knuckle/finger and toe.

[SNORCHY]

I am sorry you had such a diificult weekend. Anxiety certainly increases the twtiches...no two ways about it! Have you checked out the other site I posted to you? Many women on there have the symptoms for years...but I think once you know that they are benign, then some of the anxiety is relieved. The twitching itself was making me so anxious, I couldn't stand it!
I'm glad you are feeling better today...

[feed up]

Hi Snorchy,
Glad u are feeling better.I felt terrible over the weekend. Usually my twitches flick here there and everywhere........but the last couple of days had been more intense and the muscle in my upper arm twitched ALL Saturday night. My anxiety levels were through the roof after that which seems to make them worse. I upped my mag/calcium and they were much better last night. I am getting more depressed though because in the beginning I thought the'd just "go" by themselves, but now after a couple of months ,and reading about others ,I realize they could be here to stay.
Bob I agree with Snorchy, how lucky is your Mum to have you !!
All the best.

[SNORCHY]

Bob...Thanks for the info. I have heard a lot about symptoms caused by mineral & vitamin deficienies. I hope your mom is doing well...she is lucky to have a son that takes care of her!

Feed Up...Yes..I am feeling better. Twitches are less as well as the other symptoms. I do think hormones can wreak havoc for us. Thank you so much for asking. How are you feeling?

[busterbob]

Hi snorchy and everybody.  My mom has many medical conditions but one of her most bothersome is leg twitching and pain which keeps her from getting much needed sleep.  She has tried many different drugs but none have made much if any difference.  After doing alot of research on my own I decided to get her intracellular magnesium level checked. She had several symptoms of low magnesium.  A few are: restless legs, angina, and insulin resistance.  There is now an accurate and simple way to measure levels of magnesium (and other minerals) in your cells which is the only truly accurate test.  Please go to: www.exatest.com.  You can order a kit from this site and have it sent to your Dr. or even a nurse that will agree to do the test.  It only involves a slight scraping of tissue under your tongue which is put on a slide and mailed to Intracellular Diagnositics.  It is then x-rayed using a special machine which will show several different mineral levels in your cells.  A report will then be sent to your Dr. or nurse.  My mom's report did determine she has a low level of magnesium.  HOWEVER, SINCE SHE IS ON DIALYSIS AND HAS KIDNEY DISEASE SHE CAN TAKE VERY LITTLE OF ANY MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENT.  Her Nephrologist and palliative care nurse are in the process of determining what is a safe amount for her.  Please remember if you have KIDNEY DISEASE please DO NOT take any mineral supplements without first consulting your Doctor!!  As well as going to www.exatest.com, please look thru the archives for this forum starting 7/30/2003.  Look for posts from DrHelp starting 8/02/2003.  All the posts from DrHelp correlate with the research I have done also or you can do a search for "Muscle Twitches All Over" and it may come up.  A great book about the importance of magnesium is: "The Magnesium Factor."  Barnes & Noble has a used book section online and you may be able to order this book there for a very good price if you are interested.  I hope this information will help you.  I see the torture my mom goes through everyday as I am her only caregiver and I really feel for you.  Good Luck and please let me know if this information helps in any way.  Thanks for listening.

[feed up]

Hi Snorchy,
Thanks for the web site info..........I will go and check it out......have you been feeling any better?

[SNORCHY]

Thw website is http://www.power-surge.com/intro.htm.
Might be worth a look!

[feed up]

Hi Snorchy,
I am 47 and female.....my cycle is still running normally at this stage , but I guess I probably am in peri menopause. Thanks for that...certainly worth looking into.