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.

[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.