Monte Castleman
03-27-2015, 11:09 AM
What kind of symptoms can anxiety cause? Anyone with Benign Fasiculation Syndrome?
Short Question: can anxiety cause muscle twitching? Percieved or true Weakness? Difficulty walking? Anyone here with Benign Fasiculation Syndrome? I've been experiencing a lot of different symptoms for the past few months. Doctors haven't been overly helpful. Consulting Dr. Google gets a range from "You're gonna die" to "It's all in your head"
The "journey" so far:
Oct-Dec: Left eyelid twitch, this eventually stopped, but then "spread" to behind my ear, then behind the other ear, then to random muscles.
Dec- my herniated discs (presumably) flared up causing a lot of pain in my right shoulder which
Jan- noticed weakness in my legs. I stopped my longtime medication of Seroquel, fearing I was getting tardive dyskinesia, this caused my anxiety to skyrocket. Weakness started in my right arm. Pretty much every muscle feels weak, it's not that I can't move them, but I can't move them much without getting really tired.
Noticed a tremor when holding muscles stretched or against gravity.
Feb- noticed my tongue twitching / fasiculating. This happens more when stuck out and sometimes I can feel them. I looked up tongue twitching and atrophy as a symptom of ALS, and got scared.
Lump in my throat sensation that has normally gone away. Sometime have to swallow twice to get solid foods down.
Cramping in my legs, especially when I bend them when sleeping on the sofa.
March- found out that dropped toes were a symptom of ALS. I immediately noticed how some of my toes hit when I walk, and they hang at different lengths. It's possible it's always been this way.
Random muscle twitches have subsided somewhat but continue, especially in my legs at random. I can provoke spasm at will on my arm and trunk by holding my arm in certain positions.
Things I've thought of: ALS, MS, Anxiety, Spinal stenosis or herniation, Benign Fasiculation Syndrome.
Also an issue in the wrist of my "bad" arm, it does not feel good at all if I bend my hand down all the way.
What my doctors have said:
Psychiatrist: Anxiety and Tardive Dyskinesia. Refuses to prescribe anti-anxiety drugs. Said he had noticed early symptoms of tardive dyskinesia on me during previous visits that I did not notice, so thought all my issues
GP: Anxiety. Routine labs showed nothing remarkable, but I asked for a neurology referral.
Neurologist: Not ALS (based on clinical exam only, no testing). Anxiety and Spinal Issues.
Spine Doctor: Spinal issue (ordered updated MRI). No explanation for the facial symptoms and denied spine issues could cause them. Despite my perceived trouble walking did not think it was an emergency.
Registered at an ALS forum. They were not impressed with my symptoms.
Anyone ever experienced anything like this. Part of me wants to curl up and never leave the house again, part of me wants to just show up at an emergency room and not leave until they find what the problem is.
Thank you for any insights.
Short Question: can anxiety cause muscle twitching? Percieved or true Weakness? Difficulty walking? Anyone here with Benign Fasiculation Syndrome? I've been experiencing a lot of different symptoms for the past few months. Doctors haven't been overly helpful. Consulting Dr. Google gets a range from "You're gonna die" to "It's all in your head"
The "journey" so far:
Oct-Dec: Left eyelid twitch, this eventually stopped, but then "spread" to behind my ear, then behind the other ear, then to random muscles.
Dec- my herniated discs (presumably) flared up causing a lot of pain in my right shoulder which
Jan- noticed weakness in my legs. I stopped my longtime medication of Seroquel, fearing I was getting tardive dyskinesia, this caused my anxiety to skyrocket. Weakness started in my right arm. Pretty much every muscle feels weak, it's not that I can't move them, but I can't move them much without getting really tired.
Noticed a tremor when holding muscles stretched or against gravity.
Feb- noticed my tongue twitching / fasiculating. This happens more when stuck out and sometimes I can feel them. I looked up tongue twitching and atrophy as a symptom of ALS, and got scared.
Lump in my throat sensation that has normally gone away. Sometime have to swallow twice to get solid foods down.
Cramping in my legs, especially when I bend them when sleeping on the sofa.
March- found out that dropped toes were a symptom of ALS. I immediately noticed how some of my toes hit when I walk, and they hang at different lengths. It's possible it's always been this way.
Random muscle twitches have subsided somewhat but continue, especially in my legs at random. I can provoke spasm at will on my arm and trunk by holding my arm in certain positions.
Things I've thought of: ALS, MS, Anxiety, Spinal stenosis or herniation, Benign Fasiculation Syndrome.
Also an issue in the wrist of my "bad" arm, it does not feel good at all if I bend my hand down all the way.
What my doctors have said:
Psychiatrist: Anxiety and Tardive Dyskinesia. Refuses to prescribe anti-anxiety drugs. Said he had noticed early symptoms of tardive dyskinesia on me during previous visits that I did not notice, so thought all my issues
GP: Anxiety. Routine labs showed nothing remarkable, but I asked for a neurology referral.
Neurologist: Not ALS (based on clinical exam only, no testing). Anxiety and Spinal Issues.
Spine Doctor: Spinal issue (ordered updated MRI). No explanation for the facial symptoms and denied spine issues could cause them. Despite my perceived trouble walking did not think it was an emergency.
Registered at an ALS forum. They were not impressed with my symptoms.
Anyone ever experienced anything like this. Part of me wants to curl up and never leave the house again, part of me wants to just show up at an emergency room and not leave until they find what the problem is.
Thank you for any insights.