Physical anxiety symptoms - muscle twitches, cramps, weakness

[Rubybleu]

The past week or two I’ve been totally ruled by my health anxiety. I started having a weak feeling in my left hand and arm and something about MND came on TV and now of course I have MND. I’ve been experiencing muscle twitches and cramps/sore muscles, mainly in my calves and forearms. I saw my Dr in relation to this and he tested my reflexes, strength and pulses and all was fine. I keep trying to reason with myself but I just can’t shake this MND idea. It’s ridiculous. My Dr only prescribed medication to take when I’m having a really bad moment but the problem is I’m having these every day for most of the day.

Is anyone else experiencing this type of physical anxiety symptoms? This is all new to me as I’ve never experienced this type of anxiety before.

[Zakoza]

I have really regressed in the past couple of days. I came down with a gastro bug and it’s really thrown me out of whack. I’ve gone back to the tingling, weak hand- only my left hand, the same as you! Waking all night long in a panicked state and waking up in the morning feeling sick. I’m not sure if the medicine I’ve been taking wasn’t effective while I was sick, or, if my body has adjusted to it and I’m just going to go back to feeling anxious all the time.

I have the tremors too! I was able to show it to my dr while I was there and she explained to me that it was a classic anxiety symptom!! Something about your body constantly being in ‘fight or flight’ mode.

Do you think your hand is really weak? Or does it just ‘feel’ weak? My hand and arm kind of feel a bit dead or limp. I don’t believe it’s actually weak, I still have full functionality. It’s just a really strange sensation..... a few weeks ago I found myself constantly testing the strength of my left side (I’m right handed). And I think that possibly contributed to my perceived weakness! I was over-working it.

I also get the pins and needles in my hands at night time. Do you think you could have carpel tunnel at all? I know I’ve previously suffered from Carpel Tunnel whilst pregnant, but I usually only felt it in my right hand. It would cause pins and needles at night time and also when I was gripping the steering wheel or vacuuming. Any activity where I was gripping my hand... do you find yourself clenching your fists in your sleep? Because that could be causing it! I try to take notice of the position of my hands every time I wake up at night! It really is exhausting.

I still don’t even have a date for my neurologist appointment. My gp wants me to keep trying this medication for 6 weeks to see if it helps.. up until 2 days ago I felt like it was helping, now I’m not so sure!!

[amiee2893]

Oh Zakoza!

You have all the same things as me , I feel like we’re Health Anxiety Soul Sisters ( that’s really messed up 🤣 )

I do the same thing, constantly testing my hand strength. My muscles feel sore today. But I can still carry things. I dropped my sons drink bottle before but I think half my problem is I move to quick and I bump things, so it makes things fall out of my hand.

Do you get tingling in your face & tongue as well? Mine is only ever in tiny little spots. Like one small section of my lip or one small section of my tongue or the corner of my mouth.

im constantly checking my strength, my facial expressions, my tongue movements, you name it I do it.

i clench my fist in my sleep, I also sleep on it and I also sleep on it in a bent position and if I’m not doing that Luca ( my son ) is sleeping on my arm. He still co sleeps with me. He has nightmares and his not even 2.

I’m so glad that you’ve responded to me, I feel like such a desperado waiting for some one to reply.

[Rock-Me-Hard_Place]

You guys just described the sensations that I get.

Tingling, left arm, right hand, lips and mouth. Near constant body shaking. I’ve had this for years, at least 5.

I have had all the tests, neurological, MRI’s, CAT scans, Cardio, bloods. Nothing.

Anxiety, is the culprit..... now onto the fix......... stay positive. (Easy for me to say, harder to do than say)

[amiee2893]

It’s annoying isnt it! It’s impossible to think that anxiety can cause this!

5 years! Wow! Has it been constant? Or on an off?

Do you get the weakness too?

[Janwy]

amiee2893 when I saw your post I couldn’t believe that there are really others who suffered from the exact symptoms I have.

In the beginning of last May, I had few episodes of stomach pain and actually one of them was so intense until I vomit and I had to take medication for the pain and since then I started to have headache like stabbing pain and felt really weird not like any headache I’ve ever had before.

Then few days after that headache I had tingling in my left hand and tremor in both hands so I run to the ED cause I thought well this is stroke( I have genetic blood condition which I have been told stroke is one of the complications however I already knew that and my disease is well managed.

In the ED, one DR performed neurological examination and sent me home saying it is not stroke and to follow with my GP who requested brain CT and was normal then she referred me to a neurologist who did neur exam and requested an MRI.

Well symptoms have not yet started if you would asking because after that day in the neurologist office I had the rest of the symptoms you have described.

The muscle twitches let me searched to find out about MND and then the next day I wake up with feeling something is stuck in my throat and few days later I wake up with whole body weakness and muscle pain I went to ED and they had to admit me for investigation I was in a REAL SEVERE body pain and mentally down.

There are other symptoms too like burning sensation in the back of neck and upper back, ringing left ear, left face tingling, vibration for seconds in my left leg.

Most of my symptoms are not constant except the hand tremors which I think it is there all the time because whenever I look to my hand I can see slight shaking.

Sorry for the long post but I pray for you all to get an answer and to know whether these are anxiety related or something else and hopefully is not something serious.

[amiee2893]

So what did they say it was for you Janwy?

Is it just anxiety?

My tingling has stopped but my muscles are now sore. It’s just never ending. One thing stops and another starts.

I’ve started taking magnesium powder two times a day. Last night was the first time in what I can remember that I slept through the night and wasn’t woken with anxiety.

My eye pains has come back, which tells me I’m stressed. Because I know that is nothing serious, I’ve had two MRIs on it not even two months ago.

I went for a 14km bike ride today and I keep telling myself, if I was really “sick” I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I rode 14km in 35 minutes with my toddler on the back of my bike.

Ive had constant anxiety since April and I just want to be able to stop thinking about something horrid every second of every day.

Some days i don don feel anxious but I still think about “ what if “ every minute. I don’t even realise I’m doing it until I catch myself doing it.

My psychologist told me that it’s not normal and both healthy - which I already knew. She done an exam on me and the result that I scored she told me is so high that it starts to cause issues with nervous system.

I catch myself tensing my muscles in my sleep, sleeping on my arms and hands in bad positions and also my 17kg son sleeping on my arms in bed.

its just hard to believe it’s anxiety when I don’t feel anxious, but obviously I am.

AND now, I’m being struck down with a cold. I’m the last one to catch it in my family.

[44Max44]

Hi Amiee,

What you've explained is pretty much identical to the situation I myself went through a few months ago.
It started off with abdominal pains, which I went into the GP about several times, got several blood tests and an ultrasound, and same as you, it was all clear.

After this, I calmed down for a little bit but soon after started to get headaches just like you. I would only really get them while trying to get to sleep, and just like you felt like it was coming from behind my eye(s). This passed after some time, but headaches have been a common symptom of anxiety for me since. Headaches and health problems to do with my eyes or sight are my worst fear, so I know just how scary it is to think you might have something wrong with your eyes.
While trying to get to sleep, if I'm feeling particularly anxious, I'll find myself constantly opening my eyes just to check that I can still see. I also sometimes jolt awake and 'catch' myself just before I get to sleep, which isn't very pleasant.

Strangely enough, I've also experienced the tingling hands/arms/limbs and fairly recently too. Just like you I just thought "Huh, that's weird", and then my anxiety just took it from there and I started to worry about it. After doing some googling I came to the conclusion that it was probably carpal tunnel syndrome, which made sense to me because I'm on the computer all day every day.
I then woke up the next day, and it feeling was gone like magic. I think since in my mind I passed the feeling off as 'just being carpal tunnel syndrome' (which isn't dangerous and easily treatable) so my mind stopped worrying about it.


You would be amazed and some of the things your mind can trick you into feeling. I've experienced anything and everything, and in the end, none of the sensations or pain I felt ended up being anything harmful (or anything at all, for that matter).

I'd recommend watching 'The Anxiety Guy' on YouTube, he has a lot of videos that helped me out a lot a few months ago. A couple, in particular, I'd recommend are 'The symptoms of anxiety' and 'positive daily affirmations' (which is just a video you listen to every day and helped me calm down).



I hope any of this helped you.

[amiee2893]

Hi Max,

I have seen a few people talk about the “Anxiety Guy”.

I also think its carpel tunnel but my doctor doesn’t think so? It’s really bad at night time, hardly existent through the day but my muscles are now sore in my forearm, that has only been the last week.

Anxiety is horrid.

[Miss_carlie]

Hello everyone😊 i have been reading through some of these posts and i have such similar symptoms 😱 2 and a half years ago i had a tramatic experience (to me) and i have never been the same since i have developed a tremor which i have if i use of dont use my muscles.. i keep googling not good 😂 i conviced my dr to send me for so far 4 mris and 4 ct scans nothing....blood work for weeks nothing.... i am terrified i am dying of some unknown disease as i dont understand how anxiety can cause any of this especially when i dont feel anxious... i dont sleep i dont eat alot i have no energy im always tired and if i do any sort of thing like mow the lawns bamb!!!! Tremor central😭 i was sent to a neurologist who said i dont have a neurological disorder but i have essential tremor....this is hereditary noone in my family has it 🤔 of course i dont believe him and keep looking for different answers🙄 i am so deliberated by it all as i consider myself intellegent lol but cant work with my own brain??? Doesnt sit well..

Recap of symptoms

Tremor always

Fatigue

Sleeplessness

Google every pain or twitch 😅

No sexual desire at all

Stress as i have 4 under 10 at home hubby works alot 😔

Numbness left side of body been there for 3 years also

But they still say

Essential tremor and anxiety

I wish anyone whom reads the best possible outcome as for me it just my first step with this post

I cant do the medication

So im trying everything out there 😅 lol x

[amiee2893]

HI Carlie,

I’ve had anxiety since I was about 21 and now I’m 26. I’ve had an array of physical symptoms. Convinced I’ve had brain tumours, breast cancer, stomach cancer, now I’m down the MND rabbit hole, but I must say that’s slowly easing.

I cant do medication either. I’ve tried 3 different types. The first one I had a bad reaction to - I don’t know why because I used to take it when I was 21 and I was fine. But when I started taking it again my body didn’t agree with it. I’ve decided to try natural ways of dealing with it. I’ve started taking magnesium POWDER. I was on the tablets but I don’t think they’re strong enough as I’ve calmed down quiet a lot since I’ve been having the powder twice a day - Morning - Night.

If I am in the middle of a bad episode, I don’t want to have sex either. I’ve been up and down since April. I’ve lost 6kg because when I’m bad I don’t eat and I can’t sleep.

You are tored because cause you’re not eating or sleeping.

Those symptoms you said are pretty normal for Anxiety in general, not just health anxiety. If you’re as bad as you say you are, it’s draining on the body. I’m slowly starting to come out on the other side but I still still have a breakdown every few days, but I’m a lot better then I was.

Try some magnesium powder & see if it helps!