| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| mom2aidan2002 |
Posted - 05/05/2009 : 13:38:42
I think I already know the answer to this, but sometimes it helps to have confirmation of what you suspect.
I am a typical TMS person (sciatica, TMJ, headaches being my main symptoms + anxiety). All treated very successfully using Sarno.
In the last few weeks I have been having severe foot cramps, but not too often. Not obsessing about them at all. Not like a typical TMS equivilant.
Then parasthesias started, which I have had before with the sciatica--so, I immediately started using Sarno techniques to deal with them. And they disappeared.
Now in the last several days I have developed intermittent, but all day long fasciculations (ie twitching) in my left foot/toes. Total freak out anxiety because they are really distracting (duh) and upsetting. Are interfering with being able to sleep because my toes are moving all the time. Raising all the past anxiety about ("Well maybe I DO have some serious neurological illness"--I have had other weird, non-typical(?) symptoms like phantom smells, tongue numbness, but all work up, including brain MRI scan 10 years ago and CT scan 2 years ago have been negative).
Can this really be TMS? (As an aside, I was having huge anxiety about swine flu since I have little kids, and when I used Sarno techniques and that subsided the foot sxs started).
Thoughts?
Christine
p.s. As another aside, but really cool--I recently came across an article that talked about a woman with a phantom extra limb that she uses to scratch herself in places her other limbs can't reach. This phantom limb makes the itch go away. This is such a powerful illustration of the brain's construction of our experience. Have been using this to work on hives that have developed after insect bites--seems like itching could be TMS too.
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| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| stevenvp |
Posted - 05/06/2009 : 07:18:12
I fell into the same trap as Pan. Following my initial episode of severe back spasms about 1.5 years ago i was eventually diagnosed by MRI with a herniated disc. the orthopedic had me basically immobilized for a month and then use of a back brace for another 6-8 weeks. following that, i started a fairly aggressive physical therapy that forced me to use my back. needless to say, this caused me great anxiety and fear that manifested itself in the form of fasciculations (fine muscle twitches in feet and legs). had no idea at the time what was causing it, so went to see a neuro who did all these fancy tests and said "well, you're not showing any signs of ALS, but i cant rule it out". thanks Doc...that made me feel great. so, of course i check this all out on the internet and wouldn't you know i began a downward spiral into a viscious cycle of anxiety and fear that only made the twitches worse (more frequent and more locations).
finally, i saw a second neuro, who flat out said there is nothing wrong with you other than anxiety. a week later, the twitches were essentially gone....but, my back pain came back!!!
now, if i focus on it, i do notice that i have slight twitches from time to time, but i essentially ignore it because i know it is not harmful and not some serious disease. i wish i could apply the same principles with my back, but i am having a hard time detaching from the fear and anxiety over my back. |
| drziggles |
Posted - 05/06/2009 : 05:44:12
As you know, twitching is a fairly common manifestation of stress/TMS. In combination with the other symptoms, an evaluation would be indicated. The normal MRI 10 years ago is reassuring, but having a good recent neurological exam would also be helpful to ensure there is nothing else of concern.
Good luck to you! Naturally, you should consult your doctor before making any medical decisions. |
| pan |
Posted - 05/05/2009 : 19:08:50
When my anxiety first became a chronic physical condition one of the first symptoms was various muscular twitching. I fell into the trap of interpreting this as a sign of ALS and it was a downward spiral into more anxiety and hypochondria.
Even if you take TMS out of the loop here it is widely recognised that twitching is a manifestation of physical anxiety and as you state you have been under stress/anxiety due to the recent swine flu scare would it not therefore be safe to summise that this twitch is a result of that anxiety.
Most of my twitching has now subsided or gone altogether but I do still have an eyelid twitch that has been going strong every day for 18 months! All good fun eh |
| RageSootheRatio |
Posted - 05/05/2009 : 17:45:37
Yup, could definitely be TMS. I recall I also had twitching at one point in my TMS journey and I believe I even talked to my doctor about it and did internet searches on this topic ... and worried it was a neurological problem ... and actually I had *completely* forgotten about it until reading your post ! Don't recall when it went away, but it was just a "distraction".
Of course, usual disclaimer applies: none of us can diagnose anyone else over the internet and everyone should have anything serious ruled out by their doctor before assuming it is TMS, etc etc...
PS I've also had severe foot cramps which I've treated as a TMS equivalent, with success. |
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