Benign Fasciculation Syndrome and TMS

Pandagirl,

That is reassuring that your symptoms have improved that much. I am not quite there yet, but I am much better than I was.
It is also interesting what your therapist said about symptoms going away with meditation- When I meditate the twitching usually stops. I still have a minor bit of shaking but take this as a positive sign overall.
It is also really strange how many more dreams I have afterward. They feel like a dialogue with my unconscious and have been remarkably positive. It is like they are reflecting the journaling topics. I would never have thought this four months ago.

 

Chuck,

Very interesting. I definitely see some psychosomatic symptoms in myself. Hopefully this is the case. I think that there is a lot of good advice on this site. Thank you for bringing the article to my attention.

 

Joe- No need to reply to my comment on an already busy thread. I just wanted to add in YES it will resolve. I went through my spell of shaking/tremors. The internal stuff was the most disturbing. If felt like I had a motor buzzing away inside my gut. Or like those old motels beds were you could put a quarter into them to shake.
I still have passing spells of twitches and very occasionally limbs trembling at night. Depending on my mindset (like if I'm having a stab of anxiety with it or not), I'll ride it out with a "Hey! I'll enjoy the ride!" or I'll massage the area and tell my muscle to knock it off.

Hang in there...it WILL pass! And btw, welcome to the forum!

 

Joe - back from my Neuro apt today. It was actually interesting, he was more focused on my anxiety than my symptoms. He did do a few neuro tests, checked reflexes and such. I was taken back when he said well the only sure fire way to tell if you have MS or some other brain issue causing your issues is to do an MRI and asked when I wanted one.

I probed further and said do you think I need one or are you giving me one for piece of mind. He replied...for piece of mind. I said so you don't see an issue. His reply was , in my opinion no you seem fine. He said that MS usually presents much more intense and patients usually know something is wrong like loss of vision or loss of arm/leg usage/numb from waist down..he also said my relexes were less than average which I guess for a neuro issue is a good things vs. bad.

So we began to chat. He said it is very common for him to see worried people these days for no real reason. He said in my case he expects that the issue lies in my back someplace, maybe a pinched nerve caused by something but inflamed by anxiety. Can anyone say TMS?

So we left with him saying to relax. I said how do I fix my sciatica....and he said time will heal it so relax. So that's what I am gonna do. Relax....distress and resist the temptation for get an MRI.

Pandas notes are so inspirational to us with nerve related sensations. Gives me hope.

 

You go North Star. it is best to just ignore the symptoms we have, it will all go away!
We are just worriers, we can control that, we will!! We will be symptom free and not
even remember what we have been through. That's what Dr. Sarno says, I truly believe
in him. Know that we are very intelligent human beings, probably too intelligent and
feeling, that's ok, we will maybe not win the battle at some times but we will win the war!!
Love to you, Nancy

 

Pingman,

That's great news. Pretty much what my neuro said about the EMG- he wouldn't normally have sent me but he felt that the piece of mind I would get would merit the test. He was right in my case. About MS (As I have on and off blurred vision which I believe is tension) the neuro said pretty much the same thing to me; he said that I would know because optical neuritis is really painful. He also stressed that MS doesn't present by affecting the entire body at once- like my twitching/shaking. I wasn't really too worried about MS so I didn't have a MRI either (although my doctor still is considering sending me).

I am glad that you got some reassurance. I am sure that it will help you keep your focus.

 

North Star,

Very interesting. How long did it take for your symptoms to subside? I absolutely agree that the shaking is really annoying. And the buzzing in my foot feels like I am standing on a vibrating cell phone.

I really have been stretching and meditating a lot (aside from following the Structured program). I do honestly believe that tension is a huge issue with me. I did a couple of sets of body weight squats and push-ups and some light shoulders yesterday and felt okay today.

I think that recovery will oscillate. Good day today though!

Thanks to everyone who has commented.

 

Hi Joe,

Wondering if your BFS has subsided using the TMS approach? I have been experiencing twitches for almost a year now, doctor and neurologist couldn't find anything so I am pretty sure it is TMS related. What has worked best for you to reduce the twitching? Yoga and meditation do alleviate my symptoms but probably I need to make some lifestyle changes (reducing stress) to really see it calming down.

 

I feel like things are more manageable now but twitching, cramps, and tremors are still there but to a lesser degree. Slowing down and decreasing stress helps. I still can't exercise without my body really shaking and I don't do well when I don't get enough sleep. I had to take a bit of a break from constant introspection, because it felt that things were too intense. Talking and having the support of my girlfriend have helped a lot as has eating clean. I still hope that things will resolve. I don't take any Medes other than the odd Advil if the cramps are bad. Absolutely agree about reducing stress. I think that this will take some time to improve.

 

Joe - I got your reply in my email and it is funny, my hamstring started twitching. Now that I have finally healed my mind or way of thinking about my vision, twitching, tingles etc..... I am 100% better. My turning point was finally telling myself over an over I was fine until I tricked my mind into thinking well I was.

I also stopped talking about it with my wife an family....even took time away from th forum. I stopped allowing my mind to hear the negative messages I was sending it.

The sleep started to return to normal and after about 2 months of normal sleep again after 5 months of insomnia my body healed.

I still hav periods whe I sit and my body twitches and spasms but I laugh it off now and it goes away.

No matter what though....I will remain positive now even when faced with an issue. My negative period was life training for me. No negative cancer patients get better, you have to have a positive outlook in life.

So much good info on this site....good people willing to help. All of the information I was given wass spot on now that I am back to normal it blows me away that people are s willing to reach out and give so much time to help.

 

Sometimes our eyes get tired, so consider closing them for a while,
not watching a computer monitor or tv screen.
And while sitting or lying down with your eyes closed, breathe deeply and meditate,
thinking and feeling in the present moment.

The neck tension may also go away as you relax.

It's really something how we an stress ourselves out for no good reason.

A few nights ago while watching tv, after a long day on the computer,
my eyes began doing strange things and I didn't see clearly.
I immediately began worrying something was wrong with my eyes.

I closed my eyes and did what I suggested above, and in just a few minutes
I saw clearly again.

A few years ago I saw double vision. I worried about that too, that it was the start
of a permanent condition. It went away within an hour and never returned.

Tension can stress the nervous system and cause eye and other problems.
The best remedy I've found is relaxing, as I suggested above.

Hope this helps.

 

Pingman,
Very happy to hear that you are better. Interestingly I also took time away from the forum, and have tried to think positively- also meditate, and relax like Walt suggests. Things are better, but I get stuck in negative thought patterns.

Sleep is a huge issue. I just can't sleep later than 5 am no matter when I go to bed. I've been trying to go to sleep at 9pm, but I hear little kids playing outside

 

I love sleeping with the window open, to get some fresh air, but then wake up because someone driving around blares their car horn, or a car alarm goes off, or someone lights a firecracker a month before or after the 4th of July, or I hear kids screaming at play or a barking dog wanting its master to let it in.

So I sleep with the window closed most of time. I used to get real angry having to do that, but now I just put it down to the noisy world we live in.
I try not to let the noise make me angry, and instead do some deep breaking and tell myself a calming mantra and usually can go back to sleep.

 

Hi all worriers,
I just had to post here because I am currently using the fourm for guidance relating to another TMS manifestation im having (chronic epididymal/lower abdomen discomfort and pain)... And when I read this post I started to get my BFS symptoms back briefly!! (Funny huh?)
I can tell you now 100% BFS is essentially TMS and anxiety related. BFS was how my TMS all started... I went through what you all are going through.. Twitching in every part of my body, tingling in limbs, burning sensations, blurred vision, eye floaters.... You name it! It took the best part of a year and numerous visits to doctors to just take on the 'don't care' attitude... That was because I knew it was nothing is sinister after such time past... And tbh I was so sick and tired of worrying about it. I gave up!!

I do still get twitching but it has improved 90% and I don't really notice it if I'm honest (mainly because I'm focused on another manifestation now which is even worse... Great!) The best thing you can all do is let it go... Don't keep asking yourself 'why am I getting this.. It must be physical surely?!' ... Accept it's nothing and do anything to take your mind off it. I know it's eaiser said than done. And I'm no expert as I'm still suffering from TMS elsewhere. But I can say in confidence that BFS is psychological. The nervous system is on overload!

All the best,
George

 

Joe (or anyone else who has posted with similar symptoms),

How have your symptoms been? I just found this thread and noticed that I have the same exact symptoms. Still worried, of course.

 

Hey mdh -

I haven't been on the site for awhile but was notified of your post so I thought I would share an update. So many on here were critical to my healing which I am glad to say is still in place. You can read through the posts and some of my others how my psychosomatic symptoms really had me messed up.

I am happy to report that I am still 100% better, I would say 110% now that I have also figured out my sleeping issues. I am back to sleeping all night again after waking up 3X a night for potty breaks. This was all due to drinking diet coke. No clue why but when I stopped after a few weeks I was normal.

I still have the occasional twitch ad have even developed some tendonitis in my hands on occasion. I am mentally prepared though to handle each and put things in perspective. I have alsmot fallen into the old routine a few time..just ever so slightly but I remind myself that there is nothing majorly wrong, everyone has pains here and there. I know that my mind is capable of exaggerating the feelings and if I am not careful allowing them to simulate real conditions like Sarno said. It is rather easy to bring myself now back to reality.

I was living in the future in every way in life. Working like a dog to give my family a certain life and prepping for the future. Worried about how my son would be when he got older and trying to mold him in every way now to be a good man. Worried about the country and how our morals are degrading..worried about the place my grandchildren would have to live in. I was so caught up in the what ifs...I never stopped to smell the roses. So when health anxiety hit...my mind was only trained to think about the future with any or all of the diseases Dr. Google said I could have.


My advice is try and bring your mind back to the current time. Mediation is actually a good tool I used. I am spiritual so I would relax in a quiet room and sit with my legs crossed and my right hand on my stomach and my left on my chest. I would repeat the follow:

Jesus
Jesus Be
Jesus Be With
Jesus Be With Me
Jesus Be With Me Now

I would take a deep breath in as I would say this and as I exhaled I would feel my breathing and listen to the sounds around me, just noticing them and then return to my chant.

I don't feel the need to do this anymore but it was great at the time. I retrained my brain to think more in the present tense and one day it just all made sense to me. No Dr. had any proof I was sick in any way, I was the only one who thought I couldn't get better. What the heck am I doing!!

Try and get back to the present and replace the anxiety and worry about the what if with what you know to be true.

 

thank you Pingman........going to work on this stuff, hopefully i'll get some good results. Unfortunately it's not going to happen overnight.

 

You will get good results, you will get better for sure. You have already recognized that your mind is playing a role and that is the first step. Don't sell yourself short either as far as time goes. You have the power now.

 

I haven't been here in ages, but like Pingman got an email notification.

I am a lot better, but still have some issues. I have extreme exercise intolerance. I used to be really active and fit, but I get really shaky and crampy if I exert myself more than walking. Still have shakes/tremors especially at night.

Overall though it isn't terrible anymore.

I used a lot of tiger balm to cope with the leg cramps, and baths as well. Other than that I really eat clean (always have) and be sure to relax my mind as Pingman mentioned.

I didn't try and drugs or anything like that. Just keeping a positive attitude and living my life.

 

thanks for the reply.......i'm having a bad day today, was fine this am, went for a 1 1/4 mile hike and then started getting slow continuous fascics in my RT lower calf......usually i have the one hitters or a faster twitch that goes away when I move. Now I'm scared again and looking at my inside rt ankle thinking it has atrophy.

Relaxing my mind is proving to be almost impossible, can do it for a little while but I always seem to regress.