Internal Tremors and Muscle Twitches Options

[broomhilda]

hi,i,m new to this site, and i just kind of stumbled on it. it's great.for the last year and a half i've been experiencing alot of strange symptoms in my body, and i'm wondering if there is anyone out there with the same or similar symptoms.   my symptoms are as follows:internal tremors.(mostly when i fall asleep and at waking. they are usually in left chest area, but sometimes all over.muscle twitches. started on left calf, but now all overtwitching in my thumb. buzzing in feet and handssweatingringing in the earspain in muscles and joints,neck , back and left arm worse.the list goes on and on.   went to neurologist who just checked me every few months to see if symptoms were getting worse. finally sent me to have an mri done. results still pending. that was in august.(probably have to pick up test results myself) ha ha. he has done no other tests to speak of. said i definately have neuro. damage but can't tell me what it is.will not rule out any neuro diseases as he does not know. he stated that he doesn't think i have any brain related disease such as parkinsons or ms or als, which is what i thought i might have.   he put me on paxil, and it has helped to calm my nerves. i've been so scared that i have ms or something.   i'm 47 years old and my periods are fluxuating. my hormone level showed nothing unusual, but i know they are not reliable.   the doctors so far have not been able to help me, and i'm taking vitamins to help with the symptoms.   the symptoms have not gotten worse over the last 2 years, but i do experience different ones at times. also i have noticed that my symptoms are worse about a week or so before my period.oh yeah. i have these tremors etc. every night.   i'd appreciate any info about my problems, and maybe ease my mind that i don't have some dreaded disease., but instead am entering into the infamous perimenopause.   thanks alot broomhilda  

[Snowbird]

broomhilda, Hi!!

Welcome aboard!!  I'm so glad you have found this site....it will help in many of your concerns with menopause.First let me list the 34 Signs of Menopause, for your interest:

1.  Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats &/or cold flashes, clammy feeling. (related to increased activity in the autonomic/sympathetic nervous system).2.  Bouts of rapid heartbeat. (related to increased activity in the autonomic/sympathetic nervous system)3.  Irritability4.  Mood swings, sudden tears.5.  Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)6.  Irregular periods: shorter, lighter or heavier periods, flooding. & phantom periods.7.  Loss of libido8.  Dry vagina9.  Crashing fatigue.10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease.11. Feelings of dread, apprehension, & doom.12. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, & mental confusion.13. Disturbing memory lapses.14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing.15. Itchy, crawly skin (feeling of ants crawling under the skin, not just dry, itchy skin)16. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons..17. Increased tension in muscles.18. Breast tenderness.19. Headache change: increase or decrease.20. Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea.21. Sudden bouts of bloat.22. Depression (has a quality from other depression, the inability to cope is overwhelming, there is a feeling of a loss of self.  Hormone therapy, ameliorates the depression dramatically).23. Exacerbation of existing conditions.24. Increase in allergies.25. Weight gain.26. Hair loss or thinning. head or whole body, increase in facial hair.27. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance.28. Changes in body odor.29. Electric shock sensation under the skin & in the head ("take the feeling of a rubber band snapping against the skin, multiply it (exponentially, sometimes) radiate it & put it in the layer of tissues between skin & muscles & sometimes a precursor to a hot flash)"30. Tingling in the extremities (can also be a symptom of B-12 deficiency, diabetes, or from an  alteration in the flexibility of blood viessels in the extremities.)31. Gum problems, increased bleeding.32. Burning tongue.33. Osteoporosis (after several years)34. Brittle fringernail, which peel & break easily.

Some add'l signs from Dearest:

--acne--skin eruptions--itching wildly and erratic rashes--shoulder pain/joint/arthritis flare-up or development--internal shaking/tremor-like feelings.

Hope that helped with some of your concerns!!Keep posting and keep reading!!If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask;)

((((Hugs))))~*Snowy*~

(Edited by Snowbird at 3:50 pm on Oct. 8, 2001)

[Irene Crites]

Welcome broomhilda,  As usual our gal Snowy has offered the best information anyone could have.  I'm sure in going over the list of 34 Signs of Menopause you have been able to relate to many of them.  Keep posting and reading and please visit the rest of the website as Dearest has provided a fund of information throughout the site. The message boards are just a piece of what is available to us all.  Again Welcome, blessings and be well.

[MAB]

Hi, I've just read your list of menopausal symptoms and was relieved to see that  I am not alone, I've been lucky to have only a few  physical problems to date but I seem to be getting a few more.  I have to admit that some of the symptoms can be quite frightening.  I keep telling myself that they won't last forever but when you're not feeling too great that's of little comfort.   Warmest wishes to all you ladies.  

[broomhilda]

hi girls,   thanks to all of you who replied to my posting. i really appreciate it. i feel much calmer about my symptoms. now at least i have something to work with. i will make an appointment with a gynocologist and see if he can't throw some light on the picture. never been to one so i guess it's time. if any of you hear of someone who also has muscle twitches along with the other numerous symptoms, please let me know.   i'm greateful to you guys for easing my fears.   take care all of you

  broomhilda

[Linda]

Hi Broomhilda,

You're not alone!  I twitch, and buzz too, and I have a friend who does it also.  Mine started last April, also in my calves.  In the last six months everything from my scalp to my toes has twitched.  A specific spot might twitch just once, or off and on for a couple of weeks.  My calves and feet are almost constant.  I get big twitches, small twitches, fast ones, and slow ones.

I haven't been to a neurologist, but my internist says it's nothing to worry about.

I was afraid of having a disease too.  But I'm starting to realize that, after six months, I would be showing other signs by now.   I sometimes get terrible aches and pains in various places, but have found that exercising the affected muscle actually helps a lot.

Good luck.  You're not in this alone!

[Dearest]

I'm reposting this message from a couple of months ago because it may be helpful to a newcomer, or someone else who hasn't read it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I repeat over and over on the site that any complaints a woman has during menopause should not automatically be attributed to the process of menopause. That's an important dislaimer. In short, before assuming, not that you are, that any of the things you've mentioned in your message are associated with peri or postmenopause, you should be checked by a doctor you respect, trust and admire -- one who listens to you and doesn't just hand you a prescription to resolve your problems.

That having been said, let me tell you that during those "worst" years of perimenopause, I experienced SO MANY strange, inexplicable and, oftentimes, bizarre feelings in my body, I conjured up notions of having a brain tumor, Parkinson's Disease, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Menniere's Disease, a heart condition, paralysis, a potential stroke, glaucoma -- have I left anything out? And I say none of this with humor.

Perimenopause is the singularly most uncomfortable time of a woman's life. I've posted many times about the internal shaking. It's been my nemesis and continues this day to plague me.

I had the facial tremors and buzzing sensations on a daily basis. The feelings were so strange, they almost defy description. No one could see it, but it felt as though I were having a stroke. I'd often experience numbness in my face and on my left side at the same time -- a red flag would go up because I thought I was definitely having a coronary situation or stroke. Facial ticks, facial tremors, an electrical buzzing in the back of my neck and various parts of my body drove me to distraction.

The good part about this story is that most of those symptoms DO go away once you've been without a period for about a year or two. Those feelings, in the majority of cases, are due to the hormonal fluctuations your body is experiencing. Imagine turning the thermostat in your house up and down a dozen or more times a day. Your house wouldn't know whether to turn on the heat or air conditioning.

Our bodies become very sensitized during this process. Feelings are frightening -- we can walk around for days feeling vertigo/dizziness and/or a ringing in the ears (tinnitus). There were days I had to grab onto a bannister or railing for fear that I was going to fall over. My legs still pose a problem -- becoming weak and feeling as if they're not going to support me any longer. Pain in the feet, calves, shoulders, joints aching and paining often to the point of bringing tears to your eyes.

My suggestion to you would be to get yourself a thorough examination by your doctor. Have a blood workup, sugar test, thyroid, hormone levels, total lipid / cholesterol profile. Insist on an Echo cardiogram, not just a cardiogram.

Our bodies are composed of so many different types of hormones -- not just estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Our bodies react to the constant ebb and flow of these hormone levels. Our central nervous system, nerve endings produce electrical impulses. Those electrical impulses are felt differently by every woman. Some women never feel them, while others are fraught with all sorts of strange sensations.

Once you've been given a clean bill of health by your doctor, the singularly most important thing you need to do during perimenopause is do relaxation techniques. Learn breathing exercises. Use the paper bag method I have described in many areas of the Web site and on these boards. Feed yourself affirmations every day that this, too, shall pass -- that you are not dying -- that although you feel as if your body is going to hell in a handbasket and you're never going to survive this transition, you will. That, most importantly, there is nothing to be afraid of even though it feels at times like someone is holding a gun to your head and ready to pull the trigger.

Oh, Lord, would it were so that they'd find a way for women NOT to have to go through menopause. And, further, I am sick of hearing *some* people say that it's all in our minds, or it's our nerves, or if we had better things to do with our time, we wouldn't think about it. I've never stopped being busy during this transition, but that didn't ease the symptoms.

To those people, I say ... until you've walked a mile in another person's shoes, you can't know what they are going through. Women in menopause aren't hypochondriacs. I have to be dragged and feeling as if I'm not long for the world before I go to the doctor. Why? Because during perimenopause, I have learned... doctors don't have answers to most of our questions other than to prescribe tranquilizers or anti-depressants or hormones.... and although some of these medications may help in the short term and to get you over the "hump" of perimenopause, most of them don't work in the long term -- or through the duration of perimenopause and it concerns me that there are no real long-term studies on these SSRI's (anti-depressants).

If you feel you need to take something to get through this process, absolutely take it. Don't make a martyr or yourself. However, remember, these medications only temporarily mask the symptoms. Learning ways to relax and cope with the changes you're undergoing works far better over the long haul than anything else.

I have provided various relaxation and breathing techniques on this, the anxiety and the panic boards that can be tremendously helpful.

It has been my experience and I believe that of many other women who've passed through Power Surge over the seven years it's been online that once you are in the throes of perimenopause, for about one or two years -- perhaps a third (but not often), you will experience every conceivable symptom on the list of 34 symptoms (I posted somewhere this morning, but can't remember). I went through severe migraines and was *never* a headache person in my life. They lasted about a year or two - on and off, not every day, but they eventually stopped. I went through the facial tremors, buzzing experience as though I'd had my finger in an electrical socket. The migraines and severe palpitations, hot flashes, night sweats, crying and severe mood swings, horrific depression so much so that at times I would put my head on the pillow at night and whisper to God, "Please, if I have to feel this way tomorrow, let me not wake up."

Those feelings -- horrible as they are -- don't generally last for the full transitional period. They usually occur during the worst phase of perimenopause and only last about a year or two. That doesn't mean you won't ever experience them again in some milder form, but the severity and frequency will certainly decrease -- and hormone therapy isn't the magical answer. Many women using hormones still experience many of these symptoms.

Just remember that as long as you've been given the okay regarding your health by your health care provider, these are symptoms of menopause and, yes, I say symptoms. People have said to me, "Why do you call them symptoms? Menopause isn't an illness."

I tell them that I know menopause isn't technically an illness, but seeing as how I have never felt worse in my life, I will not say that I am well.

I get very passionate about this subject and one of the reasons I've kept Power Surge an independent entity is because it allows me the opportunity to express myself without wondering who's going to pay the bills if I tell the truth about the medical profession and some of the techniques of the pharmaceutical companies.

I will never get rich from Power Surge, but knowing that this community has helped so many women understand what they're going through without just dumping medical abstracts at them and pushing pills on them has been the most gratifying and "freeing" experience of my life.

Become your own best friend. Learn the situations and people to avoid. Stay away from toxic people, toxic foods. Turn off the news. Don't listen to all the stresses and tragedies in the world. Try to surround yourself with as much peace and quiet as you can.

Finally, let me add my favorite words -- this, too, shall pass. Believe me, I thought in my heart I would never survive menopause, but the internal shaking eases up even though it's hell while you're going through it. The palps will stop as well. It just takes time and a LOT of patience!

Be good to your body and it will return the favor in spades.

Dearest

[Joline]

Amen!!!!  Very well said.  I want to thank you for all your help and kind words, you certainly are an inspiration to all women.

[Tazz]

broomhilda,

I know exactly what you're going through with the twitches.  Mine started suddenly about 7 months ago with a sustained twitching in my right eyelid.  I only noticed because it lasted so long - I considered eyelid twitches pretty common after all.  Then I started noticing that the muscles in my forearm were twitching, and my left index finger seemed to have a mind of its own, twitching from side to side for 10-20 seconds off and on during the day. (Made typing an interesting challenge! )  Then I started feeling the twitches in my calfs, and a couple of times it felt as though my lips were twitching.  I got so frightened, believing that I was in the throes of MS or ALS. - especially since at the same time I was feeling overwhelmingly fatigued  for no apparent reason.  I made an appointment with my GP, who on the first visit prescribed sleeping meds, and took a blood panel...and on the follow-up told me that the blood panel was completely normal and it was all in my head..and suggested a psychiatrist. I tried to ask if it could be related to menopause, and he refused to discuss it.  I think he hates women.  I consulted another family physician who examined me, did more blood work,  said there was only a very small chance that I was experiencing any kind of medical problem, and suggested a psychologist!!!

Anyway, that's my bad news...my  good news is that the twitches have slowly decreased, and the fatigue did get better  for a while...although I seem to be re-entering the cycle, with muscle fatigue and some twitching again..I still get scared sometimes - but I always feel better reading these boards. And the fact that I did have a short space of time where I felt better convinces me that this is all related to hormonal cycling and fluctuations.

I am 53 and have been slowly slipping into perimenopause for the past 10 years.  For the past couple of years, up until the past two months, I have been having my period only about every 2-3 months.  Now, I've had one in both september and october - and have experienced the night sweats and the internal shaking beginning this past April.  

I think you're very courageous to face your fears and take your concerns to a neurologist - I'm too scared to even do that.  I DID go to a psychologist though, and she is really helping me with my anxiety and lots of other issues that have raised their ugly heads in the last few years...What the heck - I figure it couldn't hurt, and it might help! :biggrin:

I also spoke with the surgeon who did my breast cancer surgery - I adore and respect him so much- after all, he saved my life - and I described what I had been going through.  He said it all sounded like menopause symptoms to him. Although he didn't do any tests, that helped me so much - just because he listened to me, and because I think he knows what he's talking about.

I guess I really haven't said anything helpful here, but please know you're not alone in what you're going through.  Just think how happy we'll be when we finally emerge on the other side of all this - I plan a MAJOR celebration.

I wish you peace of mind and tranquility.  Please keep in touch.

[broomhilda]

hi tazz,   thanks so much for your response. i do appreciate hearing from you. at times i still think this can't be menopause, it's got to be parkinsons.   these last few days my internal tremors and muscle twitches have been worse again. and the muscle aches in my left arm and shoulder are driving me nuts. i am still waiting to go see a gynocologist, so i'm still very hopeful that he will tell me"YES IT"S MENOPAUSE".   what scares me most i guess it's that it's mostly concentrated on my left side. it would really help to know if this is true for other women also.   anyway my mind has been eased alot since finding this site. i keep telling myself it is menopause.   so thanks alot tazz and good health to you.   i will certainly celebrate when this is over. should only be another 10 years or so. ha ha!

  broomhilda

[Tazz]

Broomhilda,

Did I forget to mention that my left shoulder and arm are giving me fits? (Isn't it amazing that our symptoms seem so much alike?) :biggrin:  I can't really describe the discomfort except to say that is doesn't hurt exactly, it just feels like there's a sort of "heavy achiness" that starts somewhere near the edge of my shoulder blade and then moves to different places in my shoulder joint and arm.  It kind of feels like it would help if I could "pop" my shoulder joint, but all the gyrations I engage in  don't help much.  Today, the left side of the back of my neck seems to be involved too.  Each day brings a different manifestation..Oh well, at least we don't get bored (or boring when we complain to all who will listen :biggrin:)

I hope you will post the results of your gyno visit. I'm really interested to hear what he/she says.

[Carebear]

Dear Broomhilda,I too have had all kinds of funny sensations since having a full hysterectomy two years ago.  I am on estrogen replacement and have had similar symptoms to yours.  I get fuzzy/tingly feelings in my feet and around my face. Also, I get twitches in my legs and arms.  The worst symptom is the internal tremours,  sometimes its like a pulsating type of tremour other times its like an electric current going through me.  My husband can feel it when I am lying in bed trying to fall asleep.  When I am under stress I feel it more and find it harder to get to sleep at night.  I have talked to my doctor about it and she seemed surprised at my symptoms and changed my estrogen but it hasn't really helped.  I was thinking of maybe trying a patch type ert but haven't so far.  I had mentioned Parkinson's to my doctor but she thought I was over reacting to the symptoms.  Last night I hardly slept because the tremours were so bad.I was quite releived to hear other peoples' stories and am comforted by the fact that I am not alone.

[juju]

Hi, Another buzzer and twitcher checking in! I have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia since the age of 26 but had no sensory problems until I was 40! Then I began with buzzing,which was terrible down the spine,like a fierce electric current. The twithing was like hundreds of small heartbeats under the skin,again all over,but the thing I really can't bear is the burning,scalded skin...like severe sunburn. At the moment my spine feels `skinned` and I am bleeding constantly (72 days so far) I am assuming that hormone problems are worse on top of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...unless I have been peri since age 26 LOL! I am now 45

[Tina]

I am brand new to the twitching club and very scared about it, fearing some terrible disease. It started a few days ago in my ankles and calves, mostly on the right side though. I feel it slightly in the left...like the previous poster stated it feels like tiny heartbeats under the skin. I have had my eyelid twitch every now and then over the years but never my legs. I am hoping it is just peri related since I have had peri symptoms for six years and they are always changing....one symptom will go away for a bit and be replaced by another....I am still having periods, about every three weeks although the flow is a little less than it used to be...they are still 8 to ten days long though...I am 49 now...will be 50 next May....So I need some reassurance that the leg twitches can be a peri symptom...I am sick with worry. I will mention it to my dr. at my next visit....

[PixieGirl]

Tina,
It's not unusual to be frightened by this symptom....it is so wierd and so unnerving! I have twitches all over, in addition to internal shaking/vibration feelings, and buzzing in my ankles - could be in a leg one day, then somewhere else the next day. I even get them on my head! I hate these things, but have come to realize that they are due to hormones, and just knowing that is the cause rather than some neurological disease helps me to cope. Magnesium has helped a lot, also B-Complex. Anxiety makes this symptom worse, and of course the symptom makes you anxious, so it takes some time to conquer this circle of emotion and twitching.

You are not alone. There are many many twitchers on this site who started out believing they had some awful disease, only to realize after months of worry that it was hormones. It does help to get checked out just to ease your mind...helps with the anxiety over it.

[TeeJay]

Hi Tina,

Pixie is right. After many doctors visits, time, and research I realized this was perimenopause. I have twitches, tingles and vibration in my feet and legs....mostly left side for me. At times these will go away for a day or so only to return in a slightly different spot on perhaps in the same spot again. I also have tingles and twitching elsewhere. I have the internal vibration at times. Do whatever it takes to put your mind at ease, but I wouldn't be surprised if you come back and tell us it is hormones.

We know exactly what you are going through....

TeeJay

[Tina]

My twitching in my right calf and foot seems much milder the last couple of days...and on the left side I can barely feel any twitching at all....But it hasn't stopped completely so I am still going to tell the dr. about it on Monday...it does make me feel a little better that it seems to be subsiding a little though...I am hoping that is a good sign...

[Sabreena]

Hi, I m new to this site also. I have been having those internal tremors or vibrations all over. Some days are very noticable and some days not. I have also the muscle twitching and internal shakiness that is hard to discribe. The first time about 4 and1/2 years ago it was much worse and lasted about 6 weeks then stopped until about a week ago. I am 51 and started having irregular periods. Its' kinda of scary. I don't think it is MS or anything but still I still worry. It seems to come and then I start having trouble with my periods. So there must be some correlation. Sometimes I feel like a Giant tuning fork. Its hardest to bear at night. Benydral seems to help. If anyone else has any input, that would be great. I feel alone and my husband doesn't seem interested. You know men.
Thanks, Cheer

[owl]

my mum read an article today on perimenopause and muscle twitches. i started having muscle twitches over 12 months ago. I was woken up the night and my face and then my whole body started going into twitches and spasm. It affected my speech and I couldn't talk properly for a couple of weeks. I've seen neurologists and they say it is isn't anything life threatening. I've seen a psychologist and he feels it's psychological although I've really battled with this as I am a very confident and calm person on the whole. I feel like I'm fed up of being told I'm stressed when i feel no signs of it. My sister went through early menopause and so my mum thought that maybe i was experiencing perimenopause although I'm not sure if my symptoms of twitches and spasms would be so strong? They have reduced considerably now but when they were at their height they seemed to be worse when i was premenstrual. My periods also became really short, sometimes lasting only 1- days. They're still not very heavy but have increased slightly. I was also extremely tearful and had really bad spots breaking out and I've always had really good skin. I don't know if I'm just clutching at straws to think that it is actually something physical and not accepting it is a psychological problem - but when I'm watching the telly relaxed with my children and it just suddenly happens - I can't understand why. Fast moving pictures can also set it off in my face and my head shoots to the side. if anyone has this strength of spasms and twitches I'd really like to hear from you.

[choco]

Hi owl! Welcome to Power- Surge! If you've been to a neurologist (i did as well) and he's given you the all clear then don't worry. I was told that my tremors were due to anxiety and got sick of people telling me that. Some women have said they experience actual spasms and twitches that you are talking about. I personally have tremors and twitches (muscles) I noticed when I was due to ovulate and the week before my period was due the tremors would be worse. I haven't had a period for 16months now and still have tremors Actually this week my legs have been going silly so I feel as though this would have been a time of ovulation or period. Like phantom symptoms. If you do become anxious over them they can be worse. It's best to accept the tremors.I know what you mean by saying as soon as you sit down with the kids tremors start. I had them so bad in my legs, and the muscle twitches that they were with me 24/7 but they have become less. I haven't had tremors as bad as what they are at the moment for a few months.
My periods became shorter, 3 days for months then 2 then 1 then none!!
Have a look at the boards and the general information here and you will see you are not alone!! It helps to read everything, find there are lots of ladies out there going through the same thing as you.
Cheers choco

[nic]

my mum read an article today on perimenopause and muscle twitches. i started having muscle twitches over 12 months ago. I was woken up the night and my face and then my whole body started going into twitches and spasm. It affected my speech and I couldn't talk properly for a couple of weeks. I've seen neurologists and they say it is isn't anything life threatening. I've seen a psychologist and he feels it's psychological although I've really battled with this as I am a very confident and calm person on the whole. I feel like I'm fed up of being told I'm stressed when i feel no signs of it. My sister went through early menopause and so my mum thought that maybe i was experiencing perimenopause although I'm not sure if my symptoms of twitches and spasms would be so strong? They have reduced considerably now but when they were at their height they seemed to be worse when i was premenstrual. My periods also became really short, sometimes lasting only 1- days. They're still not very heavy but have increased slightly. I was also extremely tearful and had really bad spots breaking out and I've always had really good skin. I don't know if I'm just clutching at straws to think that it is actually something physical and not accepting it is a psychological problem - but when I'm watching the telly relaxed with my children and it just suddenly happens - I can't understand why. Fast moving pictures can also set it off in my face and my head shoots to the side. if anyone has this strength of spasms and twitches I'd really like to hear from you.

Hi Owl,
I twitch and I can assure you that it is not psychological! For me it started 2 years ago when I came back home from a lovely vacation completely relaxed... .
What exactly did the article your mum read say about twitching and perimenopause? Is it written by a scientist or a doctor?
That would be the first time I know that there must be a relationship between the two "conditions".
Thanks for taking the time to answer!

Nic

[patty123]

Hi Owl,

I have had the same thing you describe for the past 3 months. It began suddenly with incredibly strong muscle twitches in my legs that progressed to my arms, face, abdomen and even my tongue sometimes! It is mostly at rest and when I wake up in the morning or trying to go to sleep. My muscles feel weak and achy and they tire much more easily than before. I had some muscle cramping as well but that was much relieved with quinine tablets. The twitching is a little better and I am trying magnesium for that. I went to 2 neurologists who did MRI and EMG which were normal and they think this is post-viral. None of the docs I went to including my Gyn think it is due to peri but I feel there is at least a hormonal component because I feel it is affecting my whole body. Go to a neurologist for re-assurance and also make sure they evaluate your thyroid function which can cause muscle trouble if it's off.

Hang in there!

Patty

[chesli]

I have been dealing with this for nearly 2 years! Talk about anxiety!!! The muscle twitching has been the worst. It's been in every single part of my body. If there is a muscle there, it has twitched. Got really worried when it started happening in my face and tongue. The vibrating tremors are crazy! I was about to totally lose my mind when I stumbled onto the site via a google search. I thought it was a long shot to relate this to hormones but I started noticing some patterns. And I KNEW my hormones were changing because the older I get, the worse PMS gets and my periods have changed and I started growing that single little black hair out of my chin like my grandma . This web site has reduced my stress level and saved my sanity!!!

[patty123]

I'm right with you chesli!!

I have the dreaded tongue twitching as well and my tongue gets numb sometimes so it's hard to talk! I have had these symptoms for 3 months and just when I thought I would really lose it I found this site and it has helped immensely-you are not alone.

Hang in there!

patty

[chesli]

I'm right with you chesli!!

I have the dreaded tongue twitching as well and my tongue gets numb sometimes so it's hard to talk! I have had these symptoms for 3 months and just when I thought I would really lose it I found this site and it has helped immensely-you are not alone.

Hang in there!

patty

Thanks so much Patty,
I can't begin to tell you the difference in the way I feel today compared to yesterday before I found this web site. It's like night and day. Right now as I type this, my legs have that soft vibrating feel which isn't as bothersome to me as the twitching. I'm still twitching, but not as much and the tip of my tongue just feels tingly. Other than that I feel great!
I know my hormones are in a mess right now because today is day 1. I'm sure in a few days I will level out some and feel better. Thanks for responding... it helps.
chesli

[Iradan]

Thanks so much Patty,
I can't begin to tell you the difference in the way I feel today compared to yesterday before I found this web site. It's like night and day. Right now as I type this, my legs have that soft vibrating feel which isn't as bothersome to me as the twitching. I'm still twitching, but not as much and the tip of my tongue just feels tingly. Other than that I feel great!
I know my hormones are in a mess right now because today is day 1. I'm sure in a few days I will level out some and feel better. Thanks for responding... it helps.
chesli

Guys,
I had twitching muscles :eye lids, stomach, legs for since my late 30s, before i was even thinking of menopause. At one point, I got so crazy about jerking stomach muscles, that I thought I am pregnant, LOL, even I had my tubes tightened. It was really like baby kicking, and quite visible. My left ye lids was twitching non-stop for couple years and then twitching stopped, but was replaced with tingling ( my tongue would suddenly go sort of numb), or my arms would start cramping and tingling, and lately I have really tense and achy muscles in my upper back, neck and in my upper tighs, that hurt like Charlie horse.
Oh, did I mention vibrating and buzzing feet, electric shock like sensation on my back, scalp, skin getting tight and achy?
Yep, all of this is much worse during ovulation and week before period. I am on lose dose xanax and it helps, some days more than others, but IT IS ANXIETY, believe it or not, it is wicked hormonal fluxes that keep my body in constant "fight or flight" response state, which is causes physical ANXIETY. This is different than phobia like anxiety and can arise even if you are in very relaxed state ( during night sleep), have no exogenous stress whatsoever. I get anxiety when I sneeze, cough, or even eat, LOL, and it is all because we got "stuck" in high gear, once the switch is turned on, it is hard to turn it off.
I doubt that we all have serious neurological diseases here, this pins and needles can are sure sings of declining estrogen, some days it drops really low, and our skin as well as every living cell in our body has estrogen receptors.
They say that menopause does not occur in ovaries only, it is in our brain mostly.
So, stop worrying, and treat symptoms regardless if you stressed in your life or not, either treat it with HRT or just symptomatic with tranquilizers, herbal supplements and vitamins ( did not do much for me), or try meditation, relaxation, whatever works for you.
I know it is really hard and makes you worry sick, but hopefully, it will pass. I see many symptoms passed, so this shall pass one day.
Hugs to everyone,
I.

[Crazy in CA]

Great Advice Ira!!!! Ditto that!

[stockey]

Okay ,i know it's a womans board lol,but for a man ,what can it be? we don't get menopause,i got tiny fast muscle twitches on the top of my left foot,they usually got at bed time, doesn't hurt at all,just anoying.

[mrsbuff]

hi,i,m new to this site, and i just kind of stumbled on it. it's great.for the last year and a half i've been experiencing alot of strange symptoms in my body, and i'm wondering if there is anyone out there with the same or similar symptoms.   my symptoms are as follows:internal tremors.(mostly when i fall asleep and at waking. they are usually in left chest area, but sometimes all over.muscle twitches. started on left calf, but now all overtwitching in my thumb. buzzing in feet and handssweatingringing in the earspain in muscles and joints,neck , back and left arm worse.the list goes on and on.   went to neurologist who just checked me every few months to see if symptoms were getting worse. finally sent me to have an mri done. results still pending. that was in august.(probably have to pick up test results myself) ha ha. he has done no other tests to speak of. said i definately have neuro. damage but can't tell me what it is.will not rule out any neuro diseases as he does not know. he stated that he doesn't think i have any brain related disease such as parkinsons or ms or als, which is what i thought i might have.   he put me on paxil, and it has helped to calm my nerves. i've been so scared that i have ms or something.   i'm 47 years old and my periods are fluxuating. my hormone level showed nothing unusual, but i know they are not reliable.   the doctors so far have not been able to help me, and i'm taking vitamins to help with the symptoms.   the symptoms have not gotten worse over the last 2 years, but i do experience different ones at times. also i have noticed that my symptoms are worse about a week or so before my period.oh yeah. i have these tremors etc. every night.   i'd appreciate any info about my problems, and maybe ease my mind that i don't have some dreaded disease., but instead am entering into the infamous perimenopause.   thanks alot broomhilda  

Hello,
My name is Bea and I know how you feel. My symptoms started 4 months ago with tingling feet. Now I get the twitches, like you, mainly in the left calf (especially at night) but it moves around, butt, eyelid, even around my mouth now. I also started the buzzing in left foot and now the funny felling and fuzzy feeling under my toes and in my brain today if feels bad (like a cold tingling or pricking or hair that hurts, hard to describe) as I am writing to you. I have a very good friend who shares the same symptoms and her doctor, who has seen many cases in his career says it is menopause related. I just got an EMG done and it revealed nothing; the doctor told me not to worry about MS. Some days, I can handle it, some others, my anxiety takes the best of me. I have always had anxiety but now it is more pronounced because i seem to have a different symptom every day and it seems that i cannot control my body any longer or better yet can't recognize it. Back ackes out of nowhere (mainly tailbone), ringing in the ears or coming from the neck. Weird fuzzy tongue that gets really dry at night like cardboard and as well, funny feeling in one eye when I wake up, can't seem to focus properly and it takes few minutes until I can see properly. I had my blood work done and came back normal. No test on my hormones yet, I am not fully menopause but stopped mentruating 10 months ago. My anxiety level is high as like you I fear a dreaded disease. All the symptoms you listed I have had and my friend told me that she shares the same. So I understand how you feel. My doctor sent me for an assessment to a psychiatrist who told me I could benefit from Xanax and Klonopin (forgot the name it is a tranqualizer for anxiety). I am not sure if i want to take them.
I am sorry you are having all those symptoms as I know how it feels to wake up in the middle of night in total panic. Sometimes I stay up for 2 hours and just cry forever. I am also on a regiment of vitamins. I also take magnesium at night to help the muscles twitches but you have to be careful with the dosage as it can give you diarrhea so I try not to take it every night. I also started yoga which really help with anxiety as I try to use their breathing technique during the day.
Hope to read back from you. I check my messages at night when I wake up. Usually around 2:30am in the morning. Hope today was a symptom free premenopausal day (hey we could make it a national day).
take care
Bea from Canada