Every so often I get these uncontrolable muscle twitches, typically in my eye/eyelids. It's not a tick or anything I have ANY bit of control over. If it's not too bad, I can take some Ativan which seems to help a bit, but that is obviously only a temporary fix and the twitches (more often than not) will come back the next day. Once, when I was having a longer period of very high anxiety/PTSD symptoms, I started getting these spasms all over my body.

When it is bad, I get VERY self-conscious, and once even went into work with sunglasses for a week and told everyone that I had conjunctivitis--(like that is any better).

I have discussed this with my doctors, but they never really have any good suggestions. (Once I was told that it was due to a lack of potassium from not eating, even though I WAS eating and had not had an eating disorder for years.) I was also told that I could get Botox injections to freeze the muscles, but it may not work or I may then get twitches in other parts of my body. (Yeah, and I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of having one of those frozen Joan-Rivers-type faces.)

So the twitches are back once again. I've been fighting them for a couple of weeks, and so far they haven't been too bad. But, for one thing, I'm afraid they will get worse (which often happens), and the other issue is that I have a date tomorrow and I don't want him to notice and think I'm a total freak.

If anybody else tends to have these and know something that works to stop them, please let me know.

Thanks,
Nic

There are weeks when I get twitches in my neck. It happens when I remember something awkward or uncomfortable that I did... my therapist said I was cringing. I don't know if yours is triggered by something similar?

Naturally, it doesn't happen when I'm not mulling over my past...

Hmm...it does tend to happen more when I have had a few bad PTSD days, but sometimes I feel like it happens for no good reason at all.

Athletic trainers tell me potassium is good for cramps... I used to eat lots of bananas to prevent the charlie horses I used to get in my sleep.

I don't know... that's all I got... if you figure this one out let me know...

nerves do it to me. just trying calming techniques helps at least temporarily. i do take potassium, it seems to hlep the achey feeling i have so much.
cathy

I get the twitches too. I think it is from staring. Sometimes, when I am "off in my own little world" I tend to stare. I don't think we blink as much.
But, let me ask you something. Sometimes, it feels like all my nerves are strung thru my body like guitar wires. If there is a noise, like a car starting or something, they twang. It's a really weird, uncomfortable feeling.

what I wanted to know is if maybe you or anyone else feels like this. It's kind of freaking me out.

I think that there is a poll about this in the poll section. Twitching for me means I am under stress, at least that's what I have come up with of late. I have been watching this in myself since the poll came out awhile ago.

relax, hjpalm. that "twang" is called exaggerated startle reflex, it is one of the really common ptsd symptoms. you have to calm yourself when you are that high-strung. not always easy, but you can learn it with breathing techniques. deep slow breaths in thrrough the nose, and blow out through the mouth. practice. anti-anxiety drugs might help til you can learn. some anti-depressants actually make it worse, so mention it to your dr.
cathy

but, it'sgetting really bad and it hurts. I have called my hterapist. I quit taking celexa because it wa making me more obsessive. They haven't started me on another one yet. But thank you. that makes sense about the startle reflex. It's just really weird that even people talking, it's like each word is hitting me.