Depressing nervous system.

[twitchguy]

Does depressing the nervous system actually work for stopping the twitching/cramping one can experience? For example via alcohol or other CNS depressants or even safer things like relaxation exercises.

[SecretAgentMan]

I saw a hypnotherapist to help me calm down back when I was experiencing some of my worst symptoms. The session was so calming I noticed a significant reduction in the twitching, but it didn't go away completely at that point. It gradually came back over the next few days. That's when I started to use self-hypnosis, which was somewhat successful and definitely helped. I just used my own inner monologue to replay what the hypnotherapist did from memory. For whatever reason I was never able to go as deep on my own as I was with the hypnotherapist, but it was probably because I was a little nervous and didn't 100% trust myself. It helped though, so it was worth it. Plus it got me comfortable with the concept which I later adapted to meditation. Its been a game changer in my life. Alcohol and drugs I don't view as healthy alternatives. They might temporarily help, but I've found the natural techniques are far longer lasting and far more fulfilling (not to mention health beneficial).

[Yuliasir]

alcohol definitely would not help in a long term. Moreover, it has two phases, as you may know - sedative and subsequent excitative. Moreover, alcohol depresses your frontal lobes function which is already down in anxious people and therefore you may got complete vice versa effect - maybe you would not feel so many twitches but your criticality to them would be below zero level...
antianxiety meds are generally a bit better than alcohol, but some of them can have paradoxal effect and make you even more irritated, especially in first two-three weeks.

My own experience says that usually we need mixed care - both antianxiety meds to decrease unbearable load of anxiety and restore our ability to use frontal lobes (rational thinking), and then use rational thinking with the help of coach, therapist, counsellor etc. in order to change life approach causing high anxiety and easy anxious reactions. It takes a lot of time but it is proven way and it makes you very flexible and resitive to common anxiety signals.

[twitchguy]

BFS confirmed. I got a comprehensive evaluation completed today at the Toronto Neuro Rehab Clinic and everything that could of been has been excluded via physical assessment, EMG, nerve conduction's. The Dr. I saw, who was also training a University of Toronto resident, tied in back to anxiety, what not and recommended tonic water...does tonic water work? My symptoms are pretty bad and I do not want to take anticonvulsants.

[chrissi]

Most likely tonic water wont help. I have been put on a high dosage chinine product (limptar) and it did not help either. But tonic water tastes good, so why not give it a try?

[Yuliasir]

quinine is an old muscle relaxant, known for maybe centuries.
so if you would not drink liters and tonnes of shweppes, then you might feel some good effect
and it is good for digestion too )) just do not overuse it - sugar and gas are not beneficial in huge amounts...


it is a bit strange that with a bad symptomes you would not like to take meds specifically developed for decreasing muscle abilitiy to act spontaneously, but it is anyway your choice of course.

[mwagner]

So, I'm not recommending either, but yes - alcohol totally helps with twitching. It slows mine down to practically none (either that or I'm not noticing it as much).

And, even better is Xanax, which I take about once a week. It's anti-anxiety but also a muscle relaxant. It's amazing how it makes me practically twitch free.

And, for me when I'm dosing off or really relaxed/tired, I also get a huge reduction in twitching.

Mitra