Buzzing sensation in the feet, toes, hands, fingers, arms, legs
Buzzing in the extremities (legs, ankles, feet, toes, arms, wrists, hands, fingers, etc.) are common anxiety symptoms, including anxiety and panic attack symptoms.
Many anxious and stressed people get a buzzing sensation anywhere on or in the body due to their anxiety and stress.
This article explains the relationship between anxiety and buzzing sensation in the extremities.
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Buzzing Sensation in the Feet, Toes, Hands, Fingers, Arms, Legs Common Anxiety Symptom Descriptions
- Your legs, ankles, feet, toes, arms, wrists, hands, fingers, or even your entire body may feel like it is buzzing, shaking, vibrating, or trembling.
- It feels like parts of your body, or your entire body, is vibrating like it is being charged by an electrical current. This is especially noticeable in the extremities (legs, ankles, feet, toes, arms, wrists, hands, fingers, etc.).
- It feels like your legs, ankles, feet, toes, arms, wrists, hands, or fingers) are buzzing, as is if it’s being touched by a vibrator.
- It can also feel like one, many, or all your extremities are being mildly shocked with an electrical current even though there is no visible cause for the sensation.
This symptom can persistently affect one area only, shift and affect another area or areas, and migrate all over and affect many areas repeatedly.
This buzzing sensation in the extremities can:
- Occur occasionally, frequently, or persistently.
- Precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety symptoms or occur by itself.
- Precede, accompany, or follow a period of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and stress, or occur "out of the blue" for no reason.
- Range in intensity from mild, to moderate, to severe.
- Come in waves where it’s strong one moment and eases off the next.
- Occur for a while, subside, and then return for no reason.
- Change from day to day, moment to moment, or remain as a constant background during your struggle with anxiety disorder.
While some people may be able to control this feeling by calming themselves or by tightening and loosening their muscles, most often this symptom occurs involuntarily, meaning there isn’t much you can do to stop it or stop it from occurring.
Some people experience this feeling when moving their feet, hands, arms, or legs, while others experience this feeling regardless of movement.
It’s also common for this symptom to occur intermittently for no apparent reason. For example, you may be resting when, all of a sudden, and for no apparent reason, a part of your body begins to feel like it’s buzzing, vibrating, or trembling.
Then for no apparent reason, moments later, it disappears only to return later, even though you haven’t changed position or done anything to alleviate the feeling.
This symptom can seem more noticeable when undistracted, resting, trying to sleep, or waking up.
All the above combinations and variations are common.
To see if anxiety might be playing a role in your symptoms, rate your level of anxiety using our free one-minute instant results Anxiety Test, Anxiety Disorder Test, or Hyperstimulation Test.
The higher the rating, the more likely anxiety could be contributing to or causing your anxiety symptoms, including feeling like impending doom symptoms.
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Causes: Why Anxiety Can Cause Buzzing Extremities
Medical Advisory
Talk to your doctor about all new, changing, persistent, and returning symptoms as some medical conditions and medications can cause anxiety-like symptoms.
1. Anxiety-Activated Stress Response
Anxious behavior, such as worry, activates the stress response. The stress response secretes stress hormones into the bloodstream, where they travel to targeted locations to bring about specific physiological, psychological, and emotional changes that enhance the body’s ability to deal with a threat—to fight or flee. This survival reaction is often referred to as the fight or flight response.[1][2]
Visit our “Stress Response” article for more information about its many changes.
Some of these changes include:
- Increases blood sugar so that we have an instant boost of energy.
- Stimulates the nervous system, increasing nervous system activity.
- Heightens most of the body’s senses.
- Shunts blood to parts of the body vital to survival, such as the brain, arms, legs, and vital organs, and away from parts less vital for survival, such as the stomach, digestive system, and skin.
- Increases heart rate, respiration, and metabolism due to the boost in energy.
- Causes muscles to tighten to make the body more resilient to injury.
The higher the degree of stress response, the more dramatic the changes.
Any one or combination of these changes can cause a buzzing sensation anywhere on or in the body, including the extremities.
For instance:
- A sudden blood sugar and energy increase can cause a buzzing sensation.
- A hyper-aroused sympathetic nervous system can also cause a buzzing sensation anywhere on or in the body.
- Increased sensory awareness can more closely detect physical changes in the body, resulting in a buzzing sensation.
- Shunting blood to the extremities can also cause a buzzing sensation in the extremities.
- Increased heart rate, respiration, and metabolism can also cause a buzzing sensation. They can also cause hyper- or hypo-ventilation, which can cause a buzzing sensation in the extremities.
- Tightening muscles can also cause a buzzing sensation.
- Stress hormones affect other hormones. A change in hormone balance can also cause a buzzing sensation, including in the extremities.
Many people report a buzzing sensation when nervous, afraid, anxious, or stressed.[2][3]
Some people say they have a “case of the nerves” because they are buzzing, trembling, shaking, and vibrating so much when nervous, afraid, anxious, or stressed.
Consequently, an acute stress response can cause acute buzzing in the extremities.
2. Hyperstimulation (chronic stress)
When stress responses occur too frequently, such as from overly anxious behavior, the body can remain in a state of semi-stress-response-readiness, which we call “stress-response hyperstimulation” since stress hormones are stimulants.
Hyperstimulation is also often referred to as “hyperarousal,” “HPA axis dysfunction,” or “nervous system dysregulation.”[4][5]
Hyperstimulation can cause the changes of an active stress response even though a stress response hasn’t been activated.
Visit our “Hyperstimulation” article for more information about the many ways hyperstimulation can affect the body and how we feel.
As hyperstimulation increases, so can the degree and prevalence of buzzing extremities symptoms.
Furthermore, the body’s nervous system sends and receives sensory information to and from the brain. A main component of the nervous system is specialized cells called neurons (nerve cells), which communicate with each other using an electrochemical process (the combination of electricity and chemistry).
When nerve impulse information is received from one of the body’s senses, neurons relay this nerve impulse information through the nervous system network to the brain for interpretation.
For example, if we want to move a particular muscle or group of muscles, nerve impulse information is sent from the brain through the nervous system network to the particular muscle or groups of muscles to bring about movement (muscles move through a combination of nerve impulse-triggered muscle contractions and releases).
Again, neurons convey this nerve impulse information electrochemically through the nervous system network.
This nervous system's communication and reaction perform normally when the body and nervous system are healthy. However, problems can occur when the nervous system becomes hyperstimulated.[5][6]
For instance, neurons are particularly sensitive to stress hormone stimulation because of their electrochemical properties. When neurons become hyperstimulated, they can act erratically.
This erratic behavior can cause neurons to send erratic nerve impulse information to and from the brain.[6][7]
Moreover, because hyperstimulation can increase the electrical activity in parts of the brain, which can cause neurons to become even more unstable, neurons can fire even more erratically when the nervous system becomes hyperstimulated.[8]
The combination of the above factors can cause many odd and bizarre sensations, symptoms, and feelings, including experiencing a “buzzing” feeling in the extremities (or anywhere on or in the body).
Like all sensations and symptoms of hyperstimulation, the frequency, intensity, and duration of buzzing is typically tied to the degree of hyperstimulation. As the degree of hyperstimulation increases, so can the severity and frequency of buzzing sensations.
Hyperstimulation is a common cause of chronic buzzing in the extremities.
3. Sleep deprivation and fatigue
Sleep deprivation and fatigue can contribute to this symptom. Sleep deprivation and fatigue can increase the circulating cortisol level to compensate for the lack of sleep and energy.[9][10] Cortisol is a powerful stress hormone, causing many changes associated with the stress response.
Many people who are sleep-deprived and tired experience buzzing in the extremities until their sleep debt is caught up and they become sufficiently rested.
4. Side effects of medication
Many medications, including common psychotropic medications (anti-anxiety, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, etc.) can cause buzzing in the extremities as a side effect.
If you think your buzzing symptoms might be related to your medication, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about options.
5. Other Factors
Other factors can create stress and cause anxiety-like symptoms, as well as aggravate existing anxiety symptoms, including:
- Recreational drugs
- Stimulants
- Hyper and hypoventilation
- Low blood sugar
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Dehydration
- Hormone changes
- Pain
Select the relevant link for more information.
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Treatment: How To Get Rid Of Buzzing Extremities
When this symptom is caused or aggravated by other factors, addressing those factors can reduce and eliminate buzzing sensation in the extremities.
When this symptom is caused by an anxiety-triggered stress response, calming yourself will end the active stress response and its changes. Buzzing extremities will subside as your body recovers from the active stress response.
Keep in mind that it can take up to 20 minutes or more for the body to recover from a major stress response. But this is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
When this symptom is caused by hyperstimulation, eliminating hyperstimulation will end this anxiety symptom.
You can reduce and eliminate hyperstimulation by:
- Containing anxious behavior.
- Reducing stress.
- Regular deep relaxation.
- Relaxed diaphragmatic breathing.
- Regular light to moderate exercise.
- Getting regular good sleep.
- Eating a healthy diet of whole and natural foods.
- Avoiding stimulants.
- Passively-accepting your symptoms until they subside.
- Being patient as your body recovers.
Visit our “60 Natural Ways To Reduce Stress” article for more ways to reduce stress.
As the body recovers from hyperstimulation, it stops sending symptoms of hyperstimulation, including a buzzing sensation in the extremities.
However, eliminating hyperstimulation can take much longer than most people think, causing symptoms to linger longer than expected.
As long as the body is hyperstimulated, even slightly, it can present symptoms of any type, number, intensity, duration, frequency, and at any time, including this one.
Even so, since buzzing legs, ankles, feet, toes, arms, wrists, hands, and fingers are common symptoms of stress (acute and chronic), including anxiety-caused stress, it's harmless and needn't be a cause for concern. It will subside when unhealthy stress has been eliminated and the body has had sufficient time to recover and stabilize. Therefore, there is no reason to worry about anxiety-caused buzzing extremities.
Recovery Support
The Recovery Support area of our website contains thousands of pages of important self-help information to help individuals overcome anxiety disorder, hyperstimulation, and symptoms.
Due to the vast amount of information, including a private Discussion Forum, many of our Recovery Support members consider it their online recovery support group.
Therapy
Unidentified and unaddressed underlying factors cause issues with anxiety. As such, they are the primary reason why anxiety symptoms persist.
Addressing your underlying factors (Level Two recovery) is most important if you want lasting success.
Addressing Level Two recovery can help you:
- Contain anxious behavior.
- Become unafraid of anxiety symptoms and the strong feelings of anxiety.
- End anxiety symptoms.
- Successfully address the underlying factors that so often cause issues with anxiety.
- End what can feel like out-of-control worry.
All our recommended anxiety therapists have had anxiety disorder and overcame it. Their personal experience with anxiety disorder and their Master's Degree and above professional training give them insight other therapists don't have.
If you want to achieve lasting success over anxiety disorder, any one of our recommended therapists would be a good choice.
Research has shown that working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist is the most effective way to treat anxiety disorder, especially if you have persistent symptoms and difficulty containing anxious behavior, such as worry.[11][12][13]
In many cases, working with an experienced therapist is the only way to overcome stubborn anxiety.
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Common Anxiety Symptoms
Additional Resources
- For a comprehensive list of Anxiety Disorders Symptoms Signs, Types, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
- Anxiety and panic attacks symptoms can be powerful experiences. Find out what they are and how to stop them.
- How to stop an anxiety attack and panic.
- Free online anxiety tests to screen for anxiety. Two minute tests with instant results. Such as:
- Anxiety 101 is a summarized description of anxiety, anxiety disorder, and how to overcome it.
Return to our anxiety disorders signs and symptoms page.
anxietycentre.com: Information, support, and therapy for anxiety disorder and its symptoms, including buzzing feet, hands, toes, and fingers.
References
1. Chu, Brianna, et al. “Physiology, Stress Reaction.” StatPearls, 7 May 2024.
2. Karriem-Norwood,, Varnada. “Stress Symptoms.” WebMD, 11 July 2024.
3. “Tremor Fact Sheet.” National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 6 July 2018.
4. Patriquin, Michelle A., and Sanjay J. Mathew. “The Neurobiological Mechanisms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Chronic Stress.” Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2017. /
5. Teixeira, Renata Roland, et al. “Chronic Stress Induces a Hyporeactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System in Response to Acute Mental Stressor and Impairs Cognitive Performance in Business Executives.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015.
6. Z, Fatahi, et al. "Effect of acute and subchronic stress on electrical activity of basolateral amygdala neurons in conditioned place preference paradigm: An electrophysiological study." Behavioral Brain Research, 29 Sept. 2017.
7. Justice, Nicholas J., et al. “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-Like Induction Elevates β-Amyloid Levels, Which Directly Activates Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Neurons to Exacerbate Stress Responses.” Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience, 11 Feb. 2015.
8. Laine, Mikaela A, et al. “Brain Activation Induced by Chronic Psychosocial Stress in Mice.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2017.
9. Leproult, R, et al. “Sleep Loss Results in an Elevation of Cortisol Levels the next Evening.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 1997.
10. Palesh, Oxana, et al. “Vagal Regulation, Cortisol, and Sleep Disruption in Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer.” The Journal Of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 15, Oct. 2008.
11. Hofmann, Stefan G., et al. “The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-Analyses.” Cognitive Therapy and Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Oct. 2012.
12. Leichsenring, Falk. “Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the Gold Standard for Psychotherapy?” JAMA, American Medical Association, 10 Oct. 2017.
13. DISCLAIMER: Because each body is somewhat chemically unique, and because each person will have a unique mix of symptoms and underlying factors, recovery results may vary. Variances can occur for many reasons, including due to the severity of the condition, the ability of the person to apply the recovery concepts, and the commitment to making behavioral change.