Hi - I had the exact same feeling starting on Monday. I have my cell phone on vibrate at work, but keep my phone in my purse. I rarely carry my cell on me, but have put it in my pocket on vibrate on a few occasions. Then at work, and only when I'm sitting down do I feel that same feeling as if I have my cell phone in my pocket. It is extremely strange. I was amazed to see that others have this same feeling too. Have you spoken to a doctor about it because I am very concerned. So glad I read your comments. Continue to post what you find out. Thanks
G

I was a chiropractor in Dallas TX for 10 years, I taught biochemistry to post grad students for 13 years. I know that some will say that anxiety is causing the phantom vibrations, but I don't think so. I have been wearing a cell phone on my right hip on my belt for the last several years. I have the phantom vibration of a ringing cell phone and I don't even have the phone on my belt. I have the sensation at least a couple of times a week sometimes more often. I think that neural pathways are being triggered by the same nerves that carry the sensation of vibration from the actual calls. The threshhold for a nerve to fire is diminished by the frequent firing of the nerve during the actual cell phone calls. Then it takes very little change in the electrical potential of the nerve cell membrane to trigger the nerve to fire, creating the sensation of the vibration of a cell call. As far as I can tell the phantom vibrations are benign.

This would be an excellent PhD thesis subject for some up and coming Neurologist.

A few weeks ago I started experiencing vibrations in my right foot. At first it was every once in a while to where I though my phone was vibrating in my purse. But it was not. Now over the past few days it is constantly vibrating. Does anyone have any answers or suggestions to help me with understanding what is going on?

Funny you pointed this out. I had a cell phone for 2 years without an issue, but now I have a new Sony Ericsson with Bluetooth (old one didn't have it). I have not turned Bluetooth off as a test, though I'm not sure this will disable whatever may be causing it, but since Bluetooth can be "discoverable" it would seem to indicate it sends out some signal. If I see any changes, I'll let you guys know.

My issues are now gone. Just one day they stopped. I do have a bluetooth on my phone, but turned it off recently. I have a new bluetooth, but have not used it. It will be interesting to see if it comes back once I start using it again. I have a Motorola with Verizon as my carrier.

This must be some kind of virus that is going around. I just started getting it a couple of days ago. I swear I thought it was my cell phone, but it wasn't. It has been happening all day in my left leg. Other than the similarity to the cell phone vibration, I am sure it has nothing to do with cell phones.

If anyone has any medical information about this, please let me know.

Strange that for most people it is the left leg - and me too! Several times recently at night in bed I have felt the whole bed vibrate but it seems to emanate from my left leg! I have never worn my phone on my left leg - I always have it in my hand bag or in my right hand coat pocket. At night, though, it is on the table by my bed (I use the alarm) and that is on my left side.

I wonder if it has anything at all to do with phones, though? Perhaps it is some kind of alien intervention???

I am also relieved to hear I'm not the only one with this however, heres where it gets weird. Every account I've read about has been in the Left leg but mine happens to be in the right leg. Its very odd and I don't think it is anything all i could think of was potential cardiac problems but I'm hoping its nothing.

Mine is in the right leg. I would love to know why this is happening. I would also like to get rid of it!!

All,
I've experienced this as well, but was concerned that it might be due to some dietary issue. I recently switched over to more of a vegetarian diet and I was wondering if it could possibly be related to the fact that I'm not getting enought of some essential vitamin? Any thoughts..

Also, I don't need this to be officially proven for me to make a lifestyle change. I am no longer going to carry my phone in my pocket. I'm even a bit concerned about it being around me so much. I need to read more about the EMF(electro magnetic frequencies it may be discharging.)

It's good to know I'm not crazy.

I am releived to see that we are all not alone. mine is a bit unusual in that it is happening in my penis. I suspect that is because I use both pockets for carying my phone.

I will try not using vibrate anymore. I suspect this is my mind, because just reading this blog has helped stop it momentarily.

If anyone finds any concrete solution, please post.

thats where I keep my cell (always on vibrate)...there are many times I think it vibrates and check it and it hasnt. also, many times when I don't have it in my pocket, and feel it vibrate. I've thought it was very wierd too..and extemely surprised others have it. I assume its just our brains being sensitive to a feeling we've learned to WAIT FOR to avoid missing a call.

I keep my personal phone in my left pocket and work phone in my right.
I'm an electrical engineer and know the dangers better than most. Anyway, a few days ago I started experiencing the vibration in my right thigh about where I would if it was the phone. It rings, like buzz....buzz, for 2-3 seconds and when I grab my leg and 'catch it', its deep in my leg.
I figure its muscular in nature, or I am loosing it. I too am thankfull for this forum. Might try to record the vibes, or take the phone out of my pocket; but where to put it?

I'm reading all this (thanks to Googling) and relating to the weird vibration (mild) that started in my right foot a few days ago. Needless to say I don't have my cell phone attached to the bottom of my foot. I have just recently purchased a Blackberry with Blue tooth capability...but the phone, again, is not ever near my foot. I personally have felt like it's a circulatory issue since I do sit a lot at work and am not on a regular exercise program. I smoke a little and drink socially, am 53 years old and female. As we speak the bottom of my foot is lightly vibrating and the sensation feels like it affects my leg up to the knee. I have two bad knees - arthritis I think. Recently started glucosamine at dr's recommendation. I had some eye twitching the other day, too! Have not had that in forever. I totally relate to the buzzing feeling as when it first started, I thought I was standing on something that was vibrating. But I cannot, in any way relate it to my cell phone unless it's Bluetooth related and traveling to my foot. I recently had a physical and the nurse was "very impressed" at my lab results - seemingly very healthy! But, foot vibration was not going on at that time... and I did not have the Blackberry then. Interesting phenomenon - I hope it's a good thing. I still think circulation is the culprit. Others that have posted are not as sedentary as I, so it wouldn't seem to be the problem - but that's what it feels like. So. Get up and move around, I'm thinking, for myself. I'm going to!!! I appreciate all the posts and am fascinated that others are experiencing this vibration and seem to think it may be a cell phone problem. If we keep talking we may find even more common ground. Glad to hear it's not an MS symptom! Anyone taking the supplement DHEA? Just started that a couple of weeks ago and wonder if that has anything to do with it. Hard to say since I take lots of supplements. But the vibration is new. Thanks again for the insights.

It's rare that human can sense it, but you might be just too sensitive. If regularly happen, you may not be able to ignore it.

I'm a physician myself. I'm glad to see that others are experiencing the same symptoms as me. I began to have an intermittent rhythmic vibration sensation in the lateral aspect of the sole of my right foot about 3 days ago. It almost seems to be along the S1 spinal nerve distribution but my proximal sensation along the same nerve distribution is spared. This makes me want to rule out an S1 spinal nerve impingement as the cause.

I also have considered poor circulation as the etiology of this rhythmic vibrating feeling. I don't believe this is the case though. The rhythm doesn't coincide with my pulse rate, and also I have strong anterior tibialis and dorsal pedis pulses, as well as warm toes and normal distal capillary refill.

The other thought of course would be a lesion of my spinal cord or my left medial somatosensory cortex precisely where the sensation of the right lateral foot is received. This is certainly a possibility; an unlikely one but one that must remain in my differential diagnosis if the symptom doesn't subside or even gets worse. I'd have to get an MRI to look at these possibilities though, and I'm gonna hold off on that right now.

And, it could also be from something leading to a metabolic cause such as a pituitary, thyroid or parathyroid disorder. Or, it could be from some autoimmune cause, etc. I doubt that though because the symptoms are too localized. I'd actually hold off on the exotic blood work to identify some of these things unless my basic labs were out of wack and/or imaging studies were negative or inconclusive.

Like most of the rest of you I've carried my cell phone (palm treo) on vibration mode in my right pocket for some time now. So, the thought does come to mind that there might be some correlation between the phone and my new onset vibrating sensation. I am not carrying my phone in my pockets anymore....and we'll see what happens.

I actually was very impressed with ChiroBob's explanation and it is certainly one I had not considered. I did some research after reading his posting, and there may be some credence to it.

It is possible that only the sole of my foot is affected is due to the high concentration of Meissner's corpuscles in the palms and soles, and paucity of them along the thigh and lower leg.

Meissner's corpuscles are the nerve endings responsible for tactile sensation of vibration. I'll have to do some more research but I wonder if the frequent vibrating of my phone did have some affect on lowering the threshold of the action potentials generated from these nerve endings.

So its quite possible that as my cell phone has been vibrating, its been causing a nervous impulse to be transmitted in a retrograde fashion down my S1 nerve root, and thus altering the morphology of my Meissner's corpuscles.

Of course this is theoretical for me. I don't really recollect, or likely never learned the biochemical makeup of Meissner's corpuscles, and how they are changed by repetitive potentiation of the, or what ions need to pass through what membranes to generate the action potentials, etc, etc., etc..

At this point, I'm gonna keep the phone out of my pockets, try to keep it on soft ring or silent mode, and see if it goes away in the next week or two. I sure hope so because it sure is annoying and I really don't want the cause to be from something more serious.

Almost two years ago in June, while visiting my sister who doesn't like air conditioning, I felt a vibration under both feet. I thought she must have turned air conditioner on for me. I investigated. It was not on. I put my hand to the floor...nothing. Weird!

Then when I felt the vibration where there other people, I asked...no one else felt anything. It only happened as I was standing, but not always. It came and went. I have only had it happen for a day or two at a time, and rarely. It has been more than six months since the last time.

Today at home, it started again, but sometimes only one foot or the other, and sometimes both. Also, if I put weight on my feet while sitting, I can feel it now. If I pick my feet up, it stops. It is always only on the soles of my feet, feeling as if it is what I have my foot or feet on that it vibrating instead of my foot itself. It is not a twitching or even the tingly feeling from a pinched nerve. And it is very faint compared to the vibration of a cell phone.

I did not even have my cell phone on or near me while at my sister's because I had no service there, and I had never put a cell phone on vibrate by then...was using a very old one that did not have that feature. The one I have now will vibrate, but not ring at the same time. I don't think I've put it on vibrate more than 5 or 6 times total, and not recently at all. I turn it off instead.

Meissner's corpuscles could be an answer, since I (& others in my family) seem to have many extra nerve endings than is usual, even in places we are not suppose to have any. As the soles of my feet are thinning, due to age, I presume, it could make make them more sensitive. But why just once and a while instead of constantly is still a puzzle.

If trnkuility finds anything out, I would be quite interested.

I think it has to do with us becoming more and more dependent on cell phones. I have been having this problem for years. I notice it more when I don't have my cell phone on. Maybe its my body telling me I need my phone?

I have a vibration sensation in my left lower leg (in the middle of my left shinbone), from date 01.20.09 (US date)
Never had vibes on my samsung d600 mobile phone. I mean what the hell happened to my left lower leg..?? there is a constant vibration going on 24/7
It is locatede within the bone.. !!
Did I get "microchipped" ?????? when an orphaned ??(you know it is all soft bone)
and now someone is calling.. my left shinbone 24/7
Maybe they even microchipped my left ear, to receive hidden ELF messages (Extremely low frequency)
Is it some sort of Government Communist Harassment??

...now this is just where i keep my cell of course, on VIBRATE no doubt...
I can't believe it.
I found this thred by just typing in my subject in Google - and here it is.
Others having the same issues.
Here is what I know:
1. My phone is a RAZAR
2. I started putting it in my pocked on vibrate about 2 - 3 months ago (perhaps more)
3. It just started yesterday.
4. You cant see the vibration on the surface.
5. The vibration feels very deep within the muscle.
6. I work out very consistantly (never an issue before)
7. Feels just like a dull cell phone.
8. I'M GOING TO STOP CARRYING MY CELL, because i'm not sure of just what the heck is going on, and i don't want some perminent damage or something.
9. if it continues, i will go to the doctors.

-Meric (42)