Meggie

I know just how you feel! My neurologist even said something similar to me - that I'm as crippled by my anxiety as someone with ALS, because it's getting in the way of my life so much. That was a little insensitive toward people with ALS, but still...

Meggie - I'm having similar issues as you, slightly abnormal EMG and very worried. I hope this turns out to be not ALS for both of us! The waiting game must be scaring you too.

Yes Indeed, when ever you like I am fully available.

I do feel spastisity though....my calf muscle is very tight. Yes, I have Skype and would love to talk to you, though I feel pretty hopeless at this point so I'm not sure how reassuring it would be...My skype is megi-921. it's 4 am here but of course, I can't sleep since all of this has been happening. Maybe we can talk in an hour?

Meggie,

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I'm from Romania originary (US immigrant) so we're neighbors (Bucharest) and we have a word "The fish starts to stink from the head". Not sure how reassuring is this. Do you have skype as I already consulted 10+ neuros and researches and I would love to share them with you, It might be reassuring dunno.

One of the doctors told me that my MRI seems normal and it is just a ruptured disk. Now I got twitches in tights.
Most of the doctors will ignore us unless we don't have clinical weakness. And you know why? Because it's not like "It might be cancer, if we catch in early stages we cure it". If it's ALS there's nothing to do about it anyway.

Unfortunately, even for me and you the time will be the single true discriminator.
I've already have 2 months of twitches without weakness, I don't know, Just trying to live every day on auto-pilot.

Yes, this is what the EMG shows (I'm translating from Bulgarian, so I'm not sure if everything will be accurate, hope it is) - No data for prefrontal damage in the arms and legs. This is the Bulgarian term at least, for the changes found in ALS. No denervation found in muscles (she tested both legs and one arm), no fasculations found and the activity is rich from all testes muscles. The tested muscles, including the F-waves are normal. In the legs, along with the normal motors, are registered single highly polyshase motors with high amplitudes which means damage in L4-L5 - mostly on the right. No diviations in the arms.

About the brisk reflexes, she didn't write a number, only said they are slight and a bit asymetrical.

I am very worried about UMN symptopms and that this is the beginning...I haven't stopped crying. I'm 25 years old....I just don't see any other explanations for my symptoms.

Regarding brisk reflexes, what is the value that doctor noted in the report ? 2+, 3+ or 4+ ?

If you are freking out having UMN symptoms it's valid, but fasciculations are cause onyl by the LMN and the EMG shown only focal signs. I can do quickly interpret for you. do you still have the conclusions of the EMG report?

I think you'rs are probably beningn

Hi! Thank you for your explanations but I did do an MRI of the lumbar area of the spine and it was clean and that is why I am freaking out - this means that there is no cause for the problems in my calf....that's why I'm freaking out. Also, my reflexes show there is a problem with that leg, they're brisk asymetrically. I just don't know what to think anymore. I know the odds but everything about this screams ALS....I did read your story but there are some key differences here that I just don't know how to ignore.

Usually people experience this in the L4 / L5-S1 area.
If the findings in your calves or leg muscles were shown on the EMG they are consistent with the L4/L5 nerve root.
Then I did a MRI and I found out that I have DDD on L5S1 which was 100% consistent with the findings on the EMG.
So from what you have told here, I wanted to add an indicative post about the anatomy of the motor neurons. An LMN lesion doesn't mean it's a LMN disease which causes the LMN to die, it might be a problem in the nerve ( axonal termination ) which with good PT you ca fix it.
You can go do an MRI with the spine and it will show your pinched nerve there, and you will have an explanation for everything.
Please follow my thread and you'll see that the story is similar with mine.
http://www.alsforums.com/forum/do-i-have-als-als/39486-concerned.html

Meggie, I was in the same situation with you and till I did my EMG study I was terrified. My dad died of ALS so my fear was 50 times amplified.
I eneded up seing 3 neurologists which all of them handed me a clean bill of health.
The EMG needle exam is made in different muscle categories. If there is a problem with an LMN degeneration then these findings will be diffuse, in multiple regions.
If the findings in the EMG suggest a spine problem they will be focal. This method is called the myotomal pattern.
The plantar reflex is absent as it's considered a normal equivocal result. And even if it's absent, the reflex arc it's still consisted with the EMG findings that you may have a pinched nerve.