JasonSt.Louis
New member
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2014
- Messages
- 4
- Reason
- Other
- Country
- US
- State
- MO
- City
- St. Louis
Hello! I'm hoping to hear your perspectives. I did read the sticky but had a couple questions.
I've had fasciculations for a couple of months. My strength feels the same as always. Everything seems business as usual. I lift my luggage, turn keys, jog up the stairs, can walk on my toes/ heels, etc. The start of these twitches put me on alert though. Reading the story of a local doctor who first noted twitching and cramping in his calves but never mentioned weakness before being diagnosed with ALS is another factor in my search for answers here.
I went to see my doctor a couple of weeks ago and he checked my reflexes, coordination and put me through a couple of strength tests. It wasn't exactly comprehensive testing so I'm thinking of asking for a referral to a neurologist. My thinking is just because I cannot see evidence of weakness doesn't mean it couldn't be there somewhere. My doctor asking me to raise each thigh with resistance or push against his arm doesn't seem like much testing.
My biggest worry is that while I've felt twitching in my arms, hands, thighs, buttocks, back and chest on occasion for 2 months, I never feel (or rarely feel) the calf twitches I get. I can see them at certain times but never really feel them as I do the other areas. Why? Is it a bad sign to not feel twitching in an area? I don't know how long they've gone on. Could be the same 2 months. Could be much longer. Would I have noticeable weakness in my feet or legs if they had been ongoing for more than a couple of months?
Without noticeable weakness, I looked at atrophy. Are my muscles a little smaller than they were a few years ago? They are. I'm now 40 and don't work out often so that's going to happen. My limbs seem to match up though. Would the atrophy in ALS be associated with noticeable weakness?
The other odd thing is, since my calves started having more activity the last couple of days, my arms and other areas have quieted down. I'm not having much twitching elsewhere, if any, after 2 months of feeling one in various places every 5 or 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day. Does this mean things are settling in my calves? It has never been constant twitching but I don't believe it has to be to indicate a problem. I can get my twitching to stop in any area by contracting the muscle. I'm just not sure why my calves have ramped up the last two days though. I've been looking them over for weeks and they seem more active now.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
God bless,
Jay
I've had fasciculations for a couple of months. My strength feels the same as always. Everything seems business as usual. I lift my luggage, turn keys, jog up the stairs, can walk on my toes/ heels, etc. The start of these twitches put me on alert though. Reading the story of a local doctor who first noted twitching and cramping in his calves but never mentioned weakness before being diagnosed with ALS is another factor in my search for answers here.
I went to see my doctor a couple of weeks ago and he checked my reflexes, coordination and put me through a couple of strength tests. It wasn't exactly comprehensive testing so I'm thinking of asking for a referral to a neurologist. My thinking is just because I cannot see evidence of weakness doesn't mean it couldn't be there somewhere. My doctor asking me to raise each thigh with resistance or push against his arm doesn't seem like much testing.
My biggest worry is that while I've felt twitching in my arms, hands, thighs, buttocks, back and chest on occasion for 2 months, I never feel (or rarely feel) the calf twitches I get. I can see them at certain times but never really feel them as I do the other areas. Why? Is it a bad sign to not feel twitching in an area? I don't know how long they've gone on. Could be the same 2 months. Could be much longer. Would I have noticeable weakness in my feet or legs if they had been ongoing for more than a couple of months?
Without noticeable weakness, I looked at atrophy. Are my muscles a little smaller than they were a few years ago? They are. I'm now 40 and don't work out often so that's going to happen. My limbs seem to match up though. Would the atrophy in ALS be associated with noticeable weakness?
The other odd thing is, since my calves started having more activity the last couple of days, my arms and other areas have quieted down. I'm not having much twitching elsewhere, if any, after 2 months of feeling one in various places every 5 or 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day. Does this mean things are settling in my calves? It has never been constant twitching but I don't believe it has to be to indicate a problem. I can get my twitching to stop in any area by contracting the muscle. I'm just not sure why my calves have ramped up the last two days though. I've been looking them over for weeks and they seem more active now.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
God bless,
Jay