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ptich

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I know that, in some rare cases, folks here had their first EMG normal, but later were diagnoseded with a MND/ALS. In these cases, the first EMG was apparently done by a local neuro, not by an MND specialist.

Are the following statements correct:

1. Nobody here has been diagnoseded with an MND after a normal EMG done by an MND specialist ?

2. Nobody here has been diagnoseded with an MND after having 2 normal EMGs at least 1 year apart ?

If #1 and #2 are correct, this should give some peace of mind all the NNs on this forum.
 
Ooooh, those look like test questions and I freeze up on tests at times.

I would say take comfort in any clean EMG.

Zaphoon
 
One year ago, Dad's EMG came back normal. On 3/27/09, he was diagnosed with ALS.
 
This discussion is in the wrong forum, it should've been "Do I have ALS ?" May be I clicked on a wrong link when I was creating this forum.

Thanks JennB329 for your answer. Was your dad's first EMG done by an ALS specialist ?
 
It has been my own experience that an EMG is done when a doctor believes there is need for one. I've had 2 that were less than a month apart. The second was done just to confirm the findings of the first.

There is no doubt that I will continue to have a yearly EMG for as long as it takes to solidify a diagnosis of PLS verses ALS. I am not looking for my EMG's to change unless it is discovered that I have carpal tunnel (my R wrist is a possible candidate at this point).

Statistics would back me up (as would many on this forum) when I say that if you complain of symptoms, have an EMG done because of those complaints, and the EMG is clean, a year or so later, it is not likely that the EMG would change given the same symptoms being present and not changing.

If you look hard enough and long enough, you can find an odd example or two of an EMG having changed but then so will the symptoms. The persons condition will have worsened.

I doubt my ddiagnosed of PLS and it is not due to denial. Until all else has been ruled out, I still go for a pinched nerve or BFS or Carpal Tunnel. It is far more relaxing.

Until someone else tells you otherwise, I'd go with the presumption that you do not have ALS. It makes for sounder sleep.

It can always be something else until it cannot be anything else!

Zaphoon
 
ptich: You should differentiate between bulbar ALS onset and limb onset. With bulbar ALS, EMG of extremitites is usually clean (not later of course), because EMG cannot detect UMN abnormalities.

I have fond out that some people (not on this forum) wrote: "I had a clean EMG and 5 months later I was given ALS diagnosis." But those had bulbar onset and forgot (or just dont know that it matters) to mention it.

I know there are cases with really clean EMG with ALS limb onset (Krieger&Swash even describe 3 patients with still clean EMG but ALS diagnosis) but its so rare that I dont think it worths to worry about it :)
 
"With bulbar ALS, EMG of extremitites is usually clean (not later of course), because EMG cannot detect UMN abnormalities."

I am bulbar onset and my first emg showed problems in my right arm and hand long (like a year and a half) before I noticed any symptoms with them .
 
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