Had my EMG, and updates

[blee]

Refresher: Began twitching wildly on June 7th, 2010. Out of no where in my left foot and calf. It quickly spread to my left foot and calf muscle and has settled mostly into my left foot with wild fasciculations in the arch of that foot every second of every day in multiple spots along that arch My toes move, my fingers move, everything just moves.... On July 16th 2010 my neuro - an ALS/MND specialist in OKC, OK gave me an EMG. Though it was the right side that was twitching like mad, he stuck me 5 times in the left leg/foot and only once in the right foot. He said it was unremarkable and prescribed medication which hasn't worked. This week he ran a bunch of blood tests and we should get the answers back in a few days. I'm concerned that my EMG wasn't thorough being that he only stuck me 6 times total over the course of 30 minutes, and that it was done 6 weeks after onset of symptoms... since then, the twitching has spread into my hands and I have a fine shake in both hands and arms along with the massive twitches.

I can still stand on my toes, work out, etc though I tire easier... so I'm thinking the neuro was right in assuming it was BFS even though it was apparent to both myself and my neuro that the arch of my right foot has dropped quite a bit in comparison to my left.

I'm writing this message as a two fold sword - one to offer my story to the new twitchers who are worried about how things will turn out - and two to ask the old timers/others with in this scenario if I should be asking for a follow up body wide EMG.

Blee

 

[trfogey]

Why do you think that the EMG that your neuro performed wasn't thorough? How many times do you think he should have stuck you?

As I'm sure you've read elsewhere on this forum, twitches are not very important in diagnosing ALS. The twitches that go along with ALS are outward manifestations of disease processes that cause other effects in the body -- weakness, spasticity, atrophy, etc. If you just have twitching and lack the other symptoms, then you probably don't have ALS.

If you have questions about how and why your neurologist does and says what he does, you should ask him directly. If you are not satisfied with the answers you get from him, then you might need to seek a second opinion. However, if your current neuro is an ALS/MND specialist and he's calling your condition BFS, then it probably is BFS and not ALS or another MND.

Good luck to you.