Triggering twitches

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EnglishRose

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I thought/hoped my twitches were triggered by anxiety but I fear not. I only knowingly get a twitch once every few days/a week. Some I can feel but the ones in my left calf I can't. I have only seen these ones twice but feared they might be occurring more often. Today whilst in a panic I flick my calf all over several times and saw one twitch, then did it again and saw very fine ones. Does twitching only trigger als twitches or can it trigger benign ones?
 
I might add I have flicked/slapped my calf several times before and since and not triggered the twitches. Are als twitches always triggered and not trig
gered at random times?
 
If you look for twitches you're surly going to find them. ALS Is much more than the twitches everybody has. It's not being able to tie your shoes, stand on your tippy toes, swallow, walk without falling. My first sign that i noticed was not being able to squeeze those little black binderclips like I used to do easily. I didn't think much of it until my walking became affected and I couldn't write legibly. Everyone twitches. Only worry if you can't do something you used to easily do.
 
I did answer but gone to Mod.
 
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I left a message on your visitor page. I suggest others also answer on her visitor page also.
 
Thanks sadiemae. I answered then, on second thoughts, I deleted (just as well). Hope it worked. ?
 
I could twitch for team GB and get a gold English Rose. It's part of life for some folks. I suggest you check out aboutbfs. BTW when my husband and I go to bed it's like a rehearsal for Riverdance. I also have BIG dents. Must try flicking/slapping my legs for more reaction as it sounds really sensible.
 
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couldn't post this on your visitor page so will post here


What is the difference between a BFS twitch and an ALS twitch?

There is a BIG difference between the two. ALS twitches are caused by dying muscle tissue as the nerve endings disconnect between the muscle and brain which in return cause the muscle to die and shrink. This is a SECONDARY action and it ONLY happens AFTER the muscle has started it's dying process, NOT before. So with that, ALS twitches (by the time you notice them or IF you even notice them at all) will most certainly have some kind of weakness or immobility of the muscle involved at the same time. Also, ALS twitches and symptoms usually start in a hand or a foot and will migrate from that point forward progressively and continually and relentlessly. They will NOT be random twitches like BFS has. You won't have a twitch in your finger one second, and a twitch on your back the next and a twitch in your calf the next and a twitch on your tongue the next with ALS. ALS starts in one spot and progresses continually through your body, not at random. ALS twitches are usually very fine and again, have WEAKNESS associated with them.

The EMG is always positive in ALS" That's about as plainly as you can put it! ALS twitches are CAUSED by dying nerve endings AND dying muscle tissue. It is a SECONDARY action to the disease! Not a first symptom that causes muscles to die later-on. If you have twitches and it was caused by ALS, you would ALREADY have the disease present in your system which would show-up on an EMG. Twitches without weakness and with a clean EMG are NOT ALS. It can't get any clearer than that!

The bottom line here is simple, BFS is common, ALS is not. BFS twitches and odd symptoms are in no way related to ALS twitches what so ever, and unless you have several dirty or abnormal EMG's and a specific diagnosis (under strict guidelines), and have no "true weakness or "true" atrophy, then YOU DO NOT HAVE ALS!
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Twitching in ALS is a direct result of the disease running it's course. It is NOT a pre-curser symptom! In other words, if you have twitches that are associated with ALS, it means the disease is ALREADY running its course because muscles diseased with ALS don't begin to twitch UNTIL micro fibres begin to die and disconnect. With that, ANY EMG at ANY TIME would CLEARLY show the disease, no matter how far along, or how early you THINK you are. There is no "incubation time" or "window frame" once ALS twitches have started. If it's ALS and you are twitching, the disease is ALREADY well into running it's course, and of course, will ALWAYS show up on an EMG, no matter where it is performed on your body.

With that, just because you twitch in one small place on your body doesn't mean ALS isn't running all through it. Nerve pathways run the entire length of your body. You can get tested just about anywhere and it will show-up, just like getting a blood test will show why you have a cold sore, even though a cold sore almost always appears and re-appears in the same exact location, over and over again, it is STILL running through your whole body, just like ALS is.

Do NOT confuse "perceived" weakness with clinical weakness, nor confuse fatigued feelings with true muscle weakness. True physical muscle weakness and clinical weakness do NOT come and go. It is permanent and on-going to the point where you completely lose control and can no longer use that limb, (forever), and then it MIGRATES from there to other parts of the body. ALS is not random, and it certainly doesn't come and go like BFS does.
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What is the difference between "perceived" weakness and "clinical" weakness?

A tell tale sign of ALS is clinical weakness. This is REAL weakness that is permanent and continually progressive. It is caused by dying (or already dead) muscle tissue and/or dead or disconnected nerve endings between the brain and muscles. Once this happens, you lose control over that muscle PERMANENTLY, which leads to dropping things, the inability to unscrew lids off of jars, the inability to hold your coffee cup or even raise your fork to your face when eating. When it's in the legs or feet, falling down or the inability to stand or get up from a chair is common, not being able to stand on your toes or walk on your heels because the muscles are dead. When this clinical weakness is associated with ALS, it migrates onward from that point with no looking back. There are no good days or bad days, meaning, you won't lose control of your hand one day and regain control of it the next. Once muscles and nerves have died, they are dead and can't be brought back to life.

Fatigue and "perceived" weakness is common with BFS and can cause weak or rubbery legs, difficulty raising an arm or leg into the air one day, but not the next day, a drained feeling with no energy and even actual "weak" feelings where your arm just feels like lead and you have to rest it constantly. The difference between these kinds of BFS weaknesses from ALS weakness is that BFS weakness (which again isn't really true weakness at all) will get better in a couple of days, where ALS weakness is continually progressive and NEVER looks back. A neuro can tell a case or clinical weakness associated with ALS the minute an ALS patient walks through the door. By the time you notice the weakness and/or twitches associated with ALS (enough to warrant making a doctor's appointment), you would already be a few months into the disease and a good clinical exam will find problems you weren't even aware of. BFS "weakness" on the other hand, is pretty much only fatigue and although you may "feel" weak or drained-out, if push comes to shove and you put aside the pain, fatigue, stress or whatever else you have, you still have your real strength. I mean if a car was coming at you and you had to jump out of the way, you still could, where an ALS patient couldn't move at all.

ALS is a nerve PATHWAY disease so if you have twitching and weakness BECAUSE of ALS in something like your little toe, and you get an EMG ANYWHERE BETWEEN that toe and your brain, it WILL show-up on the EMG because it is looking at the PATHWAYS BETWEEN that toe and your brain. ALS is also a body wide disease BEFORE it spreads to NOTICABLE symptoms. It is there long before 99% of the sufferer's even notice it, (contrary to what a lot of rookies will tell you). The twitching in ALS means it has already been there a while, has DONE damage and now the muscles are reacting by quivering. It is the whole enchilada that has to be looked at with CLINICAL weakness and a bad EMG. Without ALL of those symptoms (and then some), you have ALS about as much as someone with a common headache has a brain tumor.
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ALS twitches happen whenever they want---but WEAKNESS, clinical weakness, will preceed it
 
Isn't it true that fasciculations can sometimes
proceed weakness though?
 
My hubby had weakness in his left arm and leg back last year, and some slurred speech/swallowing problems before that even, way before the twitches kicked in. They started up in Jan this year, and are still going on strong, big ripples under the skin in some places now.
 
Not that I know of EnglishRose.
 
Benign fasciculations always will precede weakness........because you won't get any weakness.
 
English Rose's post will now send another bunch of DIHALSers here. The statement she made in post #10 will cause everyone who asks Dr G that question to be directed to our friendly forum.
 
No, it's not true, Rose. While someone can twitch and get ALS down the road, as can anyone, since everyone twitches, but ALS fasci happen after clinical weakness. You've read here, we have said it over and over.

All muscles can twitch. Doesn't mean ALS. Those that twitch first, are not having the same thing as what ALS presents with.

Talk to your doctor.
 
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