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SilverSkies

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Joined
Sep 9, 2016
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Reason
Learn about ALS
Country
NZ
State
Waikato
City
Hamilton
Hello everyone, I too have read the stickies and have a question about my symptoms.

I must say that muscular dystrophy runs strongly in my family and that while I, at 33, am still fairly young to have onset symptoms, obviously we are not ruling this out. I am awaiting gene testing for this, could be a year away. But muscular dystrophy typically does not present with CNS/UMN/LMN symptoms.

August 2015 I noticed atrophy in my left thenar (base of thumb). I noticed changes in fine movements with my fingers. Went to Neurologist who found spasticity/clonus in both legs, left worse than right. I also have hyper reflexia, in my legs and arms.
I had the nerve conduction test which was NORMAL.
A needle muscle test showed myopathic tendancies in two areas, my left thenar/thumb muscle and the muscles supporting my spine.
A brain and thoracic MRI showed no lesions
My right thenar/base of thumb muscle began to atrophy at the start of this year, 2016.
I have had mad twitching on both left and right thenar regions, bad on the right lately.

I would really appreciate your thoughts, I know that ALS is very rare and given my genetic predisposition, it could well be something else is at play. But it has me mystified to have symptoms of UMN and LMN as well as atrophy.

Also one other question, can the EMG test show normal results at beginning stages of ALS?

Thank you all so much for your time and wisdom :)
 
I can't give a thumbs up or a thumbs down as far as ALS is concerned. I'll only say that an EMG would find denervation prior to a muscle becoming noticeably weakened by ALS.
 
The emg changes in myopathy are distinctly different from ALS It sounds like emg was not normal but pointed away from ALS?
 
There are some key points missing from your account.

Did the neurologist confirm atrophy?
What differential did the EMG present relative to myopathy?
Have you been seen at an MD clinic?

But in any case no neurogenic changes on EMG is good news.

I would get all your records straight and take them to an MD center.

Best,
Laurie
 
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