Hi, new recruit from Ohio

[johnjn]

Hi:

I'm a new member from the Columbus/Springfield area. I am a 47-year-old male.

My story starts as I imagine most do, with an innocent Dr. Google search. More than two years ago, my calves and feet started twitching and haven't let up since. After several tests and neuro appointments, they concluded I had "BFS." I learned to live with the twitching.

About a month ago, I started getting a fairly regular twitch in my right arm, in the deltoid muscle. Initially it was firing about once every 5-20 seconds most of the time, but now there are times when either it isn't firing or I don't notice it. It initially kept me up at night.

Over the course of the month, the twitching and a weird arm fatigue and muscle tightness/stiffness spread to my bicep and forearm, where there's less occasional twitches. My right hand also twitches now in the muscles on the outside below the pinky and below the inside of the thumb. I can't see them, but I feel them.

My neurologist this week said my strength seemed fine, but my right arm was a little brisker than my left arm. So, he's ordering up an EMG and neck MRI.

That's my story so far! Hoping the ending will be something along the lines of..."and the arm resolved on its own and everything's fine!"

 

[ShiftKicker]

Hi John-

Welcome to the forum. It looks like you are concerned you have ALS, but have not actually been diagnosed yet?

I wish you all the best for your EMG.

 

[johnjn]

I'm afraid so.

My right arm has been stiffening up in a very unprecedented, dramatic way. It's as though all the muscles in my arm are struggling to keep the arm up if I lift it, and the muscles remain stiff and tense for several hours. Once I try to move the arm or pick up an object, the cycle starts all over again.

There is twitching, but not a lot of it. I can feel it going on in my hand, but can't see it. If I move the arm or raise it, the twitching will pick up a bit for a few moments in my back, bicep, forearm and tricep. There is one area of my right deltoid muscle that semi-regularly twitches, and that's where it all began. But it happens so infrequently that I had to record it on video and upload it to YouTube for the doctor to see it. The only thing he could confirm during the exam was the brisk reflex in that arm.

 

[KimT]

There is a syndrome called cramp, fasciculation syndrome that comes with cramps and pain, along with the twitches.

Best wishes with your EMG. I'm hoping that will be normal and you can move on. They treat cramp/fasciculation syndrome with Valium.

 

[Lkaibel]

My mom has the BFS with cramping and fasiculation thing, has for many years (decades now). Best wishes to you and let us know how it goes.

 

[johnjn]

Hi: Thanks, Kim and LKaibel. I'm not sure this stiffness is something I'd call a cramp --it's not like a charlie horse. Instead muscles in my forearm, biceps and triceps get stiff and tense, but not really painful per se. The sensation comes and goes. It kind of feels like someone has their hand around my arm and is squeezing or putting pressure on the muscles. It seems to come on generally when I use that arm while lifting something, for example.

Someone told me it may be "spasticity" but I don't know. When I Dr. Googled that term, it talks about a "pronator drift" test, which I don't seem to have a problem passing.

Will let you know how it goes!