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pittguy578

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Learn about ALS
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Pittsburgh
Soon to be 40 year old male. I eat right and exercise 5 days a week. I walk hills for 40 minutes during my lunch hour then do the steps twice. I also do body weight training.

Suddenly started having these twitches all of a sudden Friday at work. It started with my right pectoral muscle. It was brief, but freaked me out. That area never really twitched again after that initial time. To be honest I had been extremely stressed out due to financial issues last week at same time they started, but I think I have calmed down since then and they are still happening.


Then gradually over the weekend I started to get twitches in different places. Sometimes in my arm. Once in a while in my butt. Sometimes around my feet and ankles. and then my right thigh. Never my left thigh usually. Then every once in a while around my face. They seem to come and go. They are never constant or regular during the day. Like I went most of the day yesterday during the day with none then they started to get active in evening. Then I didn't have any while I was laying in bed. I thought they were totally gone today until I went to see my boss around 3 PM today and I had some in my arm.

The thing is though these twitches are never when my muscle is in use. Only when I am at rest. Like I never have ones in my legs when I am walking. I don't have any twitches in my arms when they are in or muscle flexed. They seem to get worse at night for some weird reason-maybe because I am sedentary.

These twitches are not constant. They can be gone or nearly gone for most of the day.

Trying to get an appointment for a neuro. I called today. They said to call back tomorrow to try to get a same day appointment.

I don't have any ALS in my family. I haven't seen any muscle atrophy. I actually have been starting to lift heavier weights since this started to try to get myself calm. I have been on the verge of a major breakdown since this started. It's just hard for me to not think in worst case scenarios
 
Stop breaking down. Stop worrying at all.
At 40, your body is going to do more weird stuff. Don't sweat it.
The type and extent of your twitching has nothing in common with the type of twitching that a person with ALS might have. I won't go into specifics because hypochondriacs read this board, hoping to convince us they have ALS.
See your standard family physician, an MD. Neurologists only know neurology. What you describe seems more like either diet and electrolytes or perhaps you have a major change coming up at work or at home.
 
Thank you. I always tend to think in worst case scenarios and my best friends mom does have ALS so I have seen someone who had it in real life, just not an internet story about it
 
Update. I went to see a Neuro or I should day a Neuro Physician Assistant then the doctor came in.

Physical exam went well. They didn’t see any decrease in muscle mass and indicated I am in good shape. Reflexes good.

These symptoms are just so puzzling. I didn’t have any known twitches from 830 last night until around noon today. Then I have had a few. I thought they were gone until they happened again.

They are running a full blood work including CK Levels. I went to the lab after exam to get it drawn. They are also ordering EMG

They were fairly certain I was in good health and ok but I think they are just doing EMG to be sure.

The only bad thing is they didn’t have any real good possible reasons for the twitching. They said it just “happens sometimes”
 
Leading contenders for "just happens" are diet, exercise, stress, sleep and hydration. And twitches can take a while to leave off, after a stressful episode. Think "muscle memory."

Though your description doesn't sound like it, twitching only when you are at rest should lead to consideration of Restless Leg Syndrome, which can include the arms and even include some daytime twitching. You can find a screening questionnaire on line.

Either way, sounds like you have nothing-to-little to worry about.

Best,
Laurie
 
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Stop breaking down. Stop worrying at all.
At 40, your body is going to do more weird stuff. Don't sweat it.
The type and extent of your twitching has nothing in common with the type of twitching that a person with ALS might have. I won't go into specifics because hypochondriacs read this board, hoping to convince us they have ALS.
See your standard family physician, an MD. Neurologists only know neurology. What you describe seems more like either diet and electrolytes or perhaps you have a major change coming up at work or at home.


Promise this is my last question for a while.
Does ALS usually start out in a specific area? The reason I am asking is the disease caused twitches as a result of muscle wasting.

I am having twitched intermittently from my right side of my face down to bottom of leg.

Wouldn’t it be weird for all of those muscles in different parts part of the body to start twitching at same time?
 
ALS twitches aren't intermittent, they don't come and go.

BTW, had you read the Pinned Post titled Read Before Posting, you'd have saved everyone a great deal of time.

Check it out!
 
ALS twitches aren't intermittent, they don't come and go.

BTW, had you read the Pinned Post titled Read Before Posting, you'd have saved everyone a great deal of time.

Check it out!

So they never even stop at all, even for short periods? I mean I am getting them daily but they aren’t going for every single second ?
 
They are consistent.

But the important part, which you're avoiding, is that Twitching is far too common to be diagnostic of anything!

To put it another way, if twitching is all you've got, you don't need to be here.

And to put the final word on this, if you ask about twitching again, I'll lock this thread.

Have a good life, put ALS behind you. :)
 
They are consistent.

But the important part, which you're avoiding, is that Twitching is far too common to be diagnostic of anything!

To put it another way, if twitching is all you've got, you don't need to be here.

And to put the final word on this, if you ask about twitching again, I'll lock this thread.

Have a good life, put ALS behind you. :)

One last thing is they have been consistent in my left foot. Like I get them there on a daily basis. The rest of the areas are more inconsistent and sporadic. I was really hoping my blood work was back before the weekend. They were measuring my CK Levels. Really just want to get this EMG done but earliest I can get in is December 5th
 
One last thing is they have been consistent in my left foot. Like I get them there on a daily basis. The rest of the areas are more inconsistent and sporadic. I was really hoping my blood work was back before the weekend. They were measuring my CK Levels. Really just want to get this EMG done but earliest I can get in is December 5th

ModNote: Couldn't take pretty clear direction to NOT post about twitching. Fine, buba.

Locking As you apparently want.

If you open another thread with these non-ALS symptoms, you will be banned.
 
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