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CB1977

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Hello-


I have been around this forum for a while now (over a year). I recently had an EMG at OSU by a neuromuscular specialist and it was clean except for a few faciculations detected in my legs.


My latest symptoms are very alarming to me and I need input & feedback


1. When I lay my hand flat in a desk (palm down) then raise just my hand (like when using the mouse on a computer) and hold that position for maybe 10 seconds, my hand shakes really bad. Not like a little tremor, but a large up and down shake that gets worse the longer I hold it until it looks like I have maybe Parkinson’s. I cant stop it no matter how hard I concentrate. My fear is that this is wrist drop BUT how could I possibly have any type of weakness and have a clean EMG (3rd clean in a year)? Input please?


2. I have bouts where my body "shivers" where I am not cold at all in fact I am 100% comfortable as far as temp is concerned. It feels like it is originating from my back and neck area. It happens when I am sitting, laying down, especially if I lay on my sides. What in the world is going on? I couldn’t even find anything about this on the internet.


Any input on this would be greatly appreciated. Does this point to any particular disease, is it a clue?


Thanks


CB in Ohio
 
Just a guess could be a umn problem, if you have hyper reflexes it could be clonus.. Do you have brisk reflexes? weakness can cause shaking. UMN symptoms can be shiverig and shaking also.
 
What would be UMN problems.... PLS? I think it is weakness but then again how could I have that and it not be detected by the EMG? I am not sure if my reflexs are brisk or hyper, my neuro has not mentioned it? I was in a clinical exam back on May 5th, he didnt mention anything about any of the things you mentioned but it seems to me that when I move its a little "jerky".
 
CB,

It could be possible that you have brisk reflexes and the doctor did not say anything to you. If you have not asked for written reports, this is something you should have in your possession anyway.

Wrist drop is just that, you can't hold your hand up. Its weakness. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the shaking would not be heralding that this is to come.

The shivers you describe have been discussed before. I think that BethU was one of the members who talked about them. I get them sporadically. At first it was in my chest with breathing, (its been a long time since I felt it there) then my hands, then the soles of my feet, but now it is a feeling in my lower spine. It is NOT something that only people with ALS experience, in fact, most people with ALS do not mention them at all, so it may just be a phantom nerve thing.

... PS. UMN issues do not show up on EMG, just the clinical exam.
 
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CB ... the shaking when you hold your hand up (why are you doing that anyway?) isn't an ALS symptom and doesn't sound like Parkinson's. Parkinson's tremors (I THINK) happen when your muscles are at rest. As soon as you engage them, the shaking stops. Again ... I THINK I remember reading that, but don't quote me. My husband's a Parkie, but has only had very, very minor tremors, so I've pretty much ignored the tremor info. If you're concerned, there's lots of material on Parkinson's available from Dr. Google. It is a VERY complicated disease.

A year or so ago, about 3 or 4 times, I awakened with those shivers. I actually kinda enjoyed them. They were like goosebumps that ran up and down the back of my body, shoulders to ankles, in waves. Felt good. :) Haven't had them since, and no connection to ALS that I know of.

If your "jerky" movements continue or get worse, that should be discussed with your doctor, as that sounds a little weird. Nothing to do with ALS, but an interesting symptom. It's so refreshing to get interesting symptoms!

(I know you're in Columbus not Cleveland, but what happened to the Cavs?)
 
Beth- I have to hold my hand up when i write, type, feed myself, use the mouse on my computer, and brush my teeth. It happens when I hold my hands over my keyboard to type. Its just usual movements that I make everyday without really even thining about it. If this were ALS or due to LMN issues I am sure it would of showed up on the EMG I just had at the end of May. I guess I was hoping that someone here had also run into this and their Dr. told them what caused it and I could exclaim "eureka, that is it". I am going to Cleveland Clinic this week for a follow up so i will certainly talk with the doc. I still have the dry eye at night and dry mouth at night as well. My face has also got thinner although I really havent lost any weight?

As for the Cavs, they did what all Cleveland teams do when they get to the big game....they blow it! Well- there is always the Browns to look forward to....LOL!
 
Beth,

I see you're asking about the Cavaliers and it makes me wonder, how did your team do? :p

-Tom
 
CB,

I'm glad you've got your follow up this week. Let us know what you find out.

After reading over Beth's response, I guess she didn't have the same thing as I was remembering. We've all posted so much by now that I kind of lose track.

I know what you're describing. I actually don't enjoy it at all when when I feel it. It seems that when I feel the shivers, its after I've over extended myself during the previous day. I will wake in the night feeling it. When its my back, its deep in at the spine, not on the surface at all. Not at all a creepy crawly or tingly feeling , but at the core, and no wave action up and down, the shiver/intense tremor stays in the same area, but cuts on and off ~ like a shiver!) . I did tell my neuro about it once, she was interested and wrote it down, but never commented (they're so good at that!)

About your arms, could it be Myoclonus? This is not a feature of ALS, but it goes with neurological conditions such as MS and others....
 
I dont think it is myoclonus. I looked up the definition and it didnt sound like that.
 
CB, strangely enough I have experienced that as well, also in both hands. Resting my arm on my desk, I bend the wrist to type or hold the mouse, or whatever, and it starts shaking. From a very fine tremor it oscillates into bigger and bigger shakes; the only thing that stops it is to hold it with other hand. It happened on and off for about a week, and then it hasn't been back. I had experienced it previously, but after I had cut these enormous hedges with shears. The "action" that triggered it that time was the tilt of the wrist as you belt back a frosty drink. I think I even described it here when it happened. I figured my forearm/wrist muscles were shot from the exertion (really big hedges). But couldn't determine any possible "trigger" for the ones that happened at my desk. Besides those two episodes I haven't experienced it again. I don't know what to make of it, never did mention them to doctor. This was the only time I ever felt tempted to grab a video camera....of course, with all that shaking, I wouldn't have been able to film anything that wouldn't make the viewer nauseated!

Lydia
 
Tom, I do believe my team did about as well as your team. :lol:
 
Lydia- What you describe is exactly what I am experiencing. The quesiton is- is this due to weakness in the muscles in the forearm?
 
CB,

I get those quivers you are talking about. They feel like internal tremors especially when I lay on my side. I first noticed them 2 years ago, they come and they go.
I do not have a diagnosed of anything either.

Good luck with your appointment at the Cleveland Clinic.
 
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