History of Fascilulations/twitching question

[KimT]

These twitches began in the foot of my weak ankle about 8 months ago. They weren't constant but they became constant in December. A month later they started in my calf of the atrophied and weak leg. Intermittently, I'm getting them in other areas on my left side including thigh and butt and a few in my back. For the past 6 weeks my left eye has been twitching constantly...it might stop for a few hours but starts up again. Everything is on my left side, including the weakness, abnormal EMG (arm and leg). Tonight the left side of my face joined in but has since stopped. Eye still going strong.

My question: Has anyone had constant eye twitching or could this be a stress/anxiety issue not associated with the rest?

Blue Cross called me and assigned an ALS RN caseworker to "help" me because Mayo put the diagnosis on my EMG.

 

[gooseberry]

Embrace your case worker. Steve has one assigned thru aetna and it really helped him get things he needed. She helped on the medical side, gave us social worker resources,planning, equipment, billing resources, etc

 

[Nikki J]

Eye twitching is so common and generally benign. I get it occasionally but I have for years when tired or stressed. I have never worried about it or thought to mention it when asked about twitches. But my sister who has advanced disease including bulbar just had an eye exan and he commented on eyelid twitches then said nothing to worry about. Common and benign. But he is an ophthalmologist not a neuro ophthalmologist and I admit it worries me. I don't know if it worries my sister and I hesitate to bring it up as there is nothing to be done. If I were she I would ask my neuro if the ophthalmologist was correct

 

[lgelb]

Truly, I don't know how you could confirm or deny eye twitches as caused by ALS w/o trying "normal" ways of dealing with them (sleep, music, hydration, electrolytes, mild heat/cold, stress reduction, etc.). It is possible that they are unrelated, that they are being triggered by nearby facial muscles, that nerves in that area are in fact affected. We do hear from people who have difficulty opening their eyes. In literature, it is reported that the extraocular muscles are "usually spared" in ALS. There is no hard data on that of which I am aware.