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planningguy

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I some questions regarding twitching, spasms and fasiculations. This is mostly inspired by trying to go for a run last night (dumb idea... made today miserable even with the Provigil to perk me up).

I have been experiencing muscle soreness throughout my entire body (That with the fatigue was one of the first things that clued me in that what I was experiencing needed more attention). If I hold a phone to my ear for too long, my arm gets sore. If I eat something too thick or that requires me to open my mouth too wide my jaw hurts. Stand on my tiptoes, my calves ache... you get the picture.

I really started hovering around the possibility of ALS when I began experiencing twitching in my bicep and calves (and now my back and jaw). I often hear, and I have used the term, twitching very loosely. Now I am starting to understand that not all twitches are the same. What I experience right now is like a type of muscle spasm, the muscle contracts (it almost feels like a throbbing pusle) a half dozen or so times, then stops. Fasiculations I guess are smaller finer twiches that almost wiggle under the skin. With the exception of my eye (which can be normal when experiencing stress), I don't think I am experiencing those.

I guess I'm starting to lose my own way in my post so I will summarize:

1. Are muscle spasms (when combined with soreness and weakness) possible symptoms of ALS?

2. Does muscle stiffness and soreness occur before, after, or simultaneously to experiencing weakness? Two of the people that I have spoken with friends and family members that had been diagnosed with ALS mentioned that the weakness (leg giving out from under them, tripping, etc) proceeded any soreness, cramping, or spasms.

3. Can the muscle soreness be constant?

4. What about a constant sensation of pressure, or a phone ring like vibration in the limbs?

5. Not as related but I am still curious, are swelling and poor circulation common in early stages? What about easy bruising, or indentation on the skin that doesn't go away easily?

Sigh... not trying to work myself up, but like I said, not the greatest of days.

Robert
 
Hi Robert,
I think you need to focus on some sort of autoimmune disease as being the culprit. It also will be healthier to re-direct your thoughts away from ALS and to think of other possibilities first. I know it's easy for me to say, but I have been in your shoes in a sense when my husband was in limbo over his diagnosis I was obsessed with ALS and researching it and it kept me in a constant state of anxiety. I can't really answer all your questions from a medical professional's perspective, but I can try to answer from our experience. 1. Yes, but muscle spasms can occur with numerous other conditions such as CIDP, MS, and even from metabolic imbalances--such as calcium and vitamin deficiences. 2. You can have spasm and soreness and no weakness, and you can have weakness without spasm (I have had MS for 20 yrs. and I am very familiar with muscle spasm. Sometimes I will have spasms and no weakness, and vice versa. And then because my muscles stay in spasm for prolonged periods, I feel weakness.) 3) Yes muscle soreness can be constant, but often those who describe long periods of soreness have an inflammatory illness happening. 4. Constant pressure or vibration sounds sensory in nature. 5. I don't know about swelling or poor circulation as it relates to ALS. However, any person with prolonged disability that involves impaired movement can develop problems with circulation. Easy bruising sounds more of a hematology problem i.e. some blood disorder. Indention of the skin may relate to a bit of edema? I still lean toward some sort of vasculitis or Polymyositis in your situation. So many things that you talk about just don't fit with all the reading I have done about ALS. That would be good if I'm right in my speculation. I hope your assessment gets booked soon.
Laurel
 
I some questions regarding twitching, spasms and fasiculations. This is mostly inspired by trying to go for a run last night (dumb idea... made today miserable even with the Provigil to perk me up).

I have been experiencing muscle soreness throughout my entire body (That with the fatigue was one of the first things that clued me in that what I was experiencing needed more attention). If I hold a phone to my ear for too long, my arm gets sore. If I eat something too thick or that requires me to open my mouth too wide my jaw hurts. Stand on my tiptoes, my calves ache... you get the picture.

I really started hovering around the possibility of ALS when I began experiencing twitching in my bicep and calves (and now my back and jaw). I often hear, and I have used the term, twitching very loosely. Now I am starting to understand that not all twitches are the same. What I experience right now is like a type of muscle spasm, the muscle contracts (it almost feels like a throbbing pusle) a half dozen or so times, then stops. Fasiculations I guess are smaller finer twiches that almost wiggle under the skin. With the exception of my eye (which can be normal when experiencing stress), I don't think I am experiencing those.

I guess I'm starting to lose my own way in my post so I will summarize:

1. Are muscle spasms (when combined with soreness and weakness) possible symptoms of ALS?

2. Does muscle stiffness and soreness occur before, after, or simultaneously to experiencing weakness? Two of the people that I have spoken with friends and family members that had been diagnosed with ALS mentioned that the weakness (leg giving out from under them, tripping, etc) proceeded any soreness, cramping, or spasms.

3. Can the muscle soreness be constant?

4. What about a constant sensation of pressure, or a phone ring like vibration in the limbs?

5. Not as related but I am still curious, are swelling and poor circulation common in early stages? What about easy bruising, or indentation on the skin that doesn't go away easily?

Sigh... not trying to work myself up, but like I said, not the greatest of days.

Robert

Robert You have alot of symptoms of ALS I dont think you should assume they are from stress,The soreness is how I started with slurred speech I felt like I was lifting weights after holding my infant grandson and it took days for the soeness to go away I had vibrations I have cold feet no swelling I bruise, I has thumb spasms at first and throbing pulses.
I dont know if you are under a neuros care but you should be,
Also I know the mind is a powerful thing and you can be working yourself up to anxiety and feeling all of this.
I dont know you and I am not a doctorr I am talking out of my experiece.

Pat
 
Hi Robert,
I think you need to focus on some sort of autoimmune disease as being the culprit. It also will be healthier to re-direct your thoughts away from ALS and to think of other possibilities first.
Laurel

I second what Laurel said. The biggest reason is that autoimmune is treatable, but not curable, so the earlier its looked into, the better the outcome. I replied to another of your posts earlier today about this. And, it still keeps nagging at me about you saying your nose looks different, no only to you, but to others. That has nothing to do with MND, but it would fit with the autoimmune condition that Laurel had brought up earlier. Its a biggie, in that it is so specific. take care, :)
 
Robert,

I third what Laurel and Rose are saying. Please hang in there, try and think positive it could be nuemerous things.
 
Thank you again for your responses. I apologize for bombarding a little yesterday.

An auto-immune illness seems to make a lot of sense to me, especially given the infection 2 years ago (Perhaps I can get the GP or neuro to give prednisone a shot.). I just sometimes worry that I downplayed more subtle signs earlier on, and naturally part of human nature wants to assume the worst (especially when that crazy goolge keeps kicking back the same thing ;)). Things definately seemed to pick up after the auto wreck.

I'm going to do my best to cool it until I have my U of Utah consult, I'll update when I do, and as I know more. In the meantime it's time to play with the kids and enjoy the weekend.

Robert
 
Hi Robert,
No apology needed in any sense. Venting is good and we're pretty good listeners. We just want you to be as stress free as possible while waiting for assessment i.e. think autoimmune <g>. Enjoy the weekend with your kids. We are heading into Canada Day next week (July 1) which is equivalent to your July 4th so there are lots of fun community things on the agenda around here i.e. street hockey games, fly pass by precision flying teams, fireworks etc. Keep us as your sounding board and don't disappear.
Laurel
 
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