Recent content by mrpet

Thank you very much for your prompt response Shiftkicker, it is much appreciated for your thoroughness, clarity, thoughtfulness and directness. Kind regards, MrP.

I'll spare you most of the details, but twitching started in late November 2015. Started in left calf but rapidly progressed to all over (more in lower body though). Twitching has pretty steadily gotten worse over two years - more new twitches have come than old twitches have gone. I'm 42. I...

Aquinn, my neurologist (an als specialist) has diagnosed me with peripheral nerve hyperexcitability (BFS) as the cause of my twitching and I have foraminal stenosis in my neck which he believes explains my very mild shoulder weakness and localized fibrillations on my last emg. I still have my...

Thanks Wendy. I guess I have a few specific questions: 1. is 20lb "normal" for a skinny out of shape 41 year old to be able to hold a shoulder abduction/flexion for c.10 seconds (you've given your response on this - thanks) 2. If I had als would I expect to see at least some subtle muscle...

Hi there, I'll try to keep the background brief: - Nov 2015 started twitching - Multiple clean EMGs through Aug 2016 - One fib detected in right quad in Aug 2016 (subsequently went away) - Had episode of ankle weakness in Oct 2016 - diagnosed as peroneal neuropathy via NCS/EMG (no fibs there...

Hi stymied - any chance of an update as to how you're doing?

I met with my neurologist (an ALS specialist) and a neurosurgeon today. It was a mixed appointment in terms of reassurance. On the one hand my neuro said he was "100% sure" that I did not have ALS based on the MRI findings (severe foraminal stenosis in c5-6 and more mild elsewhere) and the focal...

Hi Vince. I think I'm right in saying you were physerv24 on the aboutbfs.com board? If so, I have a question for you if you don't mind. I have developed weakness in my shoulder and the EMG showed the usual abnormalities in my deltoid, infraspinatus, supraspinatus and trapezius, but nowehere...

Well I promised to revert back. I've had my MRI and it got read by the radiologist straight away. My neuro then called me immediately. They have found "severe" stenosis in my spine, worst at c5-c6 but also in other areas. My neuro said this completely fits with the history, clinical exam and...

They only tested left hand side (they will do right hand side on Tuesday next week). The accute denervation was in deltoid (1 fib), infraspinatus (many fibs), supraspinatus (many fibs and mup abnormalities) and trapezius (fibs, not sure how many). The triceps, biceps, forearm and hand were all...

Well my shoulder weakness progressed and I got another emg done today at OHSU. The emg was very abnormal, lots of fibs-psw and neurogenic changes. They are now thinking als unless my MRI (today I hope) shows otherwise. This comes after 15 months since fascs onset and many emgs. Assuming I am...

I guess if you consider the start of fascs as symptom onset then I see your point. But I took the noticing of weakness as symptom onset, which was only a month before the EMG. I guess if I do have ALS then the fascs would be symptom onset, but fascs don't "cause" weakness per se (while...

Just a short update. I saw a physical therapist today who gave my left infraspinatus a 4/5 strength rating. This made me very worried as my shoulder is feeling weaker than ever. I asked my neuro if the EMG might have been too early as I have read that it takes a few weeks for fibs to show up in...

Ok thanks Becky. I actually did email my doctor after mike suggested and he kindly replied this morning amazingly. His reply was: "If the question is als or motor neuron disease then yes, if c5-6 were affected then you would have abnormalities in deltoid and biceps. That's why I'm not worried."...

Thanks Mike. What context is needed for the answer to my question? I was looking for reassurance I guess as my understanding is that muscles of the same myotome (i.e. Innervated by the same nerve root) would typically exhibit abnormalities if there was ALS (anterior horn cell loss) present in...