Bluegrass boy
New member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2015
- Messages
- 3
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- Kentucky
- City
- Louisville
First, I just want to thank anyone for any reply. I understand the energy some members of this forum expend just to try and ease the minds of concerned people like myself.
I guess I should start by describing the last few months for me. In August, I decided to see a neurologist because of a tremor type feeling in my hand that I can only describe now (after researching for a few weeks) as myoclonus because my wrist muscle contracts and relaxes extremely rapidly while holding something. This has happened only a handful of times though.
What really made me want to see a neuro was my dominant hand index finger twitching from left to right instead of the up and down twitches that I had felt my whole life. This was accompanied by my bottom lip quivering like I could only describe as the feeling when you are crying and lose control of your lip.
My neurologist appointment went "well" as far as he implied. I passed his physical exam with flying colors- held my fingers as close as possible without touching, pushed back with all my extremities, walked from toe to heel and down the hall just fine. He wanted me to do a DAT scan and EMG for my own "peace of mind" he said for a couple of episodes I had described to him as almost passing out once while in a play and once in a movie theater. I just took the EMG last week and have not yet heard the results. My insurance would not cover the DAT scan so I'm not planning on getting it. I also think he recommended these tests because I originally brought up to him my thinking it could be Parkinsons though I had no idea what was going on.
I apologize for breaking the rules of this page and am posting though I can almost certainly say I have no true "clinical" weakness that I can tell. My limbs and extremities still function properly as far as I know.
The weakness that I do have has been in my dominant side (right) calf and leg. I've noticed it when driving home after a day of work- my leg will shake and feel extremely tired while pressing the gas and brake pedals. My right side shoulder has also felt extremely weak- like I can't keep a great posture and it droops slightly lower than my other which my GP said was fine. I shake pretty violently when doing any form of exercise like push-ups. I can still run thankfully although my right calf and leg take longer to recover compared to my left.
I know they say that fasciculations are not anything in ALS but, like most, we can always find an article or forum post that says otherwise even though they might be the exception to the rule.
Well, my right calf has been twitching for 3 weeks now, mostly in the same spot- most of the day and night. I've also felt twitches all over my body in random spots anywhere you can think of. These twitches feel extremely fine or pin-pointed.
Twitches don't usually bother me because I've had them for years but what has really brought me to write is the twitching in my right calf that, when flexed, looks like rapid ripples that I cannot feel but can definitely see and they look extremely small and fine. They're in about the same spot that I feel my calf twitch all the time. I've never noticed a twitch or ripple like these before and had not noticed these before my neuro appointment or I would have asked the doctor about them.
I also drop things daily but still have lots of pressure in my fingers and strength seems normal to strong. When breathing through my nose I have to finish my breath with my mouth open and often feel like I have to move my body to complete a yawn or breath. My voice is also cracking almost daily and I'm clearing my throat of phlegm all day long.
If anyone could give any advice on what these small ripple like twitches are or point me in any good direction I would be greatly appreciative. Has anyone seen these types of twitches before?
Please know that you all are in my prayers every day!
I guess I should start by describing the last few months for me. In August, I decided to see a neurologist because of a tremor type feeling in my hand that I can only describe now (after researching for a few weeks) as myoclonus because my wrist muscle contracts and relaxes extremely rapidly while holding something. This has happened only a handful of times though.
What really made me want to see a neuro was my dominant hand index finger twitching from left to right instead of the up and down twitches that I had felt my whole life. This was accompanied by my bottom lip quivering like I could only describe as the feeling when you are crying and lose control of your lip.
My neurologist appointment went "well" as far as he implied. I passed his physical exam with flying colors- held my fingers as close as possible without touching, pushed back with all my extremities, walked from toe to heel and down the hall just fine. He wanted me to do a DAT scan and EMG for my own "peace of mind" he said for a couple of episodes I had described to him as almost passing out once while in a play and once in a movie theater. I just took the EMG last week and have not yet heard the results. My insurance would not cover the DAT scan so I'm not planning on getting it. I also think he recommended these tests because I originally brought up to him my thinking it could be Parkinsons though I had no idea what was going on.
I apologize for breaking the rules of this page and am posting though I can almost certainly say I have no true "clinical" weakness that I can tell. My limbs and extremities still function properly as far as I know.
The weakness that I do have has been in my dominant side (right) calf and leg. I've noticed it when driving home after a day of work- my leg will shake and feel extremely tired while pressing the gas and brake pedals. My right side shoulder has also felt extremely weak- like I can't keep a great posture and it droops slightly lower than my other which my GP said was fine. I shake pretty violently when doing any form of exercise like push-ups. I can still run thankfully although my right calf and leg take longer to recover compared to my left.
I know they say that fasciculations are not anything in ALS but, like most, we can always find an article or forum post that says otherwise even though they might be the exception to the rule.
Well, my right calf has been twitching for 3 weeks now, mostly in the same spot- most of the day and night. I've also felt twitches all over my body in random spots anywhere you can think of. These twitches feel extremely fine or pin-pointed.
Twitches don't usually bother me because I've had them for years but what has really brought me to write is the twitching in my right calf that, when flexed, looks like rapid ripples that I cannot feel but can definitely see and they look extremely small and fine. They're in about the same spot that I feel my calf twitch all the time. I've never noticed a twitch or ripple like these before and had not noticed these before my neuro appointment or I would have asked the doctor about them.
I also drop things daily but still have lots of pressure in my fingers and strength seems normal to strong. When breathing through my nose I have to finish my breath with my mouth open and often feel like I have to move my body to complete a yawn or breath. My voice is also cracking almost daily and I'm clearing my throat of phlegm all day long.
If anyone could give any advice on what these small ripple like twitches are or point me in any good direction I would be greatly appreciative. Has anyone seen these types of twitches before?
Please know that you all are in my prayers every day!