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michelleG

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Hi everyone,
I haven't posted in awhile, but I had some concerns. I posted awhile back about how I have a constant pulse like twitch in my feel that goes off every few seconds that I cannot feel. It has now been nearly 8 weeks and it is still there. Every time I look at my tongue while it is resting, I see it flicker away. I have the occasional electrical shock twitch in my tongue that I can feel, but those only happen a couple times a day and are never constant. Along with this twitch, I have noticed that the inside of the right side of my cheek is more rough and bumpy, like I have been biting it, but I haven't noticed that I have been. The back side of my tongue on the right side also looks really bumpy and raw looking, like the layers of skin are actually peeling away on the side of my tongue. Is this what tongue atrophy looks like? I have no problems moving my tongue around.

My neurologist has seen my flickering twitch and decided to order an EMG. He has actually performed several in my tongue because he said he has never seen benign tongue fasciculations, so he wanted to reassure me. I've had my tongue needled on both sides up through my chin, as well as directly through my tongue. Everything came back normal. At first he said that my tongue wasn't completely relaxed, but he said he was 95% sure he was able to get a good baseline. I then had my jaw needled on both sides, two facial muscles, a few muscles in my neck, and my trapezius. No active denervation was found. Should I be 100% reassured that the constant twitch in my tongue is benign after these EMGs or do they not always show abnormalities right away? Do the bumps on the back side of my tongue sound concerning? Thank you so much for your time.

Michelle
 
Michelle, I don't know how you could be any more sure that it's benign. He has been more than thorough. If you've got twitches and there is no denervtion, then it's benign as far as I've ever heard ... and apparently as far as your neuro has heard, too.

I've never examined my mouth that closely, although I did get a flashlight after the doctor spelled "fasciculations" for me and I got home. Have never noticed any skin peeling. I believe tongues and cheeks and the nether regions of our mouths are usually a little bumpy ... but surely your neuro did a thorough visual exam. I don't think anybody online can tell you more than your neuro did, and if he saw anything alarming I'm sure he would have mentioned it.

My atrophied tongue just looks like a little, slightly pointed tongue (shaped like a small slice of pie). Kinda cute and dainty, actually. It has a very rough, corroded surface. Others may look differently.

Your neuro did everything but give you a money-back guarantee. If that doesn't put your mind to rest, don't think anything will.
 
muscles can twitch, any of them... I would say you have had the most thorough bulbar emg I have ever heard of.. I would not worry about ALS..
 
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