Confusing medical advice

[James0000]

Good morning , I have read all threads regarding to fasciculations and MND , like many I am still somewhat confused about my symptoms ..
Medical history .. 48 yr male no medical issues before this episode .
Returned from the Dominican republic from a family vacation with my wife and two children and another family first week of January 2019 . Got back to normal routine of life and exercise right away and within three weeks I had developed multiple symptoms which were both sensory and neurological at the same time ???
Pain down left arm from shoulder numbness in tingling in left fingers and in both feet , with severe headaches and pain concentrated behind left eye .
Then I began muscle spasms throughout my body sometimes for a few seconds sometimes for several minutes. The spasms were then followed by indiscriminate jerks in my fingers legs feet only at rest.
I also felt popping under the skin sporadically in every area of my body including my eyebrows lip cheek etc which led to me noticing FASCICULATIONS IN CALFS 90% with pain, legs 5%, rest of body 5%.
Medical evaluations ... Family doctor performed physical exam and blood work ... ALL NORMAL...no mineral deficiencies etc ..Referred me to a neurologist for MRI..
MRI results ... Paracentral disc herniation at C4C5 extending into spinal canal , significant indentation of the cord left of midline also with neural foraminal stenosis .
C-5 C6 has spinal and foraminal stenosis with disc osteophyte .
C6 C7 have spinal stenosis and mild osteophyte complex
Degenerative disc disease in L4L5 of lumbar with hyper trophy and mild degree of spinal stenosis .
Neurologist #1 results after three months of symptoms ...
Physical exam ALL CLEAR at every neurological indication .
Nerve conduction and EMG on both arms concluded carpal tunnel syndrome in left hand . Neurologist had no specialty with fasciculations and said they could be benign .
All symptoms continued for A couple more months making it five months in total so far when I asked my GP for another neurological opinion .
Neurologist # 2 .. Nuro muscular clinic that specializes in ALs/mnd and rare neurological disorders in Toronto , highly regarded.... after 7 1/2 -8 months symptoms..
Results .... nerve conduction shows mild carpal tunnel syndrome on the left and EMG reveals occasional fasciculations with no active or chronic neurogenic changes . The etiology of fasciculations appear benign and idiopathic and in addition he has clinical and radiological features of residual cervical myelopathy . No signs or suggestion on clinical grounds of motor neuron disease or ALS and no denervation on the needle EMG to support this possibility ... neurologist did not ask for a follow up visit .

MY CONCERN .. during evaluation one of the doctors had suggested not to worry because only one to two people out of 100 with fasciculations will go on to develop ALS or motor neuron disease which seems to contradict all of the information I have read anywhere on the Internet.
My understanding after 7 - 8 months of continued fasciculations with two clean EMGs ,nerve conduction and physical evaluations that if the disease was present it would absolutely show up somewhere in these tests.

SECOND CONCERN... within a few weeks of me presenting these symptoms at the beginning of January MY WIFE began having muscle spasms , popping, and noticeable fasciculations throughout her body .
All of these symptoms have been videoed and shown to all of these doctors and no one has any idea what is going on , except to suggest that we may have been exposed to some type of toxin in the Dominican republic . Keeping in mind my wife and I do not take any prescription medications or drugs of any kind .

Has anyone heard of two people developing such similar symptoms in such proximity which are rare and concerning to the both of us ... any advice would be greatly appreciated as the medical community is at a loss

 

[Bestfriends14]

I'm sorry you and your wife are having issues, but this is a site for those with ALS and their caregivers. You've been cleared of ALS two times, so continuing to worry about a disease you don't evidence having is fruitless. As for what is going on with you, I'm not sure because giving general medical advice is not what this forum is for.

Perhaps look at going to a travel clinic and speaking to a doctor there who can conduct a more in depth test. Again, this site does not do diagnoses for general health concerns.

Best of luck to you.

 

[KarenNWendyn]

My understanding after 7 - 8 months of continued fasciculations with two clean EMGs ,nerve conduction and physical evaluations that if the disease was present it would absolutely show up somewhere in these tests.

This is true.

SECOND CONCERN... within a few weeks of me presenting these symptoms at the beginning of January MY WIFE began having muscle spasms , popping, and noticeable fasciculations throughout her body .

Fasciculations are common, nonspecific, and meaningless in the absence of muscle function failure which you have not described. Twitching can be precipitated by stress, anxiety, dehydration, caffeine, electrolyte imbalance, and excessive physical exertion, to name a few causes. Or it can be chronic and benign in the case of BFS.

But there is no ALS in your picture. Keep working with your doctors, manage stress and anxiety, and take care of yourself. But I agree with Bestfriends that you don’t need to be here.

 

[James0000]

This is true.

Fasciculations are common, nonspecific, and meaningless in the absence of muscle function failure which you have not described. Twitching can be precipitated by stress, anxiety, dehydration, caffeine, electrolyte imbalance, and excessive physical exertion, to name a few causes. Or it can be chronic and benign in the case of BFS.

But there is no ALS in your picture. Keep working with your doctors, manage stress and anxiety, and take care of yourself. But I agree with Bestfriends that you don’t need to be here.

Karen ... Thank you for your kind and informative response. I have been following this forum for months and only decided to write because of my concern for my wife developing similar symptoms in a specific time period . I shall seek advice elsewhere and thank you again for your time.

 

[lgelb]

The mind is very powerful. It would not be at all surprising if your wife were concerned for/empathized with you, and those concerns manifested physically. As another example, "sympathetic pregnancy" is a real thing.

You have spine issues that a trial of PT as well as therapeutic massage could be very appropriate for. I would pursue this.

All the best.