EMG detection?

[peanut78]

Hi Everyone,
I have had some widespread twitching pretty much all over, mainly in legs though, for about 1 month now. Now I feel as though my left arm is weak. May be all in my head. I had an EMG about 2 weeks after I noticed twitching and the doctor said it was normal, didn't even see any fasciculations. I am only 28 and don't want the doctor to not take me seriously. And the EMG portion only lasted about 5 minutes?

My question is, did I have the EMG to early to show anything? If someone has ALS does it matter when you get the EMG if you are having twitching from it? Thank you for help!

 

[Blizna]

Hi,
if the wide-spread twitching was due to ALS, there would be signs of denervation/reinervation on EMG.

I have occasional twitches on whole body more than 4 months - they say its due to anxiety that I really had/have.

 

[peanut78]

Thanks Blizna. I am just worried because I feel that the EMG was so short he didn't give it time to show anything. He literally stuck the needles in and said "everyhing looks normal" in about 3 mins. Any ideas on this?

 

[Blizna]

Dont worry, thats OK.

Its because after insertion the needle it immediately transmits the electric signals from muscles. In ALS (when it would be spread to whole body) you would have large motor units, positive sharp waves and especially fibrilations - thats "twitching" of muscle "strings" that you cant see, cant feel but if found, its not good. That would show immediately.

I know many people who had EMG done in 5 minutes and its OK. Many BFSers twitch non-stop for years. If your neuro did test in your "weaker" arm and found nothing, you dont have to much to worry.

I have also clean EMG done in around 10 minutes + NVC - all normal. I still twitch. Im still affraid of ALS, but its only just a small piece of fear I had moths ago.

 

[bala80]

I know how you feel, I'm 27 and have had ALS symptoms for 2 months now, started with constant twitching and has progressed to muscle pain and atrophy, I've had 2 EMG's done in this time from 2 differernt neuros, both came back normal (no fibs and PSWs), so they don't think I have ALS, even though the clinical signs are all there. I have been on clonazepam 0.5mg during this time, and they have said this won't affect the results. I also twitch much less in the mornings and more as the day goes by, and the EMG's were done in the mornings, so I don't know whether this would have affected the results. This has really put doubts in my mind whether EMGs are really sensitive for detecing ALS.

Having said that, in your case, if you've been twitching for 2 months with no signs of weakness or atrophy, and have had a normal EMG whilst being on no medications, then you should be 100% confident your twitches are benign and not ALS. If they were due to denervation, you would have other symptoms by now. Hope this helps.