Fasciculations

[Labinma]

Hi all, Question of the week. Curious to understand if the rate and frequency of fasciculations depicts the speed of progression or not? When cuddling with my PALS, it is amazing the speed and constant pinging all over felt. I understand these are the motor neurons firing off as they attempt communication with the brain. Is a high rate of this occurance/symptom any indication as to rate of disease progression? Thank you so much. Lisa

 

[Nikki J]

I think it is very variable among PALS so you probably can't read much into it. After the initial weakness and diagnosis some seem to find them a harbinger of next affected area even though they were not the first symptom. Does he take riluzole? For some( I am one) it seems to diminish twitching

 

[Labinma]

Hi, thank you, yes, he takes riluzole. It is just the speed and frequency that occurs that concerns me. Its constant pinging all over, never at rest. Do you feel these much when its going on? Are they annoying, painful or tickle?

 

[tripete]

For me fasciculations will increase after I do something. So if I type to much my hands and forearms will go crazier than normal.

 

[Nikki J]

Some I feel others I do not. None are painful and I do not find them annoying. At this point I mostly ignore them as they do not seem to be predictive of anything in my case.

 

[KimT]

For me fasciculations will increase after I do something. So if I type to much my hands and forearms will go crazier than normal.

Mine are the same, Peter. After I sprained my right ankle I just sat around for a couple of days and the foot fasiculations went away. When I started using my leg muscles again, they increased. I've noticed this over and over. Mine actually started when I was doing water exercises in the pool and resistance training with my feet and lower legs. When I type a lot, I get them in my hands. When I do a lot of reading, I get them in my eye lids.

 

[KW1234]

They don't hurt but they wake me up at night. Sometimes if a muscle cramps...i.e. when I sneeze my abdominal muscles instantly cramp, I will have fasciculations in those muscles for several hours after. I had some in my chin the other day which was really wierd, and some in my jaw that I could hear in my ear as clicking. Also my tongue looks possessed. The fasciculations in my tongue seem to come in waves.

 

[Derek1014]

I'm newly diagnosed I find as well when moving or straining I have more fasciculations in that are for awhile. I also cramp up easy like knots that you have to straighten up to straighten out. My all over fasciculations are sometimes fast and sometimes not even there like. Not painful kind of annoying but starting to just get used to it.

 

[scaredwifetx]

Steve has them very bad at night when sleeping and his are pretty strong. He also does a lot of movement like jerks. Not sure how to state that but it doesn't bother him.