How do tongue fascics look like?

[Blizna]

Well I would like to know, how to difference between normal tongue twitching when you stick it out and fasciculations. When my tongue is relaxed at the bottom of the mouth, its ok. When I stick it out slightly it starts to shake and "wave", also it does the same as for example calf, when you slightly stretch it - you can see a lot of small contractions, but I dont think those are fascics since there are present only when the muscle is slightly stretched and actived. When fully stretched or fully relaxed, its OK. Could this be fascics too?

One more question - some people here noted that during their exam neuro wanted them to sticked the tongue out, some people noted that they had to have their tongue relaxed inside of mouth. Im wondering what about sticking the tongue out, everyones tongue moves when its outside.

 

[boxer22]

Well I would like to know, how to difference between normal tongue twitching when you stick it out and fasciculations. When my tongue is relaxed at the bottom of the mouth, its ok. When I stick it out slightly it starts to shake and "wave", also it does the same as for example calf, when you slightly stretch it - you can see a lot of small contractions, but I dont think those are fascics since there are present only when the muscle is slightly stretched and actived. When fully stretched or fully relaxed, its OK. Could this be fascics too?

One more question - some people here noted that during their exam neuro wanted them to sticked the tongue out, some people noted that they had to have their tongue relaxed inside of mouth. Im wondering what about sticking the tongue out, everyones tongue moves when its outside.

I think almost everyone's tongue will have a tremor when stuck out to far( this is why the doctors ask you to let it rest in your mouth). This is a normal response. fascics are not a tremor of the tongue. if you have tongue fascics they will happen even when your tongue is resting inside your mouth. Tremors are like uncontroble fine shaking of the limbs. fascics are totally diffrent. Fascics are small local involuntary muscle contractions (twitching) visible under the skin, kinda looks like a little heartbeat under the skin. But they are very diffrent. I have read that tremors are not a sign of ALS but fasicis are sometimes although the majorty are due to benign reasons. I hope this helped.
Ashley

 

[cheryilyn]

Blizna,

when my dr asked me to stick my tongue out she wanted to see how well i could move my tongue and also how it looked. I could not stick it out or move from side to side.

 

[polisaryo]

tongue fasics video

here is an exaple of what tongue fasics are like!

http://www.als-charite.de/Portals/6/Medien/UserVideos/4.asf

 

[nosmiley]

Not proof positive, is it?

Hi. I am a noob.

This video is not totally indicative of ALS is it? I joined the group here because I can't seem to smile anymore - and not for lack of happiness. I feel like all the muscles in my face are so weak. When I try to smile my cheeks twitch. When I open my mouth like the gentleman in this video, I have exact results. My tongue is constantly bobbing around, my lips and facial muscles are quivering (cheeks, chin, lips and even eyelids) and I can only hold the pose for a minute at most when I must stop and rest... and literally feel physically drained all over.

I don't believe I have ALS. I was tested about 5 years ago with the nerve conduction and it showed nothing but some elbow issues. (Symptoms are progressively worse now than they were then - but doctors made me feel so stupid - as if I was making something up, that I decided I would rather live with symptoms than be humiliated like that again.)

I had MRI and it was clean. Actually, I was thinking more like Parkinson's because of the constant twitching/jumping of my muscles. Besides, I am a 40 YO FEM. Isn't ALS mostly diagnosed in men over 50? I have no family history of it to my knowledge.

I went to PCP Monday and will have results this Monday on regular blood work. I was thinking thyroid - doc is thinking autoimmune. Either way - this video frightened me a little and I just wanted to know if this is proof positive of ALS or if there are other things to cause my face to be so weak?

Other symptoms I exhibit are extreme fatigue, overall weakness, shortness of breath (even when getting up from sitting/prone position), incredible pressure in ears with chronic tinnitus that is making me near crazy, hypotension, ice cold hands and feet, non-existent sex drive, sore shoulder bones (to the touch), sore ribs (to the touch), lack of desire to do anything fun - nothing sounds fun but I am NOT in depression, though I have been treated for depression in the past.

I suffered from a bout of mononucleosis (which I don't understand how I could have got) in 2001. In 1992 I was hospitalized for two weeks with high fever (103) something the doctors never could diagnos and they removed my appendix - but then thought salmonella but tests were negative and positive so they never knew for sure.

These are the only two illnesses I have ever had.

Does any of this sound like something you may be familiar with or do you have any suggestions as to where to look for answers or how to approach my doctor with this without sounding like a complaining bafoon?

Blessings ~!

 

[mamaoftwo]

Nosmiley - a video posted on an internet forum is NOT a diagnosis. It is simply demonstrating what tongue fascis look like. It looks like it came from an ALS site but we don't even know if indeed this man DOES have ALS. There are many other causes of fasiculation - if you read the BFS (benign fasic. symdrome) forum, you will see that many of their members have tongue fasics and do not have an ALS diagnosis. We also have a few members here (myself among them) who have tongue fasics and no diagnosis yet. So who knows. I was upset too when I saw this is just a waiting game. A very hard waiting game. I am the same age as you and have 2 very young kids. It is heart breaking. But we have to just go on and hope. Good luck to you.

 

[Icanmanz]

poli, hi! Thank you very much for sharing. God, I never thought that I was going to learn so much from this damn disease. All I can say ia that it hit our home once. Once is more tha ENOUGH! I have read of sooooo many folks here on this forum that have had Als hit home more than once. How horrific this must be! God bless us all, and still praying for a cure!

Irma

 

[CindyM]

Hi Nosmiley. Welcome to our little corner of the internet. I am sorry the docs made you feel stupid the first time around. They should have taken you more seriously! Sometimes they don't get readings from the tests but if you still have symptoms and even more after all this time it might be worth repeating the tests. Something may show up after all this time. Good luck. Let us know what you decide. Cindy