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treyo09

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i went to the neuro again today. my lab and blood work was all normal. my ncv was normal. then he performed another emg today and the same thing happend. there was fasciculations in almost every muscle he poked with the needle and he said it was strange and rare but he dosent think i have als because of the simple fact that i dont have any weakness or atrophy and my clinical exam was fine. but he sounded a little bit worried about the fact that i have all of these fasciculations but still felt i did not have als should i be worried about all of these fasciculations picked up on the emg needle or should i be reassured.
 
Please re-read your own post with what your doctor told you. He/she would have let you know if you have something more to worry about. You need to stop worrying about this until you are told otherwise by a physician and so far none have told you that you have or could possibly have ALS.
 
I am glad you went back.
my neuro told me that fasic's are fine, it is the company they keep so to speak. meaning you need to have other things showing on the emg with them other than the fasic.

take care,

april
 
FOR THE LAST TIME

An EMG will pick-up fasics whether they're benign or pathological. Your neuro just performed a thorough clinical exam and electrophysiological exam and found NOTHING wrong with you. He thinks you have BFS. He told you that you don't have ALS. What more do you want?

Accept the fact that your muscles twitch. You're not the only one that has the type of muscle twitching that you have; there are many people like you . . . believe me. There is nothing more that anyone on here or anywhere else can tell you. Congratulations on your clean bill of health.

Get on with your life . . . get off of the internet . . . concentrate on what is important: your family.
 
Amen brother Ben, shot a goose and killed a hen!

And for goodness sake, learn how to capitalize the I when you get back to a normal life.

Keep the faith,
brenda
 
What great news. You are very ;ucky Move on!.There are alot of people here that would give anything for that news

Hopefully now you will get off this forum. Life is too short to dwell on something that isnt there.

Pat 1
 
That's great news, The more you worry the more fasc's you will have.
 
I wanted to take a stab at this one just for the sake that even if Trey has already moved on (which I certainly hope so), or doesn’t read it, that someone else who is tearing themselves apart with panic might.

Trey –

II can sympathize with what you are going through. Though I hate to admit it, I am a habitual worrier. I check the doors twice to make sure they are locked at night (then occasionally ask my wife if I checked them to make sure). My wife can get away with calling me paranoid because she ruffles my hair when she does it.

There are several people, much more knowledgeable than me, that can and have told you that in the neurological world muscle twitching as a symptom is akin to fever. There are many causes; most of them benign, and of those that remain the vast majority related to treatable conditions. The fact that you have no clinical weakness or atrophy reinforces this.

Use the fever analogy and apply it to the anxiety you are experiencing over ALS. If you had a fever and swollen lymph nodes would your first assumption be that you had bubonic plague? Sounds a little over the top, but those two symptoms are early signs. According to the CDC, a handful of people in the US contract bubonic plague every year. What about fever with headache and nausea? Probably Hanta virus right? I actually had a college professor I was fond of nearly die from Hanta while working in the rural Southwest, and there were documented cases in communities I lived in. Am I trying to tease you or make light of your situation? No, just trying to put it in context with what everyone has been trying to say on the board.

When I first began feeling fasciculation along with other health concerns, I actually thought it was heart related. The pulling in my left bicep and chest felt like pulse-like. Combined with bicep pain, and what I thought was angina, I was sure they were going to find half a french fry blocking an artery.

You want to know the funny thing? I actually felt less stress and concern when I thought I was having a heart attack then later when I had filled my mind with hours reading about neuromuscular disease. With my weight, diet, and stressful job, I am dozens of times more likely to faceplant it in the Walmart parking lot dead of a massive infarction than to contract a terminal nervous system disorder.

When it was first suggested that I might suffer from anxiety, I was offended and felt patronized. “I have two masters degrees from large state institutions,” I thought. “I have had to meet deadlines on several occasions by literally staying up through the night (as I’m sure you might have as well). I’ve been poor enough with children to not know exactly how I was going to pay the bills.” While living in South America, I was mugged, had a gun shot in my direction, and got into an argument with a man whom I found out later had murdered another person in the neighborhood. I “knew” what stress and anxiety felt like. I “knew” what it was like to be on edge.

Then I had the bubbly PA at my GP’s office confess that she had panic attacks in grad school that convinced her that she had something seriously medically wrong with her. I found out that two of the most intelligent and charismatic engineers (rare among engineer’s, the charisma part, I know) I knew were taking medication for depression and anxiety, and whose symptoms had driven them to the doctor’s office. Bright people, not prone to overreaction, with symptoms they thought indicated a potentially life threatening condition. Had they been through extremely stressful situations before? Yes. What was different this time? Who knows?

As others have explained, stress and worry cause real physiological symptoms, many of which are exactly like the ones you describe. Further, when we do have an illness of any kind, worry can make those symptoms worse. You are already doing almost everyone on this board ultimately recommends, and have had very reassuring news.

The “what if” game is as big as you want to make it, and the rabbit hole is deep indeed. Don’t whittle away time you’ll never get back wrestling with an illness that a neurologist has explained there is essentially no indication you have. If you want reassurance re-read what others have already written (I have to give myself this advice often myself). Probing isn’t going to get you any more information, and besides, you’ve been told the doors are locked 4-5 times now :-D

Robert
 
Very well put, Robert.

If there is a better forum on the internet with a more eclectic, caring, intelligent, insightful group of people, I sure would like to see it.

The Ohio State University is supposed to have the "best damn band in the land." Well we have the "best damn forum on the net."
 
You tell them, Wright.. I've seen the others. We do have the best people.
AL.
 
well put robert.

It was hard for me to accept that I might have anxiety. I had a VERY stressful sales Job and been on my own since 18. I would always say--I know depression/anxiety and I dont have it. I have always been some what of worry, also.

I have always been known as the funny, happy, social person that can handle anything. MY friends would marvel at how I was after the birth of my sons and how in stride I was. Well, after this last one, it change. I did have to accept that I was nervous and anxious. I was crying alot fearing for the future with als, I was a mess. I did take the advice of my doc and start an anti-depressent. I NEVER thought I would need one, nor did I want to take one. I even have to take a sleeping pill at night so that I dont wake up with worry. I couldnt figure out why I couldnt sleep, your mind can do funny things. (note everyone in my family has sleeping problems). I was desperate and thought maybe they are right, this is anxeity. WELL, all my symptoms are still here, but I feel better emtionally. I can go out about my life and feel happy. I do have moments of fear but they have gotten less and less.

If you do have this disease (wich you dont) what are you going to do? That is how I look at it. Stress, worry and fear will not help. Accept and move on. live your life one day at time. the only moment you have is today, tomorrow has not even come yet.

god bless you

april
 
Hey guys and gays,

You beat me to it, I was going to say "well put Robert" but my daughter came in and distracted me.
When I came back I still had the thread open and there were already other "well puts Robert".

Wright, I agree and think that is something everyone who visited this forum says, it is the best.
Many thanks to AL, David, Cindy and all the wonderful people who belong to the forum.
 
Thanks for the vote of confidence! :-D We do seem to have a higher percentage of members who are thoughtful, caring, compassionate and knowledgeable. And we keep getting more all the time! Thanks, everybody, for making this one of the best spots on the Internet! Cindy
 
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