More symptoms

[HMears]

My original thread from last year Sept 2018 was closed. In that topic I discussed my right hand thenar wasting after twitching for a few weeks. EMG was negative, but my Lyme Dr said "thats not possible since you have very obvious wasting", he said they didnt get the right nerve for the test. I've had fatigue since then and twitches (all over) which we attributed to likely Lyme which I am abx for now. At the start of all this last spring 2018 I had a few months of persistent forearm cramps as well.

This summer the back of my left thumb muscle was twitching (and is again, pretty regularly) and it is definitely wasted. I looked it up and those two muscles in particular are "highly specific" to ALS. My Lyme Dr was concerned about the twitching of that muscle but now it appears wasted. I looked at example pictures to confirm this.

Not really much else to say but I have no information pointing in any other direction at this point (other than I'm not tripping or weak or dropping things). This is no longer a single muscle loss that is coincidental to initial ALS, now there's two, and on opposite hands, a year apart. Am I missing anything?

When I get brave enough I will call my Dr about this new development.

Thank You

 

[ShiftKicker]

Mod note, past tread here: Symptoms and questions

I would think it would be important to consult a doctor first before posting here, as they have your full medical history and baseline and can give you an exam to compare results. Until then, there's only speculation from strangers based on incomplete information. I recommend you gird your loins and contact your doctor and get some solid and informed answers from them.

 

[KarenNWendyn]

This summer the back of my left thumb muscle was twitching (and is again, pretty regularly) and it is definitely wasted. I looked it up and those two muscles in particular are "highly specific" to ALS.

There are other musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions that can cause wasting of the thenar muscle. As an example, this can occur with advanced carpal tunnel syndrome. Because ALS is so much rarer than localized processes, I would put ALS near the bottom of a long list of conditions that could account for your symptoms.

And we’ve told you before that twitching is common, nonspecific, and meaningless in the absence of muscle function failure which you have not described.

If you’re truly concerned, see a neurologist.

 

[HMears]

Thanks Karen. I dont have any other obvious symptoms of Carpal, no numbness or anything like that. When I looked up the thenar and first interosseus atrophy, thats what gets me here and I wish not. I hope this topic can stay open because IF this is, and I HOPE it's not, my story may help others as I post developments.

Thank You

 

[KarenNWendyn]

Just give us an update after you see the doctor, but seriously don’t lose sleep over it.

 

[affected]

Please just see a doctor.

 

[lgelb]

It is not the case, whatever your "Lyme doc" (why are you still on abx after a year??) said, that wasting has to show up on an EMG.

Nor is it the case that any particular muscle wasting could ever be "specific" for ALS in the absence of weakness.