hollingusa
Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2024
- Messages
- 23
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- NY
Hi all. Blessed to have come across this forum as it has been rather helpful!
I have had symptoms for roughly 15 months, but they werent consistent. First off, twitching had began prior to anything and I am nearly certain that was anxiety as I was going through a possible DX of a blood cancer which turned out not to be, so I am blessed by that! I had a weird onset of hypertrophy occur in my right calf about 15-16 months ago. It was slightly weaker during this period. I tried compression socks for a few months and it did seem to help. I thought it had "healed" as I was fine during the summer months. The twitching never went away but it was much less. I did have an NCS(but no emg) about 12 months ago which was normal.
Around September, the calf hypertrophy came back. There has been no trauma to the area. Every day it seems to get a bit hard and fatigued as if I have done 500 calf raises. This occurs after only walking for awhile. Now it seems to have moved up into the back of my thigh as the hamstring is very tight now. If I do any sort squatting or walking up a hill, the tightness in my hamstring will remain for nearly whole day. Also I feel this tightness in my right buttock. I also noticed uneven muscle/size from my right butt cheek to my left. When I sit down for a bit, the right side begins to hurt as if I have fatigued it.
Over past 2 months I have had calf MRI, Xray, ultrasound(ruled out DVT), EMG and NCS. I will copy and paste the Neuro exam. I was hoping for 100% clean but there was a minor abnormality of increased amplitude only in the calf that is giving me problems. The MRI and Xray were normal results. Well the tibia actually had bone lesions within it but they said that would not be a reason for this. After a full bone scan, they found nothing and said the lesions are not a concern.
"EMG: Muscles Were Studied in the Right Leg Including: Right vastus medialis, rectus femoris, anterior tibialis, medial gastrocnemius, lateral gastrocnemius, and short head of the biceps femoris. Needle EMG study showed no abnormal spontaneous activity such as positive waves or fibrillation potentials. Motor unit abnormalities were seen in the right medial gastrocnemius, consisting of mildly increased amplitude only, recruitment was normal. Other muscles showed no significant abnormalities."
"EMG/NCS completed with the right lower limb and left lower limb. Mildly Abnormal Study of the right lower limb of Unknown Clinical Significance. Normal study of the left upper limb. 1. There is few mildly increased amplitude motor unit action potentials found only in the right medial head of the gastrocnemius on EMG testing. This finding was not found in other muscles of similar myotomes. Overall, this finding is unknown clinical significance. 2. There were no findings of fasciculations or acute denervation or abnormal insertional activity in any of the muscles tested in the right lower limb and left upper limb. There is no clear electrodiagnostic evidence of syndromes/disease related to fasciculations such as benign fasciculation syndrome and/or motor neuron disease. 3. Left arm shows no evidence of median neuropathy, ulnar neuropathy, or a generalized peripheral polyneuropathy. 4. No evidence of active or chronic left cervical radiculopathy in the myotomes studied: C5, C6, C7, C8. 5. No evidence of active or chronic right lumbar radiculopathy in the myotomes studied: L3, L4, L5, and S1. 6. There is no evidence of a significant generalized peripheral polyneuropathy, right tibial or peroneal mononeuropathy, or lumbosacral plexopathy."
I dont want to be here as I have anxiety as it is, but with no answers after all of these tests, but a clear issue with my leg, it just keeps my mind running and I come back to this. I was thinking possible Sciatica but would an EMG not have picked that up if it was causing these symptoms? Could this be a slower form of ALS? Any insight is appreciated. Thank you
I have had symptoms for roughly 15 months, but they werent consistent. First off, twitching had began prior to anything and I am nearly certain that was anxiety as I was going through a possible DX of a blood cancer which turned out not to be, so I am blessed by that! I had a weird onset of hypertrophy occur in my right calf about 15-16 months ago. It was slightly weaker during this period. I tried compression socks for a few months and it did seem to help. I thought it had "healed" as I was fine during the summer months. The twitching never went away but it was much less. I did have an NCS(but no emg) about 12 months ago which was normal.
Around September, the calf hypertrophy came back. There has been no trauma to the area. Every day it seems to get a bit hard and fatigued as if I have done 500 calf raises. This occurs after only walking for awhile. Now it seems to have moved up into the back of my thigh as the hamstring is very tight now. If I do any sort squatting or walking up a hill, the tightness in my hamstring will remain for nearly whole day. Also I feel this tightness in my right buttock. I also noticed uneven muscle/size from my right butt cheek to my left. When I sit down for a bit, the right side begins to hurt as if I have fatigued it.
Over past 2 months I have had calf MRI, Xray, ultrasound(ruled out DVT), EMG and NCS. I will copy and paste the Neuro exam. I was hoping for 100% clean but there was a minor abnormality of increased amplitude only in the calf that is giving me problems. The MRI and Xray were normal results. Well the tibia actually had bone lesions within it but they said that would not be a reason for this. After a full bone scan, they found nothing and said the lesions are not a concern.
"EMG: Muscles Were Studied in the Right Leg Including: Right vastus medialis, rectus femoris, anterior tibialis, medial gastrocnemius, lateral gastrocnemius, and short head of the biceps femoris. Needle EMG study showed no abnormal spontaneous activity such as positive waves or fibrillation potentials. Motor unit abnormalities were seen in the right medial gastrocnemius, consisting of mildly increased amplitude only, recruitment was normal. Other muscles showed no significant abnormalities."
"EMG/NCS completed with the right lower limb and left lower limb. Mildly Abnormal Study of the right lower limb of Unknown Clinical Significance. Normal study of the left upper limb. 1. There is few mildly increased amplitude motor unit action potentials found only in the right medial head of the gastrocnemius on EMG testing. This finding was not found in other muscles of similar myotomes. Overall, this finding is unknown clinical significance. 2. There were no findings of fasciculations or acute denervation or abnormal insertional activity in any of the muscles tested in the right lower limb and left upper limb. There is no clear electrodiagnostic evidence of syndromes/disease related to fasciculations such as benign fasciculation syndrome and/or motor neuron disease. 3. Left arm shows no evidence of median neuropathy, ulnar neuropathy, or a generalized peripheral polyneuropathy. 4. No evidence of active or chronic left cervical radiculopathy in the myotomes studied: C5, C6, C7, C8. 5. No evidence of active or chronic right lumbar radiculopathy in the myotomes studied: L3, L4, L5, and S1. 6. There is no evidence of a significant generalized peripheral polyneuropathy, right tibial or peroneal mononeuropathy, or lumbosacral plexopathy."
I dont want to be here as I have anxiety as it is, but with no answers after all of these tests, but a clear issue with my leg, it just keeps my mind running and I come back to this. I was thinking possible Sciatica but would an EMG not have picked that up if it was causing these symptoms? Could this be a slower form of ALS? Any insight is appreciated. Thank you