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batangpinoy

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Learn about ALS
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Hello there everyone.

I have already asked two GPs regarding my body-wide twitches (above ear, forehead, lips, chin, chest, stomach, butt, arms & legs, feet, etc... name it they happen there) that have been persisting several times an hour everyday for several months. These twitches aren't constant but they recur every few minutes, much less frequently when taking a bath or walking. I informed them that I continue to be preoccupied by fear of ALS/MND, as well as that I am kinda tired and lacking in sleep. They suggested that this fatigue and anxiety are the causes of twitches and not the cruel disease that I am worrying constantly.

However, I had been able to check on previous threads and have come to ask the following questions/ concerns. I hope I offend no one but I seek to ask these in order to finally put an end to my anxiety which has prevented me from fully enjoying life:
1. Body-wide twitches are generally not suggestive of ALS. In the thread here entitled How Long From Twitching to Other Symptoms?, one of those who replied to the thread answered the query regarding whether or not early ALS-related twitching is usually in one specific location by saying Not true in my case...one of the Dr's...that saw me was mildly surprised that my twitches were so general. How can the two issues be reconciled?
2. In cases where twitching precedes weakness, how long does it take for weakness to set in following twitching? Is there a definitive period?
3. Some people with clean EMGs in the beginning undergo the same procedure later on in which the results are adverse and they have thus been diagnosed with ALS. When should an EMG be taken in order to yield true results?
4. Is it advisable to measure your own reflexes? Aside from the Babinski's test, achilles tendon as well as the smallest toe and calf muscle can be stimulated in order to check whether the big toe goes up or down. I got obsessed lately from checking my plantar reflex.
5. The stickies say "you are able to do 100 curls before and now only 50, it ain't ALS". But isn't ALS so subtle at first? Like the muscles weaken slowly (100, then 98, 95, 90 and so on), until it reaches the 0 point already and one loses control over his/her muscle. Is that how weakness happens in ALS?
6. Was the GP I visited right by saying that if I have spasticity (which may occur in ALS patients) I would be unable to move?

I hope this will be the last time I will visit this forum and that I will regain at least my fully healthy self. Thank you.
 
A few thoughts. That person with all over twitching ( 2007 thread) actually had abdomen and legs according to what he said and his onset appears to have been lower limbs. So not truly all over but more diffuse yes.
2 no especially as this is rare
3 i can never get the people with ALS who report clean EMGs before to answer this but my suspicion is they are upper motor neuron dominant meaning they have very abnormal clinical exams before the lower motor neuron pathology kicks in. So if you have a normal EMG normal exam when you have the symptoms I say let it go
4 no you can not check your own reflexes.
5 when a muscle is affected by ALS it is because the signal is interrupted which happens suddenly. If other muscles are compensating one may be able to do some actions until they go too. But if you lose signal to the muscle that is solely responsible for that movement it will just disappear
6 one can move somewhat with some spasticity but it is something they can see signs of when they examine you

Enjoy your healthy life
 
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