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bigguy

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VID 20121013 162348 - YouTube

These are the tongue fasciculations I'm currently having. Since 2 days ago I've also been having huge amounts of saliva in my mouth that I constantly have to swallow (although no difficulty swallowing). My tongue strength feels normal to me and I can move it quickly around my mouth and tent my cheeks but I feel like I'm slightly slurring some words. I'd just like the opinion of someone who has actual tongue fascics on whether my fascics match up with theirs. I'm not having any hoarse voice/vocal changes..

If these are true tongue fasciculations caused by bulbar ALS, is it safe to say that if I went for an EMG this week, it would pick up evidence of active denervation/reinnervation?

Thanks everyone,
bigguy
 
There are no fasciculations, just tongue with normal movements...I have had them (I have BFS for 5 yrs) and its DIFFERENT. What you filmed is NORMAL.
 
Do you really want them to stick a needle in your tongue? They seldom do that even with a patient where there's actually reason to suspect ALS. Why torture yourself when you are just fine? You're young, you can carry 20 pounds of weight on one shoulder, and your symptoms could be just about anything -- including anxiety. What's the latest word from your doctor? Good luck.
 
In the interest of moving you on they look nothing like mine did/do.
 
The video is pretty bad after 0:20 since at that point for whatever reason I decided to start breathing through my nose. But if the dimpling before that point in the back and sides of the tongue isn't fasciculation, then what could it possibly be? I can't move my tongue like that consciously even if i try. I understand that the tongue is the hardest muscle group in the body to relax but will it really just move like that to get "situated"?
 
I understand that the video I posted is pretty bad and full of restless tongue movements, so I have made another. My tongue mostly settles down after the initial 10 seconds and I have tried very hard to keep it free of voluntary movement.

 
I just went and looked at my tongue and it moved in a very similar way to your video. I do not have ALS. Please try to relax!
 
As per your September 14th comment:

"Well I'm back from the neuro, he didn't seem very concerned about any breathing problems I mentioned, and said that my problems were pretty generalized, so they could be anything. Reflexes and strength tested unremarkably (although I get the vibe that he wasn't very thorough). When I pointed out the atrophy, he said he could see it pretty faintly and that it could have maybe always been there, unnoticed. Once again he didn't seem very concerned about it. He has, however, ordered an EMG study on tuesday. I know that EMGs are considered the definitive answer to the question of ALS by many, but I've heard stories on here of multiple negative EMGs before a positive one leading to an ALS diagnosis as well as a sticky about going to the doctor too soon for ALS or other problem to be detected. Has anyone had experience with this? Will an EMG definitely pick up ALS, even when it is in its early stages and nearly asymptomatic?

I would diagnose you with Heath Anxiety.
Not ALS, but a serious disease if left untreated.

Please talk to you D r. about this, and good luck.

Cheers,
Casey
 
@ kiwi , hi there I thankfully had a normal ssep & EEG for als testing, was diagnosed with adid reflux, I experience a tired throat and tongue- but no major diagnoses
 
Thank you so much for making that crystal clear Concearned. I will point out that you have "similar tongue ticks" to bigguy just in case anyone might think that a tongue like bigguy's is indicative in any way of bulbar onset. Many people (including his own neuro) say it's not, no matter how many times bigguy asks about it, suggesting that it is.
 
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Your very welcome , often times what's abnormal for 1 can be normal for the next.i think we all twitch in tongue & every where else, weird places even. I am learning much about als and from the 2 cents I've gathered those twitches are no worries,,,,but hay I kno what it's like to be in the boat of stress & health anxiety : )
 
Bigguy

I very very rarely post in this section but I have just watched your video.

My husband was bulbar onset ALS and had fasciculations in his tongue. Your tongue looks pretty normal to me and bears no resemblence at all to the fasciculations he had.
 
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