clear emg in the early stages?

Hi! I'm sorry to bother you, i realise you are experiencing far worst problems than mine but i have all this questions and no answers.
My fasciculations started almost 5 months ago after a couple of very stressful months; they started in my legs then they spread to my arms in a few weeks and in a month or so my eyes started twiching. Now i'm having them all over my body, especially in my foot, palms, lips and shoulders.
For 3 months i just ignorred them, i thought it was hypocalcemia or something but a month ago after i chought a terrible flu this fasciculations started spreading from one day to another to my face, back and chest. After that flu i also started feeling weekness in my calfs.
I decided at that point to see a neurologist. So after some blood tests where they excluded hypocalcemia or something related to vitamins or thyroid problems i had an emg. The emg was clear but with some decreased potentials and a bit of abnormal activity in one of the muscles which was not continous. The doctor said it can't be als because i'm too young, and he cannot see any weekness and because my general reflexes are decreased and in als they are increased.
I left the neuro really happy thinking it is for sure bfs and i even started some kind of treatment with an antiepileptic that apparently works for fasciculations.
Now, after a month and a half, fasciculations have gotten worse, the treatment doesn't work, i feel weakness in my calfs like i'm always walking on ice and my left palm muscles are always almost always twiching. I also have this weird thing, i feel permanent tighness in some muscles of my calfs.

I know that for all of you that had been diagnosed this sounds like anxiety but i'm still going to adress you some questions, if you find the time to answer it would help alot. I forgot to mention i'm only 23.

- So, are there among you diagnosed patiens that had a clear emg at the begining, months after the fasciculations started? is that possible?
- did anyone experienced this thightness in some of the muscles of the calfs ?
- how relevand is for the diagnosis the blood test for the anti-ganglioside antibodies? because nobody told me to do this
- and the most important, do you know if there is an asl diagnosis and treatment center in europe?


sorry for this long post and for my english and thank you in advance

Hello,

I just joined this forum and have very similar symptoms to what you have described. Have you had any relief from the meds that you are taking?

The leg cramps and tightness are most disturbing to me and I take muscle relaxers daily.
I have learned to almost ignore the fasiculations although it is a constant reminder that something is wrong.

I am 54 years old so perhaps my symptoms might be a bit more indicative of ALS or some other entity. You are quite young and I understand onset of this disease is usually middle age .

Hopefully you will get some answers as to what is causing your symptoms.

There is a disorder called benign fasciculation syndrome which you might look into or ask your physician if he or she is familiar.

BTW, I have not received one response to my post which I find interesting or quite frankly not interesting....


All the best and I do hope you get better !

NYGAL

Hello again,

Wanted to comment on the ganglioside antibodies. I have been tested for these markers and believe they are implicated in motor or some type of sensory polyneuropathy . My labs were negative. My EMG was also normal except for the fasiculations. It was performed 5 weeks after my symptoms began. I believe my neuro will repeat the EMG in follow-up. Too many opinions as to whether an EMG can be premature in detecting disease..

According to some previous posts on these boards , apparently one can have a EMG early in the course of the disease that might be "clean". There is mixed info on these boards and so best to speak with your physician about results. The best source of correct information is from your treating Doctor! Good luck to you !