View Full Version : Twitches and muscle cramps - EMG/nerve conduction studies today at hospital
Hi all anybody had these two tests done?
I've had small muscle twitches now for over 1 year. Stress makes them worse as does certain medications. I get a buzzing vibration feeling mainly in my calfs and feet. Also pins and needles in my hands and arms. I also have a known problem with my neck (spinal stenosis) so this could be reason for pins and needles. Had brain and spine MRI. No MS. Degeneration of spine with stenosis.
The twitches my neurologist seems to think are benign fascinations (or something like that).
Anyway just to act on side of caution having these two tests done this afternoon in hospital.
Recently came off diazepam about 2mths ago and twitches been worse since then. So hoping for a diagnosis of anxiety and nothing more sinister.
I had these done too, as with you it was just a precaution and they turned up nothing.
I had NCS and EMG on my right arm. It came through clean.
EMG are like having blood taken in terms of pain and the NCS is straight weird. SO strange to see you muscles tensing/twitching without your brain telling it to. I found this one most uncomfortable but it's 'dealable' (is that a word?)
Good luck and report back once done. I'm sure it's just anxiety (as was mine)
Thanks guys, my appointment is at 5pm and been told it will take just over an hour. I'm not scared of needles or pain just want to know if it's a physical illness or purely all down to anxiety. I'll report how it went after it's all done.
Good luck Michelle xx
:hugs:
Thanks guys, my appointment is at 5pm and been told it will take just over an hour. I'm not scared of needles or pain just want to know if it's a physical illness or purely all down to anxiety. I'll report how it went after it's all done.
Keep us informed, it sounds to me like they're not expecting anything and are just covering all possibilities. Hopefully you'll get the all clear.
Thank you. Xx
I also suffer from fibromyalgia which can produce twitches/muscle pain so maybe it could be something to do with that? Anyway least I'm getting it checked out and then hopefully get the all clear.
Good luck. I had to force a neurologist appointment. Turned out nothing showed up with my right arm. Have issues else where which I would like checked but that's cuz I have HA :) and I'm doing well resisting going to the GP.
Best of luck. The tests are extremely thorough and will show up even the slightest problem that you may not even know was there. So if (when) you get the all clear that is absolutely the best news.
One bit of advice, ask as many questions as you can. I made sure that I did so that I didn't walk away with any questions or 'but what about this' etc. We have health anxiety so you we naturally come away with questions. Good to have them boxed off to have the entire issue boxed off and you can move on
Hi Michelle
How did you get on?
x
I got the nerve conduction test done on both arms. Unfortunately the dr who was doing the test was very grumpy and not very forthcoming with any information. When I started trying to discuss my twitches all he said was lots of things can cause twitches. A couple of times I tried to discuss my symptoms and he didn't offer up any explanation just nodded his head. Even my daughter said when we came out, I didn't like him he was grumpy. Because he was, I didn't get to ask half the things I wanted to.
He didn't test my legs at all. He said usually if there is a problem it would show up from the study on both arms. So all in all not a good experience. The test in itself was fine though. Only jumped a couple of times. He said he will write to my neurologist with the outcome.
Hello Michelle
Im so sorry to hear about your bad experience.
How frustrating for you :mad:
I hate grumpy doctors, especially when they don't tell you anything. Do they not realise how anxious it makes us?
How strange he didnt test your legs.
Was it painful?
xx
Sorry about your bad experience Michelle.
I had issues with my arm and leg on my right side and the neurophysiologist (had to re-type that word a few times) never tested my leg either saying that he was satisfied that my arm can be a reflection of my leg. If that gives you any comfort of what seems to be an industry standard?
Thanks both of you xx
No didn't hurt me at all. The muscle contractions were like small electric shocks. He did warn me when a big one was coming. And on two of those I jumped a bit off my seat but definitely wasn't painful.
When he said I'm testing both arms I said oh I thought you would be doing my legs too as that's where a lot of my pins and needles and cramps are. He just did fingers and arms up to elbow level. He didn't ask me about any symptoms just did the procedure so I guess he just had a job to do and did it. May well be that my neurologist will be a lot happier to discuss this with me in my follow up appointment. Does anybody know if the tests I have had in my arms would rule out mnd? Obviously with health anxiety too, this is always a worry when it comes to twitches. On the plus side I don't have any weakness in arms or legs. Just a horrible tingling sensation in my feet and arms all day long with lots of muscle spasms and cramps. My arms often go dead in the night when I'm asleep which may be because of neck problem or could be carpel tunnel. I often get jelly legs when standing for a long time (maybe anxiety). But this is a daily 24/7 tingling sensation and tiny nerve spasms thing that is really worrying me.
MND is related to the motor neurons of your muscle not your sensory. Therefore, tingling is 100% unrelated to MND in every possible way. Furthermore, if any limb feels weak then that is another symptoms that points away from MND. It is a disease that just makes your muscles not work, not making them feel weak.
EMGs are the holy grail of catching MND, even before you realise you have any issues. If that was clean, no MND
Oh thanks so much for that explanation, that's a relief to know.
I'm hoping it's anxiety related as I've had a stressful past 18mths health wise which has caused me to be super sensitive to all my bodily functions.
A while ago I tested positive for ANA blood test which caused me to be worried about autoimmune conditions originally, then I had helicobacter (h pylori) and needed 2 endoscopy and 1 colonoscopy to check it was gone. Then I had an infection in my gallbladder and needed it out. After operation I got a blood clot. So lots of stress lately which may of caused the pins and needles/twitches? MRI showed spinal stenosis so I just feel really worn down by a lot of physical illness that's had a knock on effect with my mental health. Plus coming off diazepam in the last 2mths has ramped up my anxiety. I'm just praying this is now all anxiety related and nothing else physical
I'm sorry about all your past issues. That is a huge ordeal to go through so I understand why you're anxious coming out of it.
I can happily tell you that I suffered with tingling for months with my anxiety and it's started to creep back unfortunately. So it definitely is a symptom related to anxiety
I've had fully body twitches for almost two years as well as pain, cramps, tightness, etc. The first EMG I had done was strictly on my arms and I did the same exact thing you are doing right now by worrying why didn't the test my legs and bulbar? Did they miss something? What if the person doing the test was incompetent? I got another EMG months later on my entire right side and that was clean as well. So I wasted months of worrying, hundreds of dollars, and making my symptoms worse by continuing to doubt the test results. The point of this is try not to second guess the location that they are testing. From my research, if you have MND it would show up on places even if you are not symptomatic in that specific area yet. Try and focus on the fact that it sounds like you got a clean EMG. That is fantastic news!!! I know it's hard with health anxiety but that's my only advice.
For the tightness, try magnesium and make sure you hydrate and exercise. That's helped me lately as well as some CBT and anxiety meds.
Hang in there!
Thanks everyone so much for your helpful advice. Means so much to me. Yes I'm sure it will all turn out to be anxiety related twitches. Magnesium I will def try too. Which brand, dose do you recommend as I've heard some are better than others.
I know when I'm really anxious I automatically tense up all my muscles I find my shoulders up by my ears sometimes and I clench my stomach muscles up and tense my jaw so I'm sure the results will be fine. I'm also having treatment for my anxiety Cbt which I've just started so I hope to put those techniques into practice to help me relax. Reassuring that if they just test my arms other things would show up from this too. Just for some reason I got it into my head they would test the nerves in the entire body. Probably wishful thinking. I'm going to try my hardest to chill and wait for results. I always find I am increasingly more anxious the 5 days leading up to my period and my muscle twitches become far worse at this time then die down a bit just after so my hormones have a role to play in my anxiety too. There is definitely one week of the month I'm far worse than the other 3.
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