For those that twitch & tingle and worry about ALS

[MarioMangler]

By the way, here is the full article about BFS that Henry was quoting from. It goes a lot more into detail about how BFS is nothing like ALS. In fact, once I read it, it seems sort of silly that I have been worrying about this. ALS doesn't randomly just move all over your body!

The short version of this page is basically that if you walked into a neurologist's office with ALS, he would know it right off the bat. Once you got to the twitching stage, it would mean that muscle was already dead.

It's a very helpful read for anyone who is worried about this:

http://www.nextination.com/aboutbfs/...opic.php?t=200

[precious78]

Wow, what fantastic information. I will TRY and stop mysef worrying now. Today I feel like I've been rub over by a bus but I know I did some exercise yesterday I'm not used to. I need to keep that at the front of my mind.

[blueboy]

The information you have posted has been most helpful. This post is mainly to share my experience of muscle twitching with others but to also to see if other people developed the condition after taking medication, specifically Citalopram. I am a 28 year old male and was suffering from mild depression for a while so went to the doctors to seek councelling. After explaining my mood they gave me medication (Citalopram) one a day at 20mg. Before I continue I have in the past naturally had a twitching eyelid and it has gone away on it's own and it was very mild. The First day I took citalopram within 2 hours my eyelid began to twitch severely so much that it was all I could think about. It's been 2 months now and it still just as bad, the doctor denies it's the medication but it gave me other problems so I stopped taking it. I tried magnesium to fix the twitch which a nurse said would help but it's still not any better and I do not have a very stressful life. I play sport often but could probably do with more sleep. I do suffer from small twitches in other muscles mainly leg or arm but it's tiny and always been like that naturally but the eyelid is a real concern. Have been told acupuncture may help any ideas or experiences? To sum it up I feel I have been poorly advised by my GP when seeking someone to talk to I got medication that has effected my nerves in my eyelid. SoS??????????

[dgr]

I'm glad I found this thread! I was worried I had something more serious too.
For years I have had an occasional twitch in the tricep of my right arm, and in my eyelids and my fingers, the thumb and index finger of my right hand twitched the most.
I first noticed this when I was a teenager when I would be eating or something and my hand seemed to shake when I raised a fork to my mouth. I don't think it was the hand shaking so much as it was the thumb and index finger twitching and causing the fork in my hand to wobble around.
I have noticed this in my fingers more again recently when I am holding a pin or tweezers, or doing something else similar where you need to keep your fingers relatively still. Right now if I just hold my index finger over the button of my mouse the finger will erratically twitch up and down.

I have always had stress and anxiety problems and I don't always get enough sleep so that must be what is causing this.
Worrying about why my fingers were twitching undoubtedly caused more stress made the twitching worse too.

[Gregg210]

Greetings everyone.

I'm glad and relieved to be here: I hope we can help and support one another. I'm Gregg from the UCLA area (Westwood) of Los Angeles. The link I saw said "UK" so I assume I am addressing folks who live in the UK.

Just a little one time history:

I am a lifelong sufferer of depression, ocd, anxiety, hypochondria, panic, overeating, etc.

I am 50 years old and in good health (I hope). I carry too much weight but am in the process of losing it with work-outs and a new food plan.

In 1987, I was convinced that I had herpes because I dated a girl who never told me she had it until I saw the medication in her cabinet. I melted down and was despondent with worry for months. I never had herpes.

In 1995, I had unprotected sex and was convinced I had AIDS. I was despondent for months. I didn't have aids.

In 1997, I had the same episode with AIDS. I didn't have it.

in 1998, I had a "foot-drop" symptom on my right foot and it came out of nowhere. The neurologist told me that I had a pinched nerve in the knee area that was causing it, but I was still convinced that I had ALS. I was fired as a schoolteacher because of my behavior when I went through the ALS scare. I was often in the school library researching ALS while I should have been teaching my class. I left my class unattended a few times because I was in such a frenzy. Even after the neurologist told me I didn't have ALS and the symptom went away, I still thought I had ALS. the thought eventually gave way to another worry.

In 1999, I thought I had AIDS after having sex again. I convinced the girl to get tested and when she sent me her clean bill of health, I still thought I had AIDS. I didn't have AIDS.

in 2007, I thought I had herpes from dating a girl with herpes. I was despondent for months. I didn't have herpes.

Every time I have a blood test for anything over the years, I am despondent for the following few months because I feel certain that the test gave me aids or another infection.

Last month, December, 2012, my memory was off and I was tired all the time and was convinced that I had Alzheimers. I went to the neurologist and he said I was fine. He told me that I should return to my sleep doctor for my sleep apnea and maybe get an adjustment or new sleep equipment. I returned to the sleep doctor, he gave me all new sleep equipment (No more leaks) and my sleep improved and my memory and energy returned. I never had Alzheimers.

My OCD, depression, and anxiety always magnifies all my health issues.

Finally, last week, I noticed that my right hand had a very, very slight tremor. I was panicked. I showed several of my friends and my parents and they didn't notice the tremor when I held out my hands or when they were at rest. I could also make the fingers on my right hand twitch and tremor when I held them in very awkward positions. Even though I artificially created those tremors, they still scared the hell out of me and convinced me that I have Parkinsons. I also noticed that the same right hand (The thumb) twitched a little when I set it down to rest after trying to force tremors out of it. It has not done that since those two episodes and I no longer try to force my fingers into tremors. I went to my parents tonight and put their fingers in the same awkward postures and their fingers trembled a little too. So I felt better about that. My mom also told me that she has a familial tremor for many, many years. My right hand falls asleep (Numb and tingling sometimes) but my doctor says it's due to my decades old cervical disc issues.

I was embarrassed to return to neurologist a month later, so I instead went to see my chiropractor in Los Angeles. He has 35 years experience and is probably more knowledgeable than most MD's I have seen. I told him about the thumb twitch/tremor and everything else. He didn't think much of it and blamed it on my neck issues, anxiety, stress, etc. I went to see him again yesterday when I was in a panic attack over the same issue and he said the same thing.

It's all very upsetting. Actually crippling. I worry so much that all I can do is online research to further worry myself and hourly exams to see if my fingers and are doing anything. I feel at a wits end.

Those are all my symptoms and history. I don't think I left anything out. (Back surgery in 1992)

Thank you,

Gregg (Westwood Village, UCLA area).

[somdayillbeok]

Someone needs to bump and sticky this post. It’s resourceful! This helped me a lot.

My twitches began about two months ago. They started in my legs, and I would also have a twitch under my armpit on and off. I did not think anything of it until I experienced one large twitch that just took over my whole thigh. I freaked out and began googling for what this could be. The first thing that popped up was ALS. My body reacted right in that moment to my rapidly increasing anxiety. I went into full blow tears, shakes, and began to feel symptoms all over. I was more than 1000X sure that this was it, this is the reason for the big one.



Later on the next day in my horrid fear fog I decided to roam Dr. Google. Kept typing in musclefasciculation. Repeatedly. Non-stop. Until I came upon aboutBFS.com for benign fasciculation syndrome. I cried the entire time in fear that this may be worse then I originally thought. But the more I read, the more it made sense that anxiety could cause so many issues like this. I was so happy to find that so many of the symptoms of this syndrome were nothing to be afraid of. I also loved how this showed the difference between BFS and ALS.


I sat back and began to think really deep on what I was feeling. The muscle fasciculation’s were everywhere. They didn’t spread, the second my anxiety fired up they roamed everywhere! The harder I cried the worse and more frequent they became. So with learning this information I come to find that the fasciculation’s are less frequent. They still roam in my legs, arms, back, neck, butt, crotch, and feet, basically everywhere! What helped the most was that ALS starts at one point, then spreads as the damage is done, so those muscles become useless. But with BFS, they can start anywhere and show up anywhere in the body in the next moment.


I’m going to the neurologist soon, just to make sure. You know, 100%. But this is wonderful material.

[jeezo678]

Worth a bump this thread. Had to say.

[Mommyof2boys]

Glad that I found this thread. I am having nightmares about als now because of my twitches but they started in both legs, have been present in my eyes and arms, sides, back and thumbs (although not as often as in my legs especially left leg and foot) this has sort of calmed my nerves. I even have the sensation of foot drop, it's scraping once in a while and my leg feels weak even though I can do all the stress tests and I read on another thread someone who had exactly that too. This forum is helping me some and I really am glad I found it..

[nivekc251]

I twitch in all of those places also. I have twitched everywhere I've been twitching for a year now. This time last year I was a wreck. I was positive that I had ALS, I would twitch at work when I would walk I would occasionally drag one of my feet, I noticed dents and what I was certain was atrophy. I got a. EMG and it helped for a little while until I let my twitches consume me. I'd strength test all the time and in ridiculous ways. I'd do it so much that I would develop tendonitis. Let it go I know how hard it is u feel your calves twitching then you want to look at them and then you get freaked the hell out , or your having a good day not worrying and you'll get one of those dreaded thumpers in your bicep. Twitching is twitching nothing more. Try to ignore and go on with your life maybe they will go away maybe they won't but the truth of the matter is that they are harmless and you are ok

[jonarotz]

I am so grateful that I have found this post through a google search!
Like many others I have had some symptoms pop up, mainly some speech slurring/mispronouncing and some heavy arm twitching in both arms. The speech has been effected for roughly 6 months and the twitching has been about 1.5 months.

I made the same mistake with a google search...ALS...5 year life expectancy...scary stuff.
I immediately went to the doctor...blood test...all normal
EMG...no nerve damage past or present, but show that indeed my muscles are wigging out at rest.
MRI...pretty normal, some disk degeneration but nothing that would effect my twitches or speech.

I will admit all of my symptoms have worsened since reading all the ALS information. I do notice though that my twitching and speech issues are definitely more evident in high stress conditions.

I suppose with all of my tests coming back normal that I am in the clear as far as ALS goes, but I still can't get it out of my head. This post has been the most reassuring thing I have found thus far, so thank you!