New to Board: 8 Months of Fasciculations

Hello - I'm new to the board, but have had progressively worse fasciculations that are primarily in my calves since August of 2008 (eight months now). My fasciculations started in my left calf with a annoying twitch in one small area. The muscles was twitching was about 1x per second. In December 2008 , (four months later) that small twitch got larger and more intense and spread throughout all the muscles in my left calf. The twitching was non-stop at a frequency of several per second 24/7. About this time I also notice the same small twitch in my right calf (same way the left started) but only after exercise. In February 2009 (six months later), I went to my GP and she referred me to a Neuro for a nerve study and EMG. Results came back as an abnormal study but they believe the cause to be from ongoing back issues (herniated disks at L4/L5 and L5/S1 with some nerve root compression, but no pain). No fibrillations and no sharp waves. Neuro did not seem to be worried about MND and said we will just have to wait and see if anything else shows up. Now in April 2009, 8 months since the fasciculations originally began, I twitch 24/7 in both calves only. In both calves the twitching appears to be getting progressively worse and this causes me a great deal of concern. I've also have cramping in left leg only. The kind of cramp where you can flex the muscle and feel the calf begin to cramp up, but most of the actual cramps come in my sleep. No weakness or atrophy, but a lot of anxiety over this. Exercise makes the fasciculations much worse. It also appears that in my left calf, where everything started, the fasciculations continue when the muscle is contacted. From your experiences do you think I should be worried about MND? Does anyone else have a similar story? I'm experience a lot of anxiety over this and need some help. Thank you!

HiMy issues started in Aug 2007. Since then I have had a slew of symptoms but the last 3 months or so the main issues have been in my calves. I get a lot of twitching and tremor like feelings. I also get pain etc but can still toe and heel walk etc. You sound like you are going through the same anxiety as I, just try and relax and we will get through this.Stay Well...

24/7 here in calfs, bout 200 plus a minute, my calfs just aches so badly all the time now too

Do you both just twitch in your calves, or you twitch all over. I twitch non-stop in my calves and get them sporadically everywhere else in my body. What really worries me is that the constant twitching started slowly in one calf, has spread to the other calf and the twitching in both calves seems to be getting progressively worse. I don’t have good and bad days; I just have more and more intense twitching in my calves. You think it sounds like BFS and not something more severe? Docs say they don't know what the cause is, but obviously that worries me more.

i only twitch in my calves and surrounding areas, nowhere else, i get 90% of them in my right calf, but my left is starting to join in the party now.As each day goes by i am more and more and more convinced that what i have is NOT BFS. Imagine this all of you....EVERYTIME you walk you think about every step you take. If i get up from witting this to say walk to the bathroom it will scare me as each step is not right, its ackward and my calf feels tight.When i am driving my calf twitches all the time i am pressing the accelerator, its feels funny. i put my hand on my calf now and all i can feel is this..bump bump bump bump bump, all the time, non stop, the WHOLE muscle shakes sometimes with the twitches.I look down at my leg when i am laying down and ALL of it is twitching, the calf, the bit between the calf and the ankle the foot all of it, non stop about 200 a minute all day every day.The difference with me is that it affects my life, all of you who have this can walk fine, run fine, i cant and its getting worse,if i walk for more than 2 mins all my right leg is so stiff, sore and achey.I am sorry if i am sounding down, i am, this is not BFS, oh and also i can not flex my right calf anymore, well i can but for only 2 seconds then it will go soft, unlike the left one that i can flex and keep hard for as long as i want... sorry to say but this what i have is getting worse and i cant ever see a day when i will look back on this and laugh, as i think i am going towards the invertible diagnostic.chris

Try to hang in there Chris, I feel your pain; I also have the same issues with the calves and legs. My problem is mostly my left leg athough I get twitching everywhere. My feet are bad too. If I hold my foot up and watch it, there is twitching all over the side insteps of my feet. If I take my fingers and press down on the arches in my feet, it feels as if there is a snake moving around inside. It is disturbing to see how much my feet are actually twitching. The twitching also causes my feet to cramp at the arches. I am beginning to lose my patience with all of this!!! I just want to wake up and have this had been a bad dream. I miss my old self

tell me about it mate, having a really bad 2 weeks here, starting to think things i shouldnt, cant cope with this anymore

ChrisUK_88,Have you tried or been offered any medications for your twitching? If not, I have read many articles where twitching is reduced or eliminated by medication in some people. If you are suffering as much as it seems from your post, it does seem worth considering if you haven't pursued it. Let me know if you want a list of possible helpful meds to discuss with your doctor. I have bodywide twitching with the majority in the calves. Klonopin does have a positive effect but I believe Tegretol and other antiseizure are the meds that I've seen associated with total cessation of chronic symptoms like you describe.Krackersones

hiya i have started to take tramadol, that seems to relax them a bit, and eases the pain slightly. I have been taking magnesium and postassium for 6 months but does not seem to do anything.chris

chris,I'm glad you have something that helps even if just a little. Have you gone to or thought of seeking a referral to King's College Hospital. I looked at their website and searched "peripheral neuropathy." The info found there suggests that they are really on the cutting edge of causes and treatments for peripheral nerve problems. My attitude about trying meds is I want to get them from a doctor who has experience using them in patients with my symptoms since my symptoms are not those the average doctor runs into everyday. If I were a citizen of the UK, King's College Hospital is where I'd want to be seen.Krackersones

Hi there 'mountain biker'I see that lots of other people have replied to your post. Thought I would add to the discussion by reassuring you that, given the duration of your symptoms without clinical weakness (which would have developed by now if you had MND), the fact that both calves are affected not one and the fact that the EMG did not suggest MND, then you shouldn't be worried about this diagnosis in my opininion. I am a bit like Chris, who has also described his symptoms - I started with fasciculations in Sep 08 and have predominantly right calf fasciculation and pain but a few fasciculations in the left too.All the bestSimon

Thank you very much for the encouragement Simon. I just have a hard time letting go of the anxiety because of the way that my fasciculations began. They started localized in my right calf muscle 24/7 for five months, and then expanded to the right calf muscle. Now, four months after that I'm feeling them in my knee muscles and thigh muscles. I get an occasional twitch other places in my body, but my calves are non-stop, and have been for months. It's literally driving me crazy.....

Count me into this club guys over 3 years here .... so nothing too nasty. No meds, no emg just taking life a little more leisurely. )

Thanks Raindog......and great video by the way. Do you get them in your calf only or do you get them in other areas? How did yours start and have they increased or decreased over time?

I am a calf twitcher 24/7 too..4 and half years. It started in my left calf with cramps and then only twitching. Now last fall my right leg has joined in. Some days I do worry that it could be something else but after so long I don't see how it could be. I still am able to exercise which makes them worse. Some days are definately worse than others and I don't think there is any reason for that. Never had the twitching anyplace else. Just calves and feet all the time. I also get electrical current feelings going up my calf from my foot which isn't too fun either. I am not sure any one knows why this happens. I think mine was orignally from running but I don't really know. My neuro has assured me that I would have had major weakness before the twitching if it was anything other than BFS...

I to have 24/7 calf twiching in my left leg and some minor twitching in my right for 14 months, last August the twitching spread to the back of my left thigh too, really annoying.I also have a slipped disc with nerve damage to my left foot, and like you this is what the Dr and Neuro put the twitching down to. I also get twitching in my right foot and pads of both thumbs regular, as well as hit and run twitches all over.I put it down to stress from work, family, finance ect, i don't worry too much about MND these days but find the whole thing really annoying.Chris, sorry to hear your down again, if i concentrate on my left leg when i walk it too feels wierd, i know it is difficult but try not to focus on it bud.Nige

Does anyone else have twitching that is related to back or spine problems (i.e. bulging/herniated disks or spinal stenosis)? I would like to hear about what type of symptoms you have and what your back or spine problems are. Thanks!

Always, every single day since 2004 in my calves, legs, sometimes in the butt. I'm sitting just now and I can feel it... Very rare in other location

Hi All,This is my first post and because my symptoms are so similar to the originator of this post I thought id tag it on the end.My fasiculations (a word I could not pronunce a month ago) are getting much worse and the left calf cramps can be leathal when Im lying down. The left calf twitching started about 12 months ago, the cramps about 6 months, and now they are spreding to my right calf and left ham string. The left side twitches can also be described as full blown ripples now.An appointment is being made to see a nuerologist.Obviously I'm concerned, but is it coincidence that 12 months before this (July 07) i had a discectomy on my L5 / S1 disc in my back that had herniated. When the 'disc had slipped' I lost power in my calf and could only raise my heel about a inch of the ground!My hamstring and calf were tight and have remained so, but the strength (although not fully) did return.I hope this is a consequnse of my back problems, and not anything more sinister.I welcome any comments or advise.Rob.

2.5 years here, my calves looks like Chris_Uk probably faster and worse actually. 24/7 in calves like that and somewhere else thumping as well. My legs are most affected but I have fasciculations everywhere. If you search back you can practically find my whole EMG and Neuro Report. Though no slipped disc here, I have two bulging discs and also a slight tear when I had my lumbar MRI at my intial round of testing. Long term lower back pain suffere here as well. Coincidence? We'll never know. I still get on just fine but it is annoying.