1 Month of Twitching and Cramping

[NathanJones]

Hey all. Going on 1 month and a weeks since twitching and transient crampy feelings in legs started. At 3 weeks, GP evaluated me with a few strength tests and tapped each of my limbs with reflex hammer. Said reflex and blood work normal and no evidence of weakness one side. That was 2 weeks ago and I was reassured, until now.I just today noticed a very tiny series of twitches on the back of my palm, straight down from pinky, just before connecting to wrist. They seem constant and are constantly going, sometimes firing 1, 3, or 5 times between brief pauses. I don't really feel them and they are tiny enough to be difficult to see.This has caused me to fall off the proverbial wagon with als anxiety. Has anyone else had these tiny als like twitches on their hand? Most of my twitches are typical for many described on here but haven't seen anyone else experience these tiny, constant twitches on the meat of the back of their palm.Also, does the fact the left side of my body twitches far more than the right mean anything?

 

[Gracer]

I wish to know who told you that your twitches are ALS-like? If the doctor, then your worry is at least justified.if it was Google or you decided that on your own, then... then you just are feeding your devil - common hobby but devastating.BFS people experience twitches of all kinds - tiny and coarse, those they feel and do not see and those they see but do not feel, frequent and unfrequent, crawling and non-crawling, and NONE really had MND diagnosis except several fellows out of 4500 thousands of registered users for 14 years which is a good reflection of ALS occurence rate, and believe me those two or three persons had compalined for essential neurological issues and were least concerned about looking for tiny twitches.you have good clinical exam. Stay om that. Your body is not deteriorating, at least not inthe neurodegenerative way.by the way my left side is also more affected by twitches, cramps and pains. Such lateral preference is also very common.

 

[NathanJones]

I guess I've read what the supposed als twitch looks like and these on the back of my palm seem to fit the bill. They are generally really small, hard to see, mostly can't be felt, and are constant. The only other twitches I've had remotely like them are the ones in my calves...only they are bigger.I was actually doing really good until the twitching seem to change focal point to my left arm. I've had and uptick in left shoulder, forearm, tricep, and especially the random bicep twitches....usually after flexing. Now I notice these small, microtwitches in my left hand. It looks like little dimples in the muscle sometimes twitching alone, sometimes many in succession but seemingly constant since I noticed them. Just when I had my anxiety under control.I was hoping that

 

[NathanJones]

....hoping that other BFS folks might have similar experiences. There doesn't seem to be noticeable loss of strength in my grip or pinky, but a pinky is hard to test. Its so hard to believe that a twitch that looks for all the world like the description for an also twitch can be benign. Its different than my other larger and more random twitches.

 

[Gracer]

I will only repeat what I said first time: if the doctor tells you that your twitches are suspicious, please get an EMG and we will see if you would need a rilutek for the next 5 years of your life left - then Ok, you may say oh I have sinister twitches.But you just read somwhere that those tiny twitches fit the bill. Well, do you know that usually those tiny twitches are exactly twitches in the dead muscle? Those fine ALS twitches (as far as I remember) need as a condition also a dead not working muscle, becasue they represent residual activity in generally denervated muscle. That they are so fine that usually a stroboscope (flashing light) is needed to see them?If something is quacking like duck, it needs also to look like duck and walk like duck, as per proverb, otherwise it is a hunter in the ambush not the duck. That is why self diagnostics is so ruining. Oh I have swallowing troubles, it is bulbar - nope it is throat swelling due to dysautonomia. Oh I feel my legs are jelly, this is a weakness - no, weakness is an inability to perform tasks, like flex or strain the muscle, not a jelly feeling. Etc., etc.I am here for well over two years, and believe me your complain is NOT UNIQUE. Fellows with specific gift of self-exploring find tiny twitches in them quite regularly. None of them was diagnosed with ALS.Sorry if I am sounding quite sarcastic.I understand you as I am GAD person and I know what is it when you are caught in anxity disease. And I know that the reasonal thinking usually suffers first and alot in this condition. And I know why it happens.I also know that it is very hard to get out of the vicious circle and sometimes sarcasm is the way to kick a person out. I do not know if it will work for you, I just try everything being at the same time fully sympathetic.

 

[saige011]

I've had these exact twitches for years. Sometimes I even need a light to see them. Totally fine.

 

[NathanJones]

Thank you JS 1, that is reassuring to hear!

 

[SamanthaS]

Hi, I really wouldn't worry. I get these in both hands, have done for 18 months. Left hand is always on the go, the right one joins in when it feels like it. You can always feel them but not always see them. I know this can be scary at first but believe me you do get use to them.