6 Months of Twitching and Popping

[jacob2]

Hello again,I've been bubbling, twitching, & popping for 6 months now! It started in both calves where it lingered for a few months then went everywhere, but still mostly in my calves. I get cramping and some pain in my calves only. My legs do feel a bit weaker, but I can do all my usual activities. I also get numbness in both feet mostly in my toes. Sometimes in my hands too. My neuro performed an EMG and strength test - normal. She said it's thought to be benign. Not very helpful and thinks my anxiety has a lot to do with it. My GP and Neuro haven't referred me for any further testing. I thought that the EMG would rule out any NMD including MS. I see from these posts that many of you have had MRI's. My question is, should I have an MRI to rule out MS as well? I don't fear *ls any longer, but am concerned that it is something else. Do you all think it's overkill to do an MRI with my symptoms, or should I have it done?As a side note, for those of you who like to know these things :>) I do wonder what may have caused these symptoms. I don't handle stress well and have had a lot of it in the last few years. I did have an infection - treated as MRSA - 1 month prior to my symptoms starting and took antibiotics for 10 days (Keflex and Bactrin DS). I have taken tons (regrettably) of antibiotics during my life even Leviquin which has had a lot of controversy. Thanks,Amy

 

[CautiousExplorer]

Well, MS can simple cause any neurological symptom. I have read that some people who have MS also have PNH symptoms.But you should realise that with MS, you dont just have PNH symptoms.. MS is an auto-immune disease that will eventually destroy allot of nerves in your body. So it simple doesnt end with 'benign' twitches. There maybe a thousand reasons why we suffer from PNH. You should focus on the easy ones instead of the uncureable diseases.

 

[jacob2]

Thanks for your responses. I'm thankful for this forum and for all of you! Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[CautiousExplorer]

Interesting read i found here : about your post adressing that MS is caused by a bad blood-flow.Remember: There was once also a idiot 'doctor' who told ALS patients that they had the great lyme disease.. milking their dollars before they passed away.I find the entire story rather hard to believe. Time and research will tell.

 

[LisaQ.]

Sorry guys, but I have to weigh in, here. MS does NOT present with fascics, according to my TWO MS specialists from TWO major university hospitals. It has a classic waxing/waning, remitting/exacerbating pattern that involves significant symptoms such as weakness, numbness or blindness/diplopia. If someone has fascisculations, there is no MS expert who is going to jump into MS testing. Fasciculations are caused by steadily dying muscles. MS has a different pathophysiology than **S. It causes damage to the myelin sheath around the nerves, which may or may not recover completely during remissions. This is why people with MS can often live a fairly normal life/ average life span if the exacerbations are mild.Over time, the scar tissue that builds up from the myelin destruction eventually leads to more permanent weakness and disability. Tremors can also present much LATER in the disease, but would certainly not be a presenting symptom. Blessings, Sue

 

[LisaQ.]

Hi Amy, If neither your GP nor your neuro recommended an MRI, I wouldn't bother with it. Like I said in my post above, MS has a very characteristic pattern on presentation. If you don't fit the pattern, your neuro won't suspect MS. If, OTOH you had some exacerbating/remitting pattern of weakness, tingling, double vision, etc, AND you were having fascics, your neuro might be more inclined to test for MS. Not because of the fascics, but because of the other symptoms. Does that make sense? BFS in a nutshell says it isn't the fascics, but the company they keep. I hope this helps to ease your mind. Blessings, Sue

 

[Krackersones]

Here is my layperson's insight that may or may not be on target based on questions I've asked of neuros and information I've read. Anytime the myelin sheath is damaged, it can damage the whole nerve leading to denervation and reinervation. Denervation and reinervation can occur anytime a nerve is damaged for any reason including but not limited to demyelination. Fasciculations can be a sign or symptom of denervation. If the forgoing are correct, this might explain why some people with MS get fasciculations. I think fasciculations can occur from something simply irritating the nerve causing it to fire or from something interfering with the ion channels that regulate firing. So fasciculations do not necessarily mean you have denervation and denervation does not necesssarily mean you have ALS, MS, etc. The complexity of this is why fasciculations alone and even denervation alone are not diagnostic of anything. Most of these conditions require a larger context of information and the educated opinion of a medical expert. Many times people do not get a clear diagnosis and are labeled with idiopathic neuropathy.