8 Months After Onset: EMG Reliability?

[CaptainHooker]

At 8 months after onset of fasciculation, how reliable is a clean emg? I had an entire side of my body done, including my back, and it came back clean. That made me feel a little better, but the twitching and weakness feelings continue. Is 8 months enough time to wait to be sure im in the clear from ***?

 

[Gracer]

Hi,as you may see on the recent example of the fellow diagnosed with ALS, in 1 year he had a diagnosis and in 8 months he had enough clear clinical issues to be followed up with a serious suspicion that something is wrong. Unlike to two other fellows with this diagnosis, Vince did not left the forum right after diagnosis and if he would drop in, I am sure he would say the same in person.If you have nothing more than twitches in 8 months and a clean EMG on affected side, then the chances for their benign nature are very high. EMG is not a therapeutic action, and it does not cure twitches and other symptoms, and the difference between feeling weak and being weak is huge.

 

[physicsmon24]

100% correct Gracely. I keep reading in so many posts about "feelings" of weakness. That is not weakness. Mine was there very early and only progressed. There was no way I could ever describe it as a feeling of weakness (although I often tried to tell myself that). The docs saw this, my second EMG of the affected hand picked up the abnormalities and unfortunately it just kept progressing. By 8 months in I had marked weakness in my left hand and had begun to slur my speech. Please, please get this disease out of your mind. Focus on the positive and helping others.Vince

 

[CaptainHooker]

Thank you so much for the responses Yulisar and Vince. Vince, I'm so sorry, I just read about your condition. I'll be sure to keep you and your family in my prayers as you continue your couragous fight and hope that it's a very slow progressing form to which treatment becomes available in the very near future. I know you're both right, i just get discouraged when my hands and arms continue to feel weaker. They were still 5/5 on the clinical exam so i guess its perceived weakness. I just haven't been the same since the twitiching started 9 months ago. Sorry to bug yall... you just all seem so nice and seem to be pretty intelligent when it comes to BFS vs ***. I use this site to help build my confidence in my diagnosis, by read current and old posts and trying to tell myself that I'm not alone with my symptoms. I just need to get a grip.