Back to Gym with BFS: Is it Normal?

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Resilientgirl

Well-known member
So after my struggle with twitching and weakness I decided to go back to gym today. I did 10 minute cardio 45 pound calf 4 set 15 each and lift weight. I was able to do it but I feel discouraged to go back. I am very tired muscle are very sore and barely can lift my two arms is this normal. Please help me. Does bfs make us farigued when work out of is it sign of muscle weakness. Shoukf I go back gym or stop. I feel better but worried
 
I am finding the same thing when I go to the gym. You are like me...I worry about the weakness of the muscles even though I have had a clean emg. You have to keep telling yourself that a clean emg is definitive. It is the gold standard for ALS testing. A clean emg means no ALS. My neuro seeing that I was in terrible fear told me not to doubt the test nor think it was done too early. He said that the disease would have taken hold in my body long before the symptoms especially the symptoms I was exhibiting. I am far from a bfs expert as I am a newbie to this but I can tell you that I have a clean emg and I am experiencing the same things you are at the gym. Reading your previous questions indicates you have been away from the gym for awhile. This was the same as me. I shut down with fear and didn't do anything. It is probable that our going back to gym after a long hiatus and working those unused muscles again is causing the early fatigue. I've been back to the gym for about three weeks now and I am starting to increase my weights and increase my time on the ellipse. Keep it up...I think you start feeling better and better. I still have aches and pains and the twitching everywhere but someone with ALS would not be increasing weights in a workout. I feel your pain brother but know there is someone else out there who is experiencing what you are experiencing.I believe it was you with the panic attack? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove it. It has resulted in me now dealing with anxiety on a grand scale. I'm going on around seven years of anxiety. It is unbelievable what anxiety can cause in your body and your mind will tell you it is a terrible disease which fuels the anxiety.I sent two months of my life worrying about HIV recently convinced I had contracted it through a sexual exposure I had. After the test came back negative my anxiety just carried me to something else. I'm still trying to deal with it and it is a struggle everyday. It sounds to me like you are dealing with anxiety.
 
Thabk you my friend for the support. Are you still going to gym ? Because I am not going to stop. My problem is not the twitching. I am having a foot problem. I feel like its light but I can still walk on heels toes etccc. But that feeling when driving sucks and when running on treadmill. Now I m scared if foot drop. I have done emg on the bad leg and left arm. But didn't compare it with other leg. Should have the neurologist compare both legs or was it enough to test bad legs. Wednesday I am scheduled for another emg to put my mind at peace.
 
Still going to the gym and getting stronger and going longer on the ellipse. I was told from my neuro that regardless of where he did the emg it would have indicated ALS if it were present. The needle doesn't have to be stuck directly into the limb giving you problems. If it is in your body it would not be hiding somewhere but would be able to be detected from any point on yr body through an emg. You have to remember, you are mot having a foot drop. Foot drop would be you totally losing the use of your foot and never getting it back. You are focusing all your attention to that foot and your mind is manifesting symptoms for which you fear. Believe me, I do it too. I do it every day but I have to keep telling myself this is not what we fear. Just last week I thought my hand was going numb and that I couldn't flex my fingers. I was certain of it. The next day...gone. Things like ts happen constantly. You have to keep telling yourself clean emg equals no ALS.
 
Well the first time I got it done I never had the foot feeling. And my neurologist told me he won't do it anymore emg on me because I don't have anything serious. He is very confident that I don't have als. I went to another one for a second opinion after I started feeling my foot weakness or whatever it is That I am feeling. He did a clinical exam which was normal then suggested emg not knowing I have done it a month before I saw him. I did not want to tell him either because I want to get another one. I know I am an idiot and should have trusted my first neurologist who was very careful with the emg he performed. He assured me hundred Time Thst it is nothing serious. But I promised myself that if this emg come normal I m going to move on with my life and put this fear behind me. I lost my job because of the fear. I m only 26 and what I am doing to myself is insane. I should be enjoying my life. I also losing the girl I love because I am over doing it. I feel terrible never feared anything In my life but God. After I took that pill over the counter my life went down. I got to the point where I wanted to kill myself. For two weeks I slept at 7 pm thinking I m going to die I could not walk on my legs. I want to go back being the same human. But I Cnt get over my fear. I don't know anymore.the second emg will make me feel better but I hope it will come back clean and hope I am going to be able to move on and put everything behind me
 
I understand. Believe me, I do know about the overwhelming fear. When I consulted Dr. Google with my symptoms, I was so paralyzed with fear that I could not even get out of bed. I'm not going to pass judgment on you at all but I will tell you this, there is nothing at all worth suicide. I'll also tell you that if it had not been for God, I believe I would have literally gone insane over the past several months. You are not at all ridiculous for questioning your neuro's assessment. It is the fear that has you gripped and your overwhelming anxiety about the situation. Look, if any of us on this forum had the answer for anxiety, there wouldn't be a forum because we are all on here seeking reassurance...including me. I expect your EMG to come back clear again. Please do promise yourself not to do it again and accept the answer. You need to pull your life back together. Trust in God regardless of any outcome in any situation in your life. That too is hard to do but we don't really have any other choice, now do we? Please make sure you come back and let us all know what the outcome of the EMG was. We want to celebrate with you.
 
One more thing...it should be noted and I think it is on this forum in several places that neuro's do EMGs to prove the existence of ALS. They do the clinical exam to prove there isn't ALS. So, your doctor telling you that he is confident that you do not have it should tell you that you don't have it. I think some doctors prescribe the EMG for our own sanity and peace of mind. Another thing...I posted this somewhere else...you have a 1-5 in 100,000 chance of getting ALS over the course of your life. To put it in perspective, you have a 1 in 100 chance of dying in a car accident - 100 times more likely than ALS. You have a 1 in 10,000 chance of being struck by lightning - 10 times more likely than ALS. You have a 1 in 1,000 chance of knowing someone who has been struck by lightning. If you fly once a year, you have a (I believe) 1 in 5,000 chance of dying in a plane crash...1 in 724 chance if you fly 2-3 times a week. This is my favorite...if you live on a coast somewhere in the world...you have a 1 in 50,000 chance of dying in a tsunami and some believe the same chance of being struck by an asteroid. Of course, some people do get the disease or we wouldn't be fearing it but the chances are so astronomically against it. I think I read that there are 350,000 people worldwide living with it. Out of 7 billion people, that isn't even 1%. Now factor in that less than 10% of those with the disease are under the age of 40. That would be .001%. Again...it absolutely isn't impossible but look how unlikely.I asked my neuro how many people he has diagnosed over the years. He told me that it wouldn't be a fair answer because he did his residencies in an ALS clinic but did say he diagnoses around 1 per year in his private practice and he said all of them have been over 60. He is an ALS specialist and was actually the one my neuro referred me to (works in the same practice) because he is an EMG expert. "Let not your heart be troubled." I think you'll come out of this fine. Let us know the results!
 
Re: Please connect the Dots. Is it really a BFS!!!by Resilientgirl on less than a minute agoI am sorry to have come across this way. I love life and I believe that God can only take my life away. I don't know you but all I know is that you sound very smart. God bless you and I will keep you updated. I pray for you to get better.ResilientgirlInterested Posts: 11Joined: February 13th, 2013, 11:28 amTop
 
Yes, it is totally normal to feel like complete crap when you go back to the gym, with BFS. Really, it's kind of textbook for us. Take it slow, but persevere, and over time you will find that your muscles don't feel so fatigued and sore in between work-outs. It can be super hard for us to get back into a regular work-out routine because of the discomfort and profound fatigue that often ensues. It's one of the challenges of our recovery, because, in order to get better, we have to endure more pain and suffering than the average person who is just starting out on a fitness program. But to skip working out altogether is seriously detrimental for all of us; bfs or not. Good for you that you took this important step towards your health, and healing!Blessings, Sue
 
I can relate totally to this post. I have had this twitching on and off for 2.5 years. My left arm seems to be affected more than the right with regards to pain. I was shovelling snow last thursday and trying to get the shovel under the ice i was pulling back with the left arm driving the shovel in under to try and break the hard snow/ice. My left arm is still paining 5 days later. It has happened before and gets better after resting. I too had the clean EMG and MRI last Febuary and was told its not ALS or MS. So im just soldiering on moving forward. Even though it hurts i guess the more exercise the better?
 
I just read firsts posts here later i will read all but one your sentecne is important for me too."The needle doesn't have to be stuck directly into the limb giving you problems. If it is in your body it would not be hiding somewhere but would be able to be detected from any point on yr body through an emg" i was also in past concern that "aha needle was here but what if weakness now will start somewhere else -how to check all muscles" lol. So its important what you said here.In december i felt my right arm is heavier and in left hand 2 fingers not good. But EMG was clean.Lol i was ready to think "well, maybe other muscles in my arm not work-not this one where was needle" Its crazy. I know we all have worries like this.
 
Thank you all for the great support you have showing me. I don't know how to thank all of you. Just when I started to lose faith in humanity you all showed up to prove me wrong. Quick update. Second day at gym. 20 minute treadmill 20 minutes bicycle. So far so good. Twitching seem to go away when working out. Still at gym going to do squat. Both of my legs feels heavy and almost going to give up but I am not stopping. Tomorrow my second emg. I keep you all updated. But I think I m beating Thst bfs. E en thoug my legs feel so weird now but I still walking on them. I m getting ready to squat with 60 pounds weight lets see how that goes. Once again thank you all. You are great people.
 
Good news, Tired. Keep it up...I'm going to be trying to do it myself. The_Shadow, believe me, I had that fear too and my neuro and this forum helped me understand that. If you have it, you have. There is no way to hide it. My neuro told me not to doubt the test (he obviously deals with a lot of anxious people fearing the same thing) and that if I had the disease it would have absolutely showed up on the test. My neuro was awesome and even explained throughout the entire process what he was doing and was telling me , "so far, so good" with each needle stick. He told me that he performed the most telling section of an EMG and stuck the needle in 3 places along my back next to my spine. He really spent a lot of time with me which I appreciate more than you know because I'm sure he and the other neuro I saw that day knew I did not have it. I never thought I would say how happy I would be with multiple needle sticks but he really stuck me in several places with that needle.
 
Guys I finished gym and my right leg is very very painful now. Wjen I stretch it and touch one of the two muscle it hurts sooo much. Does als cause muscle pain please tell me.
 
Tired,Read this from the sticky, "BFS in a Nutshell." It is an awesome post. I've read it many times so far.What are the symptoms of BFS? BFS usually starts in the calves of the fingers / hand area, but in reality, it can start anywhere on your body. It usually starts with a little twitch like you normally get on occasion, but this twitch just won't go away. It keeps going, and going, and going. Usually, this will last a few days and the twitch will either stop and move somewhere else, or that twitch might stay and more will pop-up elsewhere. Along with the twitches comes aches, pains, stiffness, tingling, numbness , tremors, visible and non-visible shakes, pins and needles, body jolts, fatigue and an ever changing variety of twitches that go from little tiny one's that you can see but not feel, to great big thumpers that can move a whole limb. Other symptoms can be cramping and pain. BFS with cramping is known as BCFS, aka “Benign Cramp Fasciculation Syndrome", and it is just about as common as regular BFS. Exercise intolerance is another common symptom, where you do a little bit of exercise but afterwards you feel like you just ran the Boston Marathon and the pain can last for several days afterwards. Twitching can increase dramatically after exertion or exercise as well. Fatigue is another very common symptom and can be mistaken for weakness associated with ALS, and most of the time, it IS mistaken for clinical weakness. Fatigue can be felt as a "drained" feeling, lack of energy, weak and/or rubbery legs or arms and so on.
 
TwitchyNate and all i back to anxiety again.Its my eyes. My left eye totally dfferent than right and in so short time-so it not normal loose of seeing. Its too sudenlly. I dont know what to do.I think again-its can be MS, just hope its not symptoms of A..?Please help me anyone who know its can be symptoms of this bad illness too?
 
Hello all,I have decided to put my fear behind me and move on with my life. I have managed to do it for three weeks. Since my last neuro visit I was assured that I dont have ALS and I believe the doctor. I was just wondering if this look like atrophy. I Was doing half calf rise when i notice a dent on both of my knees-thigh. they are in both but my right is more shown. please copy the URL into your browser and let me know if this is what atrophy look like. I feel embarrassed to go back to my neuro and show him.I only can see it when I raide my leg at 90 degree angle. another word the leg from knee down is parallel to the ground. and my thigh are perpendicular . does that make sense lol but when I bend my knee the atrophy is gone. I am curious what it is. or maybe it has been there but never checked. please get back to me
 
Totally agree with Suzy.... It is normal to feel like crap. But it is worth it staying active. I found out that with BFS , the normal Sport rules don't count..... I used to be sore for 4 days or longer after working out in the beginnings. It would make no sense so have almost a week in between workouts until all soreness was gone. So I worked out " into" the pain. And it felt OK. Even more, during the workout, the pain got better. And step by step my physical strength and wellbeing came back. I did not do Sports before BFS. Today I am in the best shape of my life with 33, much better than with 20!
 

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