Constant Body Twitching, Tricep Movement

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OptimisticGuy

Well-known member
Hi guys, firstly I want to say I've been doing quite well lately, my tongue tip twitch after 14 weeks every 30 seconds or so rarely occurs now and my body wide twitching although also constant all day is more or less background noise at the moment... My question is this:My right tricep is still slowly moving up and down for 9 weeks and counting every second or so... It's not like a regular fast twitch or machine gun rumbling twitch ... It's a very subtle slow up then down movement that can be seen over a 3-5 cm area of the muscle.. Sometimes it goes up then holds a second or so the goes down again...It sometimes also gets achy .... Not overly painful but enough for it to register that it's generally getting pains..Has anyone had this kind of twitch that's just constant and with similar characteristics?If this would stop I would say I would feel cured or more or less happy enough as I can suck up my really fast calf twitching all over emand the random hit and runs but it's the fact it's every second or so and a very different characteristic to the rest ! I would also like to add that when it started it was a fair bit stronger and you could see it from across the room but you have to stare at it now and look closely... Sometimes but rarely it reverts to how it was initially..Any input is much appreciated guys...Paul
 
Anyone ? I've been concerned about this for a while now ....Here is the video when it is most visible ... It does get a lot fainter though and mostly happens every second or so..Tricep twitching constantly..
 
Paul,and what if nobody has exactly such twitch? would you be terrified or will try to see a commom pattern - a harmless hotspot?unless your twitch (subsiding by the way till the degree when probably only a very hyperaware person can notice it) does not result in tricep weakness, it SHOUL DNOT bother you really... Being such hyperaware means that you steel feeding your main trouble, health obsession, which is a bit like picking up a fresh wound never letting it to heal (by the way obsessive people often do that with the physical wounds becasue they just say that granulation drives them crazy - it is so irregular!). I do not blame you for that becasue I know it is often beyond the reasonable control, but I just would like to encourage you again to do all that you can in order to regain that reasonable control back.
 
The fact that the twitch is decreasing and not so rapid yet you have the same strength is a good sign. With ALS the twitching generally doesn't decrease until the muscle dies. However, ALS shouldn't even be on your radar because you've already had a clean clinical and EMG. When my thenar twitched nonstop it was hard and rapid at first, then a month later I remember it was consistent but not as fast and strong, to the point where I needed to look at it under a flashlight to see it (and in my paranoia I actually did this!). And then it disappeared, so hopefully yours will too soon.
 
Thanks guys ... I'm sorry for worrying but it's bizzare as it's every second up and down ... Yes I had the clinical and emg .... Would the emg seriously show up anything bad even if I got it 6 weeks into this twitching?I've read stuff that take ages for emg to show issues for people and that's in the back of my mind but maybe that's rare ? I think also the fact it just never stops even for ten minutes bothers me too as it's just constantly every second... I can't even feel it as it's so subtle ... But 9 weeks every second and still going ?
 
OK, let's think critically together.if EMG takes years to resolve a problem and definitely put a diagnosis, WHY THEN people have those repetitive EMGs? Didn't they suffer from weakness? With what they come to neuro, only titches? What were their initial troubles requiring several consequitive EMG within the years? usually our fellows who have several CLEAN EMG still did not develop ALS. So if people finally were diagnosed with ALS, they HAD IT - bad reflexes, progressively weak limbs, suspicious signals (long MUPs, certain waves with specific frequency, charachteristic for ALS, signs of pyramidal pathways damage on EMG etc.). Sometimes people may have high reinnervation rate and do not experience significant weakness for 6 month or so after EMG signs revealed. If you come for test with inactive limb, EMG never would be clean. But if it appears that your EMG was suspicious (as with te fellow prattstar for example), then it may take 6 month to year to definitely see that yep, this is motor neuron disease, exactly that one. Dirty EMG is not a crucial for diagnosis, person must develop clinical weakness, and only a combination of all that - clinical weakness, bad EMG, specific change on clinical exam, specific changes in analyses showing rabdomyolisis or muscle atrophy - this allows to say - well, ALS definitely. That is why diagnosis may take up to year.But again, no one of our fellows with several clean or minor dirty EMG did not developed ALS. And they lack other signs.and yes, EMG is very sensitive, becasue as you may judge from the fact that it takes year to get diagnosis, it picks up suspicious changes in your neural system sometimes 6 month before physical symptomes can be developed.
 
but why it is not reassuring?EMG is not necessary if you have good clinical exam. Some neuros even do not order it becasue it is expensive and painful.One limb EMG is sufficient to check your conditions becasue (as far as I understand) it shows central brain pathway damage regardless to what muscle is tested PLUS if the tested muscle has any troubles.In most of BFS cases EMG is ordered only becasue it is covered by insurance or patient may afford it or becasue neuro itself is quite cautious (like my was, she told me immediately that 'some dreadful diseases may start with twitching', not detailing what exactly and what are the chances to be honest).Basically lack of clinical weakness and normal exam (no damage to reflexes) is practically sufficient for clearing, and no matter whther you have emg or not - if you do not have troubles with weakness in 3-4 months of twitching, you are definitely more safe than endangered in terms of ALS.
 
I said just what I said - that EMG is known to pick up early signs of changes in neural conductivity and that some people with such changes sometimes need 6 month or so to develop weakness and about a year for definite diagnosis of ALS. I am not sure those people have clean clincial exam at their first referral, sorry to mislead you by saying "before physical signs", I should rather say "before clinical weakness" becasue really certain changes should be otherwise a person would not complain and would not get to the doctor, and moreover would not be sent to EMG becasue EMG is not a regular test you undergo each year as chest Xray or pap test for ladies...Good clinical exam wihc stays good in 4-6 month after twitching onset is considered still as a clearance for ALS, as far as I understand, clean EMG and even not very clean but free of specific signs is considerd as valuable addition, that is all.You may order all tests you want, The issue is if you would or would not doubt the results immediately after the test.
 
So what's your thought on a twitch that has been constant every second or so on my tricep? I looked in the mirror and can clearly see it slowly twitching .... I never bothered looking in the mirror before but it's defo every second or so and never stops... Have many had this type of hot spot ? 9 weeks and counting?To clarify re emg.... Clinical and emg all ok 2 -3 months ago.... Is that enough to stop worrying about a constant spot ?I twitch all over too as you know...
 
If the EMG was done in a limb where you started getting fasciculations, then it is enough. On the other hand it is true and obvious from neurophysiological point of view that EMG done in a limb cannot rule out MND onset somewhere else - if the neurodegeneration starts in bulbar region, then people present with dysarthria or dysphagia, yet EMG of their limbs will be clear in the beginning as it is only bulbar or bulbofacial musculature that is affected. This is actully a reason why some ALS patients claim they had clean EMG in the beginning - this is then confusing and causing fear for us.As for the triceps, I posted a link on my youtube videio earlier..that triceps was twitching for a few weeks and it stopped *beep* 18 months ago.
 
Thanks doc ! I had my feet, calves, thighs, hands, forearms and bicep area tested... Same spots on both sides and NCS on the same muscles too ! So your saying that's fairly detailed then ? Do you mean your tricep twitched for a few weeks or stopped then started up again ? Mines still at it and it gets pains now and then on the general area...I have what my regular doc said is sciatica and the pain shoots to my foot but mostly now it's in my bum... This past month I've discovered I have almost no ankle refkex In that ankle but it concerned me as it's a reflex change ! I've read up and sciatica can do this but what's the chances of my twitching and that happening ? I just worry in case it's not the sciatica causing it ! I get general nerve type pain in my ankle area and calf too but once I get moving my general pain eases... I can stand on toes and walk on heels etc ! My left leg also seems to twitch a lot more than the right and I thought maybe the sciatica pain was making it worse... But regarding the emg ... You reckon it's all good ?
 
Anxiousguy: Sounds like quite extensive EMG, good enough to rule out MND.Rothaar:Yes, to rule out ALS by the it is suspected, EMG is done in each spinal segment (i.e. upper extremity, paraspinals and lower extremity)+ bulbar. But in reality, if there are fasciculations with ALS, you expect to detect neurogennic changes in that limb and hence if the EMG is clear, it is unlikely the fasciculations are caused by lower motor neuron damange. WIth the onset of widespread fasciculations, more careful EMG is advised as there is seemingly not a single site of onset. As you mentioned the respiratory onset, this is another example where EMG is clear despite widespread fascicalations because it is very difficult to perform the EMG of diaphragm. But there is clear respiratory involvement, typically presenting as dyspnea in supine position.And you are right of course, when bulbar onset is suspected, EMG of tongue is done as well as of other muscles innervated from the bulbar area - this is due to the fact that many people simply cannot hold their tongue still and hence it is very difficult to obtain clear results.
 
Hey doc I kinda worry it was too early as I got it about 5 weeks into my latest twitching episode! And my twitching got worse in the weeks after the emg but I kinda get good and bad periods ! I got the emg as my tongue was twitching but it stopped after 14 weeks but I worried so much my anxiety was sky high and I began twitching all over and that has not stopped ! I've hear the emg is sensitive and would be able to detect problems early on and I did get everyain section of my limbs tested...
 
Hi Rothhaar ! My neuro was like yours and didn't want to do the emg but I was stressed and anxious and he agreed to but said I didn't need it... I was concerned about the tongue twitching and the specialist doing the emg said he didn't need to do the tongue as it would show on other places as they share the same nerve pathway or something to that effect and then joked about testing my tongue if I really want too !
 
I have just had an EMG after 10 months if twitching and 5months of sciatic pain and twitching plus some tingling in my left leg. They did it on both arms, legs, including ankles and thumb plus under chin. It was clean but I'm still anxious. My left leg drivese crazy with twitching and all these feelings. I do know that I have a tight piriformis on the left side and what is lovely is when I sit on a spikey massage ball - it hurts but its nice at the same time! I do this for about 5 minutes and it really works. Try it and see. Sometimes tight muscles in that area can cause sciatica. I'm hoping that's why I have this in my leg.
 

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