EMG Showing Fascics - Why?

Highlights Only
W

WreckedBug25

Member
Hey guys,

I am curious as to why some people have an emg and it doesn't show fascics and some people like myself and I think Gary, StephG22 and others had an emg and it does show fascics. Is it as simple as we just happened to be twitching at the time of emg or something else? Really curious. Would appreciate any feedback.

Jenn
 
Hey Jenn,

I don't really know why some of us have fascics on emg while others don't. I do know that there has been a bunch of discussion on this board about so called "true fascics" and just twitches with the difference being that the true ones show on emg. From an analytical standpoint, i think that for people to truly have bfs, they would have to have fascics on emg. I base this conclusion on the simple fact that the condition is called benign fasciculation syndrome. If you don't fasciculate how do you meet that diagnosis?

It doesn't really matter whether you do or do not have fascics on emg, the fact is that in both cases they are benign, absent other issues. So my advice to you would be to not worry or even give it another thought.

Hope this helps a little, though I realize i didn't even remotely answer your question :confused: .

Take care,

Gary
 
The Mayo study talks about large numbers of BFS people having "excessive" fasciculations detected on EMG - suggesting everyone them sometimes.
 
Think of it this way - you are one of the lucky ones who had fascis. on the exam. I wish I had them...
The reason being that if there are fascics but NO OTHER signs of denervation then for sure it is BENIGN.
If there are none found then one could always have lurking suspicion if the right spot (or muscle) was hit. Not that their absence is a problem but their presence without other signs is definitely benign.
GOT IT !!!
 
Jenn,

I really think it's just a matter of timing. I didn't have any fascics on my EMG, nor was I ever able to show any to the doctor. But they happened before and after. Lots of people talk about how their twitches hide from the doctor.

Johnny
 
My neuro specifically looked for the fascics, she left the needle in until we recorded some, and that took about a minute. They are very easy to miss. My first EMG didn't find any, even though I was having them. The neuro said that they are easy to miss, either by not waiting long enough, or from the needle being too far away to record it.


This is from the BFS article on Wikipedia, emphasis mine:

Diagnosis of BFS is a "diagnosis of exclusion" -- that is, other likely causes for the twitching (mostly other forms of neuropathy) must be eliminated before BFS can be assumed. An important diagnostic tool here is the EMG, a test that measures the electrical signals generated by muscles. Since BFS appears to cause no actual nerve damage (at least as seen on the EMG), a completely normal EMG (or one where the only abnormality seen is fasciculations) largely eliminates more serious disorders and strongly suggests BFS. (For those with chronic ALS anxiety, it should be noted that one does not need to be actively twitching for the EMG results to be valid, nor is it necessary to test every limb.)
 
Dave,

Is your response suggesting that either I do not have true fascics or do not have BFS if the neurologist indicated that the EMG was completely normal, although I do twitch throughout my body and she specifically wrote down for me to look up benign fasciculation syndrome when I left her office. My earlier response was merely indicating that you didn't have to actually feel them or think you are having them at the time, that an EMG would pick up anything that was not right. This whole thing with the twitching is not only confusing me, but it is making me absolutely nuts. Your insight in very much appreciated!!! :confused:
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top