Involuntary Swallowing and Throat Pain

[ListlessOne]

Hi, its me again, Lin. Last time, I promise. Started twitching about six weeks ago. Got clean EMG, 3 limbs, cheek and spine- just this week. For past three weeks, I keep waking up every night with involuntary swallowing and throat pain. Like spasms or cramps. They don't cut off my air supply, just cramp up in the front of my throat. I also have a sore throat all the time, but not when I swallow. I can also press on certain pressure points near my ear and throat and get pain. Pain on my tragus too (the thing that stick out of your ear on side of head). I also have little petechia blood marks on the side of my cheeks as if I am biting them (but I know Im not unless I am in my sleep). My tongue muscle feels sore. I note that these throat things all started when I went on Lexapro and Klonopin.Im not slurring and can swallow liquids and food fine. If I were twitching in my limbs is it safe to assume the bulbar would be so advanced as to a) be picked up in the limb EMG and b) I would already be slurring and not swallowing? The twitching only started a few weeks before my "bulbar" symptoms did.I feel like my doctor didn't even look in my mouth. Help, its ruining my weekend. My husband is ready to divorce me!

 

[TwitchyMD]

None of your symptoms would be really concerning and pointing to bulbar onset of mnd. The only thing that should be checked is the throat cramp, supposing it is really a cramp.As for the emg, bulbar area involvement can be detected only by testing bulbar nerves. Sent from phone, sorry foer not going into details

 

[ListlessOne]

Thanks twitchydoc. I actually accidentally posted this twice - Bobajojo responded to my other post with his experience at Mayo, i.e, that the dr's said that if you have bulbar and are twitching already, it will show in the limbs. Do I actually need a tongue stick? I did get a stick on the cheek and paraspinals. I am assuming that was the dr's "gentle" way of testing near/for bulbar? I really would hate to go back at this point. I don't understand why my level of reassurance has to keep going up. First it was see a neuro. Then it was get a second opinion. Then it was, oh, I will be a-ok once I get my EMG .... and IM NOT! I can't keep up with this. I think the only way to feel better is to actually feel better (symptoms disappear). Its not even the twitching that bothers me but the sleeping throat issues which I can't figure out. Bobajojo and I both are/were on Klonopin and had similar nocturnal symptoms so I am wondering if that is what causing my problem. Its almost like I am so dead out and so relaxed that all these things (involntary swallowing/spasms) keep happening to me.....L

 

[TwitchyMD]

As I explained in the other thread, this is NOT contradictory information!At Mayo they assumed that if that was ALS causing generalized fasciculations, there would be abnormalities in at least one spinal segment. Because there were not, they assumed there is no widespread denervation in place.