Negative EMG Results - Reassurance

[Myreos]

Hi there again,

Since my last post, I finally had an EMG which turned out negative. I simply could not believe my very reassuring neuro without having the test done. The EMG was done by another neuro who also told me I didn't have anything serious. He did the EMG on my 4 limbs, but not on the bulbar area. He said my tongue looked normal and it didn't twitch, so no need to do the EMG there. He also told me that if I had bulbar ALS, he would've seen signs of it on the limb EMG as well. I told him I had tongue fascics from time to time (like 4-5 times a day for a split second) and he said they definitely didn't have a neurological cause. So, fine, I went out of there very reassured and was perfectly fine for ... about a week. Then, anxiety came back because I often have sore face muscles (maybe from tension on my jaws during the night or whatever?) and I still have the feeling of speaking funnily sometimes. I also have a sore tongue every other day, especially when I'm under a lot of stress. When I smile, the corners of my mouth are shaking, especially on the left side.
Anybody with similar symptoms? Could this just be stress or muscle tension? I also started thinking of Myasthenia gravis, which scares me less than ALS, but is still a very serious disease.
Thanks in advance for your answers.
Souris

 

[Alonzo]

Great news Souris. No neuro stuff going on and hearing that from two different neuro's should be something to put in your hat.

I also have the shakey facial muscles when I smile or make a snarle on my face. I've had that since I was a little kid, so don't worry about it being a neuro symptom. I notice a LOT of people that have it in their eyes when they close their eyes lightly, like some people do when they talk... they'll close their eyse and you'll see the lids flutter. It's really quite common and very benign.

Quit staring at yourself in the mirror! For some reason, when anxiety levels are on edge or lurking in the back ground, you'll forget what "normal" really is, and start seeing things that aren't really there or that aren't really symptoms at all, such as teeth marks on the side of your tongue and such. Everybody get's those from time to time.

You have two fantastic, BENIGN diagnosis' from two good neuro's who see nasty stuff every day. You don't have anything bad, so get away from that mirror and get out and live life.

Yes, face muscles will get sore from being tensed-up, just as neck muscles do the same thing when stressed and then it causes headaches, hence the term "tension headaches", and you don't even notice that you are tensed-up in the first place. That is all normal, especially while anxiety is present, and if you are staring in the mirror, looking for signs of "symptoms" after you have two clean diagnosis' AND a clean EMG, then you most certainly DO have an anxiety issue, whether you "feel" anxious or not... there is a problem. Ask your doctor for help. be it therapy, meds or whatever. If you didn't have anxiety, you wouldn't be on here asking for help or staring in the mirror, looking for things that aren't there... You are OK!!!