Neuro Visit Update: Fasics and Stress

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UserConcernedGuy

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Hello everyone, well I had my 2nd Neuro visit which consisted of a few questions regarding my fasics status, any weakness, and stress/sleep level relative to my occupation and family life. I communicated to the doc that the fasics still continue all over but I that I can't recall any weakness incidents or anywhere. I did add that I have stopped working a 2nd part-time job and that I have been getting more sleep since my initial June visit. The doc then did another full neuro exam as he had done back in June. After the exam he said essentially the exam results have not changed, although the only thing he said he did notice was some hyperrflexia when he tested one of my knees. Of course I only twitched once (my right calf) when he was examining me. I was twitching quite a bit while I waited 45 minutes in the waiting room. :rolleyes: He ordered a Vitamin B-12 blood test. Then, he told me that he still did not have any evidence or signs that were worrisome to him and gave me the option of him following me (coming back in 3 months) or he said seeing that I was clearly nervous (yes I am) he could do an EMG and order an MRI of the spine because there also could be spinal cord injury causing the fasics. I went with doing the EMG and MRI now. I am waiting for his office to get back to me about the hopeful EMG this Thursday and I believe the MRI will be a little further out from today seeing that it has to be ok'd by my insurance company. He did tell me the diagnosis is definitely not MS or Parkinson's. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated. :confused: Steve
 
Despite being a little nervous it sounds like you are handling this all quite patiently... a difficult task, so good for you! I don't think the EMG or the MRI are going to turn up anything serious, you sound just like the rest of us on here. Even if it turns up something minor, remember, TONS of people, especially on here, have minor, meaningless abnormalities on their tests. It's also great they will be able to get you in so quickly to do your EMG, I think I had to wait like 2-3 weeks at least. Good luck, everything will work itself out!P.S. Don't fret about the hyperflexia, I have it too, but have also been told that being so young (23) that is how quick my reflexes are supposed to be. Also, nobody has seemed concerned when they state the hyperflexia thing, AND it can be caused by a lot of different things, including being kind of nervous!
 
Thank you Megan....very helpful and supportive! I already got called by the neuro doc's secretary and I have an Open MRI tomorrow morning at 9:15am. Do they tell you the results right away after an EMG or do you have to wait days like an MRI?
 
The doc told me he was going to try and get me in this Thursday because then he was going to be on 2 weeks vacation because of the jewish holidays. That suggests to me that he would be doing it himself, at least it sounds that way. He said the needles can be painful. Is that true from your experience? How long does it take?
 
By the way, it figures, I get home after my neuro appointment this morning and my left cheek starts twitching like crazy and is still twitching now. Weird and annoying stuff!
 
I had the MRI and EMG. EMG turned up nothing. MRI of back was fine, my neck all f'ed up, but doesn't explain the twitching. You would have to have a serious injury for the spinal cord to be pressed against. That would be one that you would know you have before even going in. It would be an MRI to see how bad it was, not if it was present. I am sure you are fine. By the time you get to your 2nd neuro visit with no new symtoms your pretty much in the clear physcially, now you just have to work on convincing yourself mentally. I am still fighting that battle myself and I am in almost 6 months.
 
Yep, I was the one who said that. If you have to question it, then it's not what a doctor would call weakness. My neuro once laughed when I asked him what the difference was between patient weakness and doctor weakness. He said "believe me, you haven't seen what I would call weakness."
 
worried guy,I saw my right cheek twitching last week. I have felt the sensation before but this time I was near a mirror and looked. It lasted about ten seconds or so. I was putting on some teeth whitening strips and probably flexed my muscles in a way that triggered it. It is so interesting to read how other experience these crazy symptoms. I too have gone through the MRI process. I just had a cervical spine one last week and will get the results tomorrow. Nothing explaining my twitching has shown up on the MRIs but the MRI is a risk free test and prudent to do just in case. Krackersones
 
I think your symptoms sound a lot like all the other BFSers. I too have that facial twitching thing, and also the hyperreflexia. More on the right knee. Doesnt sound at all like you have **s, but as more time goes on, I think you can feel even more reassured.Keith
 
Hi Steve.From what I have read, neurologists generally accept that some fasciculations can be caused by a viral infection, usually setting in a couple of weeks after the infection. But they say its usually an upper respiratory infection or gastrointestinal. I dont know if this is what set mine off either. Just one possiblility.If your Bells palsy was in fact caused by a virus (there are other causes though) its possible for you too, but I doubt either of us will ever know. I think we just have to accept that we will twitch. I hate it, but I guess we have to learn to live with it.The one thing most of the veterans say on this site is everything gets better when you dont worry about the twitching. I need to try and do less worrying about them. Easier said than done, but I'm going to try.
 
Hi Steve,This was like reading about my own experince 19 years ago. I was very worried, speculating about my early demise through *@S , MS or some other horrible disease. Endless visits to Neuros and many tests. EMGs are OK and a good Neuro will give you his/her opinion as the test is carried out. The trigger for me was a virus. The Bells Pawsey will hopefully resolve and from your description of your other symptoms, based on my experince, for what it's worth I think that you have BFS. So try to take some comfort from your Neuro, try to accept your BFs and get on with your life. Stress was and is a major cause of my BFS, the less stress I experience the less symptoms I have. Good luck and chill out if you can, you will be OK.
 
I had my EMG this morning and first of all my neuro doc told me that the MRI I had yesterday was NORMAL and the B-12 results wre normal. Now the EMG test....yikes! The shocks weren't too bad but the location where he stuck the needles that hurt the most were in my calves, lower back, and the back of my neck. He didn't tell me how the result were going as he went along and instead waited until the end. He sat me down and said your exam is 100% normal. He said he tested for **S and 2 other things but I don't recall what they were. One began with a "P"...maybe periopathy. Any way he said I can relax and have a beer :LOL: . He wants me to follow up with him in 3 months. Any thoughts?
 
Thanks everyone!!! I appreciate all of you and the awesome support you all have given me! Meghan, for me it is actually my right calf that hurts the most....very sore!Now I can actually enjoy the U2 concert I am going to this week without thinking about bad things!!! :D) Steve (thestableguy?)
 

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