Normal EMG After 1 Year Twitching

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np2001

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Hey all,As many of you know I am a physician who was overwhelmed with anxiety in regards to this fasciculation nonsense. I have been twitching for almost 1 year (in 2 weeks) and have had 2 previously normal EMGs. I arranged another one for myself today because I have way too much access to dictating my own care---which of course turned out to be stone-cold normal. Intellectually I knew this would be the case but the irrationality of the anxiety and fear vastly overwhelmed any faculty of rational thought that I might be capable of producing. When I last posted I was loaded with anxiety---many of my old twitches had returned (some stronger than ever) and I had started to develop random pain in my hands/feet/calves/forearms. It felt like cramps/pre-cramps/shooting pain etc. This convinced me that this must be the progression of a dreaded disease that would surely strip me of my motor-neurons. I twitched even worse than usual and found it difficult to sleep. I strength tested myself---studied my hands for signs of atrophy that I was sure I would find---had my wife check my reflexes (after I taught her how)----studied the hands of other people all to the point of losing many hours of sleep---- I avoided exercise/video-games etc---anything that might cause a hotspot to pop back up and double my anxiety.A funny thing happened last Thursday. My basement flooded and I was forced to move a tremendous amount of furniture/storage/carpet. I was no longer able to avoid using my hands and forearm muscles in order to prevent the twitching. Much to my surprise I was a strong as ever. I was able to carry very heavy objects/use a box-cutter/lug heavey boxes up and down stairs without any worry. The next day I was invited to a driving range with some friends (also and activity I avoided for the same fears)---I was still sure that I would be unable to hit a ball nearly as far as I could before all of this started and I would realize how weak I was. In fact I hit the crap out of the ball. Maybe even a little farther than I was able to before this all started. With all of this going on---with my strength just as good as ever, I started to feel a little silly. I didn't cancel the EMG (my obsessive thoughts wouldn't allow me to) but I felt a little ridiculous going to get it any way.My neurologist (2nd neuro-muscular/ALS specialist) once again told me that everything was fine. Once again stated that he has NEVER seen a patient with ALS present with ONLY twitching. People may have fasciculations as their 1st presentation (though this is rare) but NEVER without any other OBVIOUS finding. Both neurologist stated the same thing. Both also confirmed that a normal EMG while fasciculating virtually rules-out the dreaded disease that we all fear. Both also stated that until the dawn of the internet virtually the only patient's that they saw with BFS/twitching/BCFS/ whatever were medical professionals as they were the only ones who associate twitching with motor-neuron disease. Both reiterated essentially what has been stated in the "BFS in a nutshell" post and supported the Mayo study. Neither had a solid answer for what causes this (i.e. anxiety-somatization/virus etc) nor where the fasciculations are generated from (i.e. CNS/peripheral nervous system/nerve terminal/muscle membrane) as there is not much interested in a benign lifestyle annoyance.I have health anxiety and I am going to see someone to deal with it. Many of you are in the same boat---the twitching isn't deadly but the psychological repercussions can be. I have twitched in my foot, toes, fingers, calves, neck, face, eyelids, nose, tongue, chest, back, forehead, scalp, forearm, stomach, and butt. I have had twitches that persist for 2 months and move my finger, I have had fleeting ones that feel like popcorn and last for a brief moment. I have woken up from finger twitches---I have fallen asleep thinking they have subsided. I twitch a tremendous amount in the morning except for the days I do not. I twitch worse after exercise and some days it improves with exercise. I have had twitches that I can feel and not see and I have had twitches that look like worms underneath my skin or like someone is trying to push into my calf in Morse-code. My thumb has jerked violently towards my palm and my toe has wiggled back and forth. I have had days where I do not twitch at all, I have had days where not a second goes by without a twitch. I have had multiple charley-horse type cramps in my feet. I have had a "pre-cramp" sensation in my calves, forearms, hands, thighs while resting, walking, showering, or lying still. I have had random muscle pain that wakes me up from sleep---I have had a full sensation in my muscles, I have had a tightness sensation in my muscles. I have had all of these symptoms for almost 1 year with 3 clean EMG's. It all adds up to nothing! Everything you have had I have had x3 and so has everyone else on this board at some point during their course of whatever this is (anxiety/post-viral syndrome etc.) Trust your neurologist. Trust your physicians. They have seen real disease and they know how to recognize it. Do not analyze every little thing they say, the manner in which they said it, and wonder if there is something that they are just not telling you. Do not begin to wonder (after you have left their office) whether he/she tested the arm/leg in an appropriate manner/whether the EMG could have been done in that one other limb, if only you had phrased that symptom in just such a way...... You will waste countless hours of your life analyzing each and every encounter. What they are telling you is true. You do not have a progressive and fatal disease. You twitch. It's annoying but it is NOT an ominous sign of something sinister. That's my story and I'm still struggling through it. But I am getting help now---not for any sort of neurological disease but for my health-related anxiety. I still twitching (I am twitching in one of the muscles that had a needle in it earlier today) but I am more confident than ever that I am going to be alright. So are the rest of you.
 
I have had this 'thing' which I am presuming is BFS. for about 3 months now. I have not gone beyond the GP. Who basically had no idea what I had ( bar possibly an allergic reaction to anti depressants). I have had the basic blood tests, that any GP does, that might create 'twitching' ( thyroid, diabetes, liver function etc). They were all fine. He was oblivious to notion of BFS. I have not been back, can see no point.. I will not go back, unless I perhaps need a referral to a neurologist?(has crossed my mind). I have not persued any other avenues of medical exploration. At this stage, after reading this board, googling, and the fact that I dont appear to show any of the symptoms of the 'nasties', I am happy enough with the BFS 'self' diagnosis. If things get 'worse' or if different symptoms are displayed, I will persue the referral. I think at the moment, more tests will only tell me what I think I already know. In affect I am attempting to take the 'short cut' home to health 'assurities', rather than the long 'painful' ( literally and metorphorically!) road that others have taken. At times, when I am down with my health anxiety, I do question myself as to whether this is the right way to approach it. I mean..I could have one of thoses nasties...but unlikely. However if I think rationally. I believe my approach makes sense. it is interesting ( by reading some posts), that even rational thinking can be clouded by self doubt. And the only way some can overcome this is to go down the 'testing' road. Then after they have done that journey ( which they need to do I guess), they get this epiphany, perhaps attached to the 'relief' of negative testing. 'Dont do what I did!'......yet a lot do it anyway....why is that? Some navel gazing in here...but food for thought.cheers Rodger
 
nervousinqueens,Thank you for your very thorough post filled with invaluable insights into the process of mentally coping with twitching and other unexplained nerve/muscle symptoms that are defined as benign. I wish you the best in dealing with your health anxiety. I know the difficulty of it but you sound well on your way to tackling it.Krackersones
 
Thanks all. Aussie---my post really wasn't meant as a "do as I say not as I do" but more of a " here is the struggle I have gone through." I, like everyone else, have good and bad days. The point of the post was so that people who are new here, who are struggling, can see my story and realize that there really is very little that they are going through that is new or not experienced by the rest of us.
 
Point taken and appreciated. In a roundabout way I was probably reinforcing what you were saying, by detailing my approach to 'BFS', and not going down that 'testing for the negative prognosis' road. Just of interest how, as you quote.... ''Intellectually I knew this would be the case but the irrationality of the anxiety and fear vastly overwhelmed any faculty of rational thought that I might be capable of producing''. Irrational thought can force us down some illogical roads.....cheersRodger
 
Tanks for telling us your experience. Your are right pointing the key role of the anxiety.Your experience could be mine. Two years with fascs but no weakness at all. My neurologist (with 40 years of experience) said this problem is very common in health workers. We amplify the anxiety too mutch, because our knowlegde in Medicine. I have twitches all the time, but I have not EMG done. I spoke with a Neurophysiologist and he told me no to go on it. Honestly, he only supported my point of view: No weakness, not spasticity, no...no..no.....only fascs. EMG was not a necessary test. I was very worried for one year. I have good and bad days...but I do not feel concerned for this problem anymore.
 

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