Searching for Answers on Ratchet Syndrome

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J

JCVanilla4125

Well-known member
Kalli & Ginny
Thanks for the replies.. I found some recent posts about this. So now I will use the term (ratchet) to describe the phenomenon. I sure hope Clevland Clinic has some answers for me, it will be 9 months on the 15th since onset with no diagnosis from my local Neuro or University Neuro. They both are baffled by my multi symptom situation. I am really starting to wonder if there is a Neuro that is BFS literate,or that I don't have BFS..
I am going to post on BrainTalk about this symptom and see if there is any more to be said..
ok..
cheers..
Doug :mad:
 
I get the same thing in my thighs. It is most noticable when I am doing leg extensions on the eccentric or return portion of the movement. It is not cogwheel rigidity in the true sense but I can see how your neuro might call it that. If your's is similar to mine, it does not impede the fluidity of the movement, it just looks weird! This is pure conjecture on my part, but I think it is the peripheral nerve hyperexcitability conflicting with the relaxation phase of the muscle. Similar to the shaking that many members on the board complain of when they are exerting themselves. Bottom line, I wouldn't worry about it!
 
Joe
Have you had the ratcheting anywhere else?
This morning I had it in every finger on my right hand in both directions, now it's ok.. It seems to migrate but is always in shoulders.
There has to be some change taking place chemically in the body or brain.
When I told tne Neuro at University of Miami about it, he replied "Go to the Gym"

Doug
 
No, I haven't noticed it anywhere else, but I haven't really looked. The reason I see it in my thighs is because I am looking at them when I'm doing leg extensions.
Most of the available evidence we have on BFS tells us that it is caused by anti-bodies specific for the voltaged gated potassium channels of the nerves. This is most likely autoimmune in nature, and it is a form of peripheral nerve hyperexcitability. This means that the threshold for the nerve to fire is much lower than normal; hence the spontaneous widespread twitching. When the muscles are going thru their eccentric phase of activity (ie. the elongation phase against a resistance, such as lowering your arms from the sides, or, in my case, on the way back down from a leg extension), you have a competition between the muscle trying to lengthen and eventually relax (at the bottom of the movement) and the BFS causing multiple muscle fibers to fire off throughout the muscle as this process is being carried out.
This is what I believe is causing the racheting effect you are talking about. The reason this does'nt happen during the active or concentric portion of the movement (ie. raising your arms), is beacuse the nerve is already firing to contract the muscle, so there is no competition between muscle lengthening and muscle contraction.
Hope this explanation helps, but it is probably clear as mud.
 
I think I understand what you are saying, the muscles are confused?
I did read an article on peripheral nerve hyperexcitability a while back. If I remember correctly the study had found that some lung cancer cells or cancer fighting cells were causing the problem. I will take another look for it, print it and fax it to my Neuro, he is very open-minded. If you don't mind, I would also like to print this post and send it as well.
I wonder just how many people here have gotten an explanation from their Neuro about this and what they called it. The good news is, I can't find any articles linking it to "you know what"
Thank you so much
Doug
 
Hi , i am trying to figure out exactly what the lung caner cells is all about. ? Are we supposed to be checked for lung cancer or cancer cells if we are experincing twitching all over our bodies? Is that related to this ? I just finally came to believe that i do not have - - s, but rather a benign condition caused by whatever. but my neuro has never said that i should be considering lung cancer. What does this mean
 

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