Twitching for 3.5 Years, Anxiety & Tongue Twitches

[GraphicDesign]

I am twitching now 3,5 years (calves, arms, face...) and i have all along the time anxiety for XXX. Since 6 weeks i have the tounge-twitsches, right after flexing the tounge. Afer this the anxiety are back and i am very scared. Just now, before 4 weeks i found this forum. I never have heard before of BFS in Emilyomousey. Now i am calmed down, because i see, that i am not alone. I hope i can delete the anxiety and i have a better life. How common are the new tounge-twitches? After 3,5 years, can i rule out the desease?

Thanks to all people in this forum!

 

[vimini]

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive (KEYWORD), degenerative disease. Let me tell you a couple of things.

1. The tongue twitches happen to me, and it is what I am currently fixated on as well. If I flex my tongue, then relax it, it will twitch (fasciculate for a few seconds). I have only been twitching for almost 3 months now, and I have had serious anxiety during this period.

2. In true ALS Bulbar Palsy (i.e. - the tongue region), by the time tongue fasciculations present there is associated extreme weakness of the tongue muscles. For example, if you stick your tongue out it will deviate (SEVERLY) to the side of weakness. I am a student at Johns Hopkins University, the best medical school in the nation, and have seen 2 patients with ALS - PBP (Mouth Region). Their tongue looks like a shriveled up raisin and they have severely slurred or absent speech. Their voice sounds almost robotic in its tone. So in other words, if you had Tongue "twitching" because of ALS you would be far past the stage of swallowing difficulties and slurred speech; because when twitching occurs in the tongue region these patients are quite ill by that time.

3. You have been twitching for over 3 years which in itself says that there is absolutely NO WAY possible on this earth or in existance for it to be ALS.
Particularly given the fact that you are experiencing tongue fasciculation, which had it been ALS, would be disabled your voice, swallowing, and facial movent functions.

4. You seem to be pretty young anyways to be worried about all of this. I have been to Germany one time, and it seems like an awesome place. Go out and have fun, and totally do not pay attention to your thoughts about ALS, because you DON'T have it.

Peace...if you have questions you can e-mail me at

 

[vimini]

I will answer all your questions in order...

I am not a doctor, I am pre-med at Johns Hopkins and a research fellow at Harvard. So I, too, experience anxiety regardless of how much I convince myself.

1. What all symptoms do you have, and how long?

I initially experienced widespread fasciculations about 3 1/2 months ago. This morphed into swallowing difficulties, such as food feeling like it is onl going down on one side of my throat. This is of little significance.


Also, what do you know about tremors and BFS?

Tremors are not associated with ALS, but can be associated with BFS or dopamine irregularities (none of which you have). There is some confusion about this because a lot of ALS patients experience 'clonus' which can mimick tremor. For example, after exertion on a leg, this can cause a hyperreflexic reaction if you will, therefore causing the leg to shake its interior and bounce up and down. Tremor at rest is normal in most ligaments. I have had this many times.

Fasiculation after exertion is common, and ALS fasciculations tend to be constant rippling of the muscles (with or without exertion). However, fasciculations are not by any means indicative of ALS. Any limb that has a fasciculation in it must have associated changes on the EMG in the form of Fibrillation or Positive sharp waves (clear signs of denervation), even in muscles that are not yet weak.

Do you know where I could get a real test for Lyme's also? Lyme Tests or titters should be requested at the discretion of your doctor.