Twitching for 4 Months - Help!

[BuddyJim]

I've been dealing with twitching for about 4 months now, for those who haven't read my other posts, mostly in my legs but also in my trunk, arms, back, neck, etc. I even feel them in my eardrums, which is strange. They started during incredible stress/anxiety, right after a bad case of the flu, and after Googling MS and ALS symptoms because I had what later turned out to be a compressed nerve in my cervical spine causing arm symptoms (including twitches). Although the twitches are a little less than when it started, it seems that the weird buzzing/vibrating in my legs is worse. It appears to get worse after physical exertion. It makes my legs feel wobbly and weak but they never give out on me. I seem to have all the strength I need to do things (like mow the lawn), it just seems like my leg muscles are getting easily fatigued. I don't exercise regularly. The wobbly legs make me worry about weakness. I also have stiffness/aches in the same leg, but that seems to be a common BFS symptom too. My anxiety is better now, but I am still scared of ALS.Has anyone had the twitching subside, only to have another symptom like buzzing/vibrating get worse? Is there a difference between muscle fatigue and muscle weakness that accompanies ALS? Does anyone know if BFS causes muscle fatigue? Anyway, I've been to one neurologist already (twice). I think she has me classified as a benign, twitching hypochondriac. She thinks anxiety is my biggest problem, and without any obvious symptoms of severe weakness or muscle wasting she tells me I don't have ALS. During the second follow-up visit she didn't even examine me. In order to satisfy me, she has referred me to another neurologist, who is a neuromuscular specialist. He is going to do a consultation and an EMG with "ALS protocol", whatever that means. My appointment is in 1 week. I am very nervous. Please pray for me. I don't know what to expect. Hopefully the neuro doing the EMG will be able to tell me the results as soon as the test is over. I have read on several sites that if I truly had ALS then this test should show evidence after 4 months of twitching. Maybe I can have some closure to this once and for all.Jim

 

[flyboy101]

Waiting for my EMG was a very stressful period for me. And then once it was over, to include even now, I find ways to doubt it. I'm sure it will go just fine. The key will be to be reasonable about the results and trust your doctor. So many on here have had EMG's (some have had several) and still have just as much anxiety as the day they went in. I hope you are able to move on after this!!

 

[BuddyJim]

I think one thing fueling the post-EMG anxiety is because the test is operator-dependent. Apparently the test is only as good as the person administering it, and those of us in rural areas may be genuinely concerned that we get someone who knows how to properly administer the test. I have to travel to another town for my EMG because evidently there is no one in my town who the Neuro trusts to administer it. I wish someone would invent a reliable, diagnostic test for ALS. It would cure much of what so many of us are going through.

 

[BlueWolf92]

Jim, at any point in time the vibrating/buzzing for me is worse than the twitching. Follow my history and you will see I have stated that many times. The buzzing behind my left knee has not stopped in my 17 months of twitching. I am happy to pray for you - been there done that for myself. To this day. But honestly - most of the time I just slap myself and say "what in the world is wrong with you - get over it.".

 

[BuddyJim]

Hello all, thanks much for the replies. The pre-test anxiety is tough. The comment about the test for ALS is a good one. I can't point to any obvious weakness or atrophy in my legs so far. Just twitches, stiffness, and muscle aches. I guess all of these symptoms are on the BFS list too. Jim

 

[Gloria123]

Jim,I will pray for you. I remember how very scared I was prior to my EMG. You're afraid of a very scary disease, and you're relatively new to all of this. While I'm almost certain you have BFS, since all your symptoms sound like BFS, and you don't have true weakness, I still know that you are dealing with a very scary time in your life. I had my EMG in September of 2011 and I still don't think I've recovered from the anxiety I dealt with prior to my test. I've had to deal with anxiety issues the majority of my life, and so this type of adventure was not one that was very conducive to my anxiety prone personality (it still isn't).I want you to focus on controlling your anxiety as much as you can, and try not to do the "what if's" in your head. Try to focus on the very fact that this entire forum has at this point thousands of people on it, who have been in your shoes, and the vast majority of us have gone through exactly what you have, including a clean EMG (whether the EMG was warranted or not). I know my neuro said he would give me an EMG because he knew I had been on the internet and would think I needed it.Mitra