G’dayI’m a 28 year old male health professional and my issues commenced about 10 months ago. After a long walk I felt both of my bum muscles (gluteals) dancing while sitting downTwitches soon spread to the rest of my bodyWeird twitches included RHS quadriceps, shuddering, twitching after standing (while muscles contracted)RHS calf twitching when muscle is contracted, coarse fasciculation’s that are almost always reproducibleRHS interdigital dorsal intrinsic muscle on my hand twitching after moving fingers. this happened consistently for about 3 months and at one stage the twitches were painful, like an electric current.I also developed awkwardness in my Right arm and Leg, with no objective weaknessI saw a prominent Neurologist after haunting my GP's office over a period of a few wks. She examined me about 9 months ago and I had 2 EMG’s and 1 NCV, both of which were cleanShe assured me that my SX represented a benign disorder of peripheral Nerve Hyperexitability. Over time my anxiety (which had driven me virtually crazy) gradually eased and I got on with life. Since this time I have continued to have the calf fasics noted above and have had generalised fasics. about 2 months ago I began to notice that whilst driving to work (I do lots of driving between clinics) my tibialis anterior on my right (anterior shin/accelerator foot) was intermittently painful. Over the ensuing few wks and days this became worse to the point where I was concerned I would be unable to commute for much longer. I went on a one wk bus holiday to NZ, and figured that if it was nothing sinister it would settle over this time as i would not be doing any driving. HOWEVER, over this time i started to notice intermittent/more frequent pain through this muscle and then parasthesias through my entire Right leg and arm (prickles and some pins and needles, but very infrequent). This has evolved over time to now where My right arm feels weak and awkward, stiff and painful (Right up into my Right shoulder) to the point I have ceased work as I do a load of procedural stuff involving great dexterity and I’m at the point where I don’t feel safe doing it. My Right leg cramps when I’m walking through my anterior shin and now up into my quadriceps. My arm and leg both feel weak, but this has yet to be demonstrated clinically, pending neuro appointment.I’m having an EMG and NCV study done on Wednesday Morning and I can no longer brush my symptoms off as a benign syndrome. This has been progressive over time. When I saw the Neuro 10 mnths ago I complained of the same sites of awkwardness, and this has progressed to now be pain, stiffness and easily fatigued. Needless to say I’m *beep* myself.I have stalked this site since the onset of my sx and have not read anyone who has had unilateral progressive sx over this time frame. The fasics themselves are not of major concern to me, and whilst I can empathize with those of you who only have this symptom, its the other stuff that cruels the mind. In addition, I have fasciculation’s in my Right calf when I contract the muscle. All this adds up to me knowing im in it up to eye balls in something nasty. I am from a small rural community and 2 of my neighbours (not direct) have passed from ALS in the last 15 years. Any of you who have seen someone with this condition no how bloody cruel and nightmarish it is. Instead of pumping all this money into buying bigger guns etc, maybe humanity should be investing the doe into curing some of these monsters. Anyway, I’m hoping that just sharing this experience may take a load of in the interim and provide my girlfriend with a welcome respite from the endless obsessing about symptoms. If any of you have any similar experiences and would like to share I would also welcome that. A quick question. Has anyone had pain/stiffness/cramp through their anterior shin, either driving or at rest, over a period of months? AND NO its not bloody shin splints (I work in the field and I can ensure you it’s not sport related)
10 Month Health Issues: Twitching, Fasciculation's
- Thread starter kyleetwat
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AllGoodHere
Well-known member
I did have the shin pain for a while but it has ceased. Matter of fact in the very beginning of this (years ago) I would get side shin and calf cramps so bad and often that they were constantly sore. I wore leg warmers to work under my pants. As you said - never cared about the fascics as they didn't hurt. The weirdest part was this repeating feeling of hot water pouring over my shin to my foot. Have you had anyone take a good look at your spine or sciatic nerve to make sure there is no impingement? I found some temporary relief during driving by sitting on a medium firm rubber ball placed just under my sit bone. A therapist also told me to step on it with shoes off and roll it through the arch slowly. The stretch of the whole arch helps a bit to relieve the entire calf.I know that the bad days can be tremendously trying but don't stop working if you can help it.....maybe work half days if possible for a while. I say this because you need to have a time of focusing outside yourself even when in pain. Now my symptoms are much relieved but I remember these awful and trying days. Start experimenting with diet and get your blood chemistry thoroughly checked for mineral and vitamin deficiencies if you haven't already (search the forum for this stuff - lots here on it). Good luck and realize how many of us from here have gotten better and learned to cope and heal.
Gday Angus. Could you elaborate a little on your symptoms, Duration, progression, nature of pain, exaserbated by, made better by and previous experiences Re: tests and specialist/Dr advice thus far. Have you had any periods of remmission? (Without symptoms), does it effect you when you drive? At the moment while typing this Im experiencing a new symptom, like someone has popped a heater at my trouser leg. Driving to wok this morning was uncomfortable and I had to constantly change the position of my leg on the accelerator to relief the sharp cramp pain in my dorsal shin musculature. I also now have faswciculations in the dorsal (top of)intrinsic (muscles that start and end in the foot) that are brought on by extending and flexing mt toes, ie: If I use the muscles then they fire up. Weird. Very concerned as the muscles all along the same nerve roots in the same leg are all involved and cramping etc. If this was a neuro muscular Junction issue (NMJ, where the rubber meets the road/ nerve meets muscle) LIKE bfs, then I should not be having involvement of entire Dermatomes. Neuro appointment in the morning, sleep wont come easy tonight. Thank the good lord for benzo's
AllGoodHere
Well-known member
Martyn - Thanks for that Dermatomes thing - it's a new word/concept for me. What a neat concept - also explains some things along the lines of weird sensations.So you guys are off on the comparing symptoms and appointments stuff. It will not get you healthy. 
Good luck with your appointments - bet they will say BCFS/PNHE or give you meds or both. Hope it brings you some solace.
Good luck with your appointments - bet they will say BCFS/PNHE or give you meds or both. Hope it brings you some solace.Im not that keen to bet against you Re: Neuro diagnosis, think id prefer to be on the other end of the wager.Are YOU 100% assured and certain that you do not have MND/ALS or do your symptoms still give you that looming black cloud of terror from time to time?I understand that comparing symtoms wont get me better, but as Im sure you can appreciate, it is a relief when someone has similiar symptoms over a period of time and has not yet turned into a jelly fish, a healthy precedent. From what I can gather, you believe that my symptoms closely resemble your own, I must admit that since reading that I have felt less anxious. Only objective EMG and clinical examination + time - further pathological proggression will completely put my mind at ease though.great chat, Cheers
AllGoodHere
Well-known member
I'm not THAT old.......would make me at least 99......geez you must be mad at me. No worse! I am a Miamian - lots of tourist, retirees, immigrants, and many interpretations on what a red light actually means. Sometimes it means speed up. Sometimes a green light means stop and look. A blinker is a signal for people to pass you so you can't change lanes. It's important that they get in front. Traffic is like a herd of cats.
i have had some calf pain and strange pain in my legs. pain deep into the muscles almost to the bone. i had a ton of fascics for a while. also a lot of jerky movements - like one muscle would just contract suddenly like a burst of electricity. Those jerks have mostly gone - get the occasional fascic and still some pretty intense pain in hands while im typing - almost cramp feeling. i found that taking a multivitamin and a magnesium supp have helped a little bit (might be placebo since i have been told by my GP doc that this is all in my head - how reassuring since im pretty sure everything i feel is in the lower parts of my body 
).
).EyeoftheWild
Well-known member
Burning, prickling, twitching, perceived weakness, more one sided than the other...all part of bfs. You are a poster child for why emgs and ncv are soooo not necessary, and are, in many cases, harmful.You don't see connections to others because you are too caught up in your own worry. You sound like garden variety bfs to me.Basso
Outlook1958
Well-known member
Hello and welcome, Martyn!you have mentioned several aspects that speak against ALS: The duration and that sort of pain or pins & needles. The latter should be actually quite reassuring, not frightening, as ALS does not develop sensoric issues and the only pain ALS patients feel is the pain from cramping muscles. By the way, my twitching started six months ago, and I personally cosider this a long enough period to rule out ALS. I was really scared the first time I read about the disease and its symptoms, but now I've arrived at a point where I'm sure that there is nothing to fear anymore.How was your recent neuro app? What did he tell you?