Have twitching throughout body and fear I have ALS.

[Skyclad]

I'm a 46 year old male and for quite a while now I've had random jerky movements in my body. Kind if like how you jerk when you are falling asleep, but during the day too. Had this for a few years. A toe will jerk, a few minutes later a finger or hand or other body part. Last week I started getting muscle twitches just above my knee. It was going crazy and I could see it moving under my skin. Lasted a few minutes and went away a few hours then came back a few hours later for a few minutes. I then started getting little muscle twitches all over. Now every few minutes a muscle will twitch pretty much everywhere. Legs, feet, face, hand, etc. I searched this symptom and nothing but ALS shows up in searches. This scared me to no end so I went to my doctor. She said I didn't have ALS because I'd have other symptoms with twitching. She tested the strength in my feet and legs and said strength was good and that if I had ALS is have clinical weakness and muscle atrophy. But... I read an article from a neurologist that said twitching can be the first sign. So now I'm fearing things again. Im not tripping or dropping things.

 

[GregK]

Twitching is far too common to be diagnostic. It doesn't count.

ALS symptoms don't come and go, as yours seem to.

Listen to your Doctor.

If you have further questions, plz read the Sticky titled Read Before Posting before posting again!

 

[Skyclad]

Okay, sorry but I don't see that one stickier on the top anywhere? I do see where I should have put this in the "Do I have ALS?" Subforum, so sorry about that.
My symptoms haven't come and gone. I've had the jerking of body parts for quite a while, and now I have twitching. In fact, just since I posted this a few minutes ago I had twitching in my back, calf and hand. One twitch each time. My doctor said it's because I'm a hypochondriac and us from anxiety. I want to trust her, but I don't get how she can say I don't have it by looking at me, doing a strength test and asking questions. She said I had so few symptoms that she couldn't even order a test if I wanted it because the insurance company wouldn't pay for it with so few symptoms. But this twitching really scares me. It's hard to sleep due to the worry.

 

[GregK]

1) my bad, you posted in the wrong forum. This thread is now in DIHALS. Try again
2) Again, for the final time, Twitching does NOT count
3) You should try a Health Anxiety forum

 

[ShiftKicker]

Skyclad- The "sticky" is the post pinned at the top of this sub forum. It answers a whole list of the commonly asked questions most people have when they come here.

Twitching is so common as to not mean anything. It is only of note if they are experienced in combination with a whole host of other issues. And even then, it's not an immediate "ALS" suspicion. Just like a cough is not instantly "lung cancer", twitching is not instantly "ALS".

 

[Clearwater AL]

Skyclad, you - yourself wrote the diagnosis...

("My doctor said it's because I'm a hypochondriac and is from anxiety. I want to trust her, but I don't get how she can say I don't have it by looking at me, doing a strength test and asking questions. She said I had so few symptoms that she couldn't even order a test if I wanted it because the insurance company wouldn't pay for it with so few symptoms.")

Well... that pretty much wraps this Thread up.

 

[Skyclad]

I just had a big twitch on the right side if my chest that moved my shirt as it twitched. It's all so confusing to me. That writeup I read by that neurologist that stated twitching can be a first symptom scares me. If it can be a durst symptom that means you can have ALS without the weakness or ayltrophy? Literally every few minutes now I'm twitching visibly somewhere on my body.

 

[lgelb]

I don't know what you read, but random, onesie, everywhere twitches are simply not indicative of ALS.

 

[Skyclad]

A lot of them are "onesie" (feel like taps) but a few have twitched for a minute or so, including the one on my chest that o just had that o could see through my shirt.

 

[ShiftKicker]

Skyclad- your time is done here. While you don't have ALS, it's certain you do need to seek medical attention for the cause of your symptoms (NOT ALS). Please continue to work with your doctor.

 

[Skyclad]

So you things just anxiety like my doc said? I also forgot yo add i have tingling/buzxung in my feet. Have had for a few years. I just have one more question... Do you have to have clinical weakness along with the twitching for it to be ALS? I ask because my doc didn't find any, but maybe I'm not to the point where o have noticeable weakness yet?

 

[lgelb]

For the length of time and diversity of your symptoms, the answer is yes -- that is, without clinical weakness or atrophy, there can be no reason to believe that your motor neurons are impaired in any way. That is why the doc wasn't concerned.

As to what the twitches/tingling could mean, besides benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS), it is hard to say. That is where your primary care doctor can rule out nutritional issues, etc. and you can start doing things that make you feel better, everything from walking to massage to helping others. Thinking about stress, hydration and sleep never hurt anyone, either. All the best.

 

[Skyclad]

Is it true that with ALS twitching it starts in one day and migrates. My twitches are everywhere. And never last more than a few seconds. Also, my left calf muscle is about an inch around bigger than the right, but it's been that way for years. I feel like entering a mental health facility. That's how much this has me worried. Thank you very much for your replies.

 

[Atsugi]

Skyclad, our experts agree with your doctors.

Your statement here is absolutely true: " I don't get how she can say I don't have it by looking at me, doing a strength test and asking questions."

You're right--you don't get it. You haven't graduated medical school.

You even have the correct course of action figured out: " I feel like entering a mental health facility. That's how much this has me worried. "

See a doctor. But this time, believe them.

 

[Skyclad]

Okay, I will take the good opinions and advice you guys have offered me. I will believe what you, and my doctor says. I wish all you guys and gals here suffering with this disease or have a loved one suffering with it the absolute best. My wish is for a cure to be found so no one else has to die from this terrifying disease. I also hope more true info on the disease makes it out there so so many don't get needlessly frightened about having it. Take care to everyone who posted hete.