Re: Fasciculations

Posted By Susan on February 28, 1998 at 17:06:55:

In Reply to: Re: Fasciculations posted by CCF Neurology LG on February 26, 1998 at 17:08:46:







: : I asked a question about the fasciculations I have been having for 2.5 years now.  I have not had any other symptoms so far.  I had wondered if this could still be als.  Benign fasciculations was suggested as a possiblity.  Please, can you tell me if these twitches are different than the twitches representing als?  Are they visible?  do they happen singly or fire in rapid succession?   Do they wax and wane?Do they occur all over the body or tend to be in one muscle group and then sprea other muscle groups?  Please help me understand the difference.
Dear J. Markman,
A fasiculation is the result of a contraction of one or several motor units that is manifested as a visible twitch.  Benign Fasiculations can be widepread and last for months or even years.  In ALS the fasiculation is the same,however, at the onset they may be in the muscles that are weak.  As the disease progresses, the fasiculations become more widespread.  A general rule is that fasciculations in relaxed muscle are never indicative of a motor system disease unless there is an associated weakness, atrophy, or reflex change.  ALS is a progressive disorder, that is, gets worse with time.  If you have not developed any additional symptoms in the last 2.5years, this probably does not represent ALS.  IF you are concerned, I reccomend that you get an evaluation by a neurologist (who will test for weakness and reflex changes in addition to a routine screen).  If you are interested in getting an evaluation at CCF call 1-800-CCF-CARE.  Ask for the neurology appointments secretary.