twitching - ALS?

[Bart1]

Hi, I'm a 30 year old male who's experiencing twitches for 19 months.

It all started Oct 07 with non stop calves twitching , and still going 24/7. After a couple of months it spreaded trough my whole body : face, arms, stomach (like 10 every hour)
I had a clean EMG in Oct 07 with neuro 1
and a clean EMG (except facics) in Dec 07 with neuro 2 , specialist in MD
A clinical follow up in Sept 08 with neuro 2
A clinical follow up in April 09 with neuro 1
They both dx me with BFS.

However since last week I have a non stop twitching in my back near my left shoulder blade. Sometimes the top of my shoulder hurts. I went reading posts here and on alsforums to get comfort in the twitching but I read so many contradictions that I don't know anymore that this is just BFS.

Any thoughts on this?

Thank you
Bart

[Bart1]

Thank you DrVinod
But is it unlikely to have ALS after 19months of twitching with no weakness?

[Dr Vinod]

Benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS) is a neurological disorder characterized by fasciculation (twitching) of various voluntary muscles in the body. The twitching can occur in any voluntary muscle group but is most common in the eyelids, arms, legs, and feet. Even the tongue may be affected. The twitching may be occasional or may go on nearly continuously. Any intentional movement of the involved muscle causes the fasciculations to cease immediately, but they may return once the muscle is at rest again.
Though twitching is sometimes a symptom of serious diseases such as spinal injury, muscular dystrophy, Lyme Disease, multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it is much more often due to more benign causes (BFS, over-exertion, etc), and virtually everyone will experience some episodes of benign fasciculation during their lifetime.

Do not self diagnose and let your neurologist diagnose your case, self diagnosis will lead you into depression. Take care!