Please help. Worried that I might have multiple sclerosis

[Louieboni]

hi. I have been bothered my the muscles twitches I am experiencing. I am having it for almost 4 months now. It started in my legs but now its spread to my arms, face, neck, chest, and back. Also, sometimes i feel some sort of numbness in my left arm. sometimes my legs are in pain although i find no trouble walking even when in pain. I am afraid i might have MS as I also sometimes feel dizzy and visual disturbances. I went to a neurologist and ordered some tests. Basic neurological tests were normal and so was MRI, MRA, and EMG-NCV. The doctor told me that I have BFS. Although all tests came normal, I am still worried that I might have MS. Should I seek another doctor's opinion regarding MS? thanks

[jensequitur]

The dizziness and visual disturbances are a little unusual for BFS (benign fasciculation syndrome.)  BFS is often a diagnosis of exclusion - when they've eliminated everything else, then BFS is what you get saddled with.

Since you've had a normal MRI and EMG, it sounds like you're going to have to wait for things to get worse before you're diagnosed.  It will be difficult to get an accurate diagnosis without any clinical signs.

If you know of an MS specialist in your area that you're comfortable with, I would go ahead and seek a second opinion.  Be prepared to be disappointed!

[Louieboni]

yup I have seen a neurologist. He was the one who ordered me to go through EMG-NCV, MRI, MRA. Thank you so much for the info. Im really scared because im just starting with my life. I just got out of college and got a job. It really scares me. anyway thanks again

[Rena705]

Welcome to the MS Forum!  I am sorry to hear of the medical difficulties you have been experiencing and I hope that we will be able to shed some light on them.  While we here are not physicians, with a combined effort and the experiences that we as members have had, we hope that we will be able to assist  you to find a diagnosis for your symptoms or at the very least, point you in the right direction.

You stated that you had an EMG and that it came back normal.  The following information I gleaned from Wikipedia states that since BFS appears to cause no actual nerve damage (at least as seen on the EMG), a completely normal EMG (or one where the only abnormality seen is fasciculations) largely eliminates more serious disorders and strongly suggests BFS.  The fact that you also had an MRI that also came back normal does not necessarily rule out MS however.  If you take the time to read some of the Health Pages in the upper right hand corner, you will find a treasure trove of information on how MS is diagnosed and the proper steps that should be taken when looking at the possibility of an MS diagnosis.

It would be interesting to know if you were seen by a Neurologist or perhaps an MS Specialist...I say this because they are trained to read an MRI properly and can sometimes see things that a Radiologist may not.  I don't any mention of a Lumbar Puncture or a Neurological Examination which are both very important tests in ruling out MS.

Please take the time to check out the Health Pages Louie and if you still have further questions, please come back and ask them ok?  There is a wonderful group of incredibly supportive people on this forum and we will do what we can to help.  If you need to rant, rave, laugh or cry, we are here for you 24/7 and as an added bonus you will probably make a few friends here as well.

We are looking forward to getting to know you better and getting just a few more details of your medical history and what doctors you have seen and I am sure that others will chime in with ideas that I am sure will be helpful to you!

Lots of Hugs,

Rena