Twitching/Numbness/ muscle fatigue?

[4babygirls]

Hi There,

I am a 34 year old female and for the past 2 months I have had some strange sensations. It started at the end of a bad sinus cold. I stared get goosebumps and tightening on my scalp on and off and then the muscle twitches started. Pretty constant when resting and in every single muscle in my body. This was going on for about 3 weeks and then I started getting shooting pains in my extremities and my thigh muscles started burning when I was going up stairs. I started feeling slight numbness in my big toe, fingers and back of my hands. I also noticed floaters in my vision which I have never had before.

Then the anxiety really set in. My muscles felt tight and crampy and achey and even woke me from my sleep. I found it hard to stand for long periods of time becasue my legs felt weak... almost like the back of my knees weren't stong enough to hold me up. And the twitching continues. After about a week the tightness seemed to calm down but now I am noticing tremors in my cheeks and my finger. My right arm feels shaky and my right foot feels "off' and my toe turns numb and white when cold. My limbs are falling asleep very easily and tingle and I am feeling a bit breathless, taking deep breaths all the time. My legs still don't feel very strong, I notice it in the back of my knees for some reason.

I have had an MRI of my brain and neck/upper spine and all come back normal except a small cyst in my nasal cavity and normal wear and tear on my neck for my age. I have had a lot of blood work done (Electrolytes, arthritis, thyroid are all normal) The only thing is I have low ferritin level (12) but hemoglobin is good.

My frustration comes from the fact that the wait for me to see a neurologist is 7 months (I am in Canada). My question is: Could this be MS and not show in the MRI? I am aslo terrified of ALS. Do I have symtpoms of this? Any feedback at all would be helpful, I am a mommy to 4 little ones and this is consuming me right now :(

Thanks in advance.

[4babygirls]

I'm confused, I thought that numbness wasn't really a symptom of ALS?

[Christopher R Newey, DO]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

It must be emphasized that in the MAJORITY of cases muscle twitches are benign meaning that they are of no consequence and are not resulting from a serious cause. In such cases, the twitches may be related to anxiety/stress, caffeine, and often occur after recent strenuous activity or muscle over-use. It is important in such cases to reduce stress/anxiety levels and to reduce caffeine intake. Tremors of the hands can be physiological that is exacerbated by stress/anxiety and caffeine.

Benign fasciculation syndrome, which I will abbreviate as BFS, is a condition in which there are involuntary twitches of various muscle groups, most commonly the legs but also the face, arms, eyes, and tongue. If the diagnosis is confirmed and other causes are excluded, it can be safely said that the likelihood of progression or occurrence of a serious neurologic condition is low.

When BFS is present but not particularly bothersome or disabling, treatment is not necessary. If severe and it requires treatment, there are a few medication options though this condition is not very common, and the research that has been done on its treatment is limited. Minimizing caffeine and stress, and treating anxiety if it is present, will improve your symptoms.

However in general (and please understand I am not trying to imply I feel this is the case in you), when fasciculations occur in the setting of associated symptoms such as progressive loss of sensation, tingling or numbness, weakness, trouble swallowing and other symptoms, the cause may be due to a peripheral nervous system problem, such as ALS. However, in general, these symptoms would not be episodic and triggered by certain things but would be more constant/frequent without consistent triggers.

Another nervous system problem, neuropathy, may also lead to fasciculations. There will again be associated weakness or sensory changes.

I suggest that you do follow up with a neurologist. It is important that you discuss your concerns with him/her. It is helpful that you have had a normal MRI.  

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.

[nana68]

I am going through the same exact things and trying to get answers the only thing they saw on my tests so far is one brain increased signal,2 o bands in spinal fluid which my neuro said may or may not be ms.I am trying to figure out if myalgia encephalitis or chronic fatigue could cause o bands because the symptoms fit.

[4babygirls]

I forgot to mention that I also have problems with a sore aching SI joint, particularly on the right side as well. Also, my tremors are 'intention' tremors (when smiling for a long time or holding my finger in a position)
Thanks