neurological symptoms for 1+ years

[KOLELASTRA]

I'm a 57 years old male.
On febraury 2007 I had a severe episode of 'neurological symptoms'
ie:
   muscular twitching (mostly but not only, legs, arms)
   numbness (mostly but not only, legs arms)
   occasionally nerve pain

   at the beginning the numbness was such, that it felt like paralysis...
  
   However, up today, I have experienced NO muscular weakness.
   I'm still strong and in spite of how I feel sometimes (feel like I can not move and yet I can swim and/or run)
   I have seen 3 neurologist, had 1 MRI and a EMG  (nerve electrical test) and everything is ok.
  
   After one year and half I still feel the same.
   Furthermore, the last "flare" which has lasted for 2 weeks has been bad.
   upper and lower body numbness, twitching and this horrible feeling of paralysis  (and again, amazingly
   enough I can swim, run, exercise etc).
  
   What is new in this last "flare" is that it is tapping into my energy.
  
  I'm puzzled and afraid.
  Assuming it is not in my head ( I 'm not the type of person than thrives 'being sick')
  what can it be ?
  should I request a whole battery of test again ?
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  

[KOLELASTRA]

  thanks for the reply...
  
  So...It is a waiting game.

  Now let us go by the rule of thumb.... twitching (in ALS)  goes hand by hand with muscular weakness and/or wasting  and let us say this is my case.  (1+ year twitching and no weakness, hence no ALS )
    Am'I not a "candidate" for BFS ?
   if so, what would I gain knowing that I am a BFS other than knowing I'm dot dying ?
   ie:  is there any treatment ?

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

There are many conditions in neurology that can be very hard to diagnose especially if a condition is manifesting intermittently, or still at its relatively earlier stage.  From what you have described, it may be due a possible demyelinating disease such as MS, or from an ALS that is still relatively early to show up in imaging studies such as the MRI or with functional tests such as an EMG.  I suggest that you continue observing yourself and report to your neurologist any new symptoms that might occur.  

I hope you and your doctors can get to the bottom of this soon.  Regards and God bless.