I now this is a constantly repeated story but here I go. I've been full body twitching for 3 years (9/99) know and I am wondering if the Doc's missed something or does ALS move at this speed. Soon after the twitching started I read for the first time that twitching was a symptom of ALS and well you know what my anxiety level did. My neurologists did all the physical, reflex and strength tests and they all came out normal but I still felt like I was getting weaker, dropping things, choking on saliva, etc. I then had an NCS & EMG study done (almost 3 years ago 1/00) and both came out normal. They said my problem was BFS and my anxiety was getting the best of me.
It took a lot of couching but my doc and wife, but they finally got me to start taking some Effexor to help with the anxiety, and it did, but I still twitched. No weakness or atrophy noticed by me or my neurologist. Sometimes I can't remember if I twitched at all that day and somedays I twitch all over all day. I guess you get use to it and just learn to live with it. But what most people that are "twitchers" will tell you is that there is always that little voice in the back of your head saying "they missed it, it's ALS!!..they tested you too soon!!"
I, like most "twitchers", still have that fear. I see my neurologist every 4-6 months and all was well (no signs of weakness or atrophy or reflex problems) as of my last visit back in Feb. or March of this year.
I guess what I am wanting to know is am I in the clear now as far as ALS being the cause of my twitching and it is really BFS? If I had ALS wouldn't I have a lot of signs of it after 3 years of twitching?