BFS Survey

[emmie.s]

1. 32
2. Female
3. Hispanic
4. I had my first bout of BFS in 2009/2010, which lasted less than a year. This second time I've had twitching and other symptoms for almost 6 months.
5. It started the day after I had my wisdom teeth removed
6. I may be a hypochondriac
7. Positive ANA twice with low titers, which indicates autoimmune like sjogrens or lupus, the rheumy says its mild. Also I have Gilbert's syndrome with high bilirubin when I fast, or am sick or stressed. I've noticed gluten makes twitching worse.
8. Most definitely
9. Calves, but random all over
10. A tie between my eardrum and butt cheek

[NotMyself]

1. 21
2. M
3. Mixed
4. 5 months
5. Anxiety and/or viral infection
6. Anxiety
7. No.
8. No. But I did fear: HIV, RA, MS, ET (still dealing with this one)
9. Left legs and arms
10. Private area lol

[Xina535]

1. Age - 33
2. Gender - Female
3. Race - White
4. Length of time you have been twitching? - 6 Months
5. Was there anything that appeared to trigger the twitching. (i.e. viral infection)
I have two theories: During the first half of 2013, I had a series of bladder infections, to the point where I needed to see a urologist. I was put on several antibiotics. In July, the first twitches started and now are all over my body. So I think either due to the bladder infections themselves, or reactions to the antibiotics, or combo of both. The last bladder infection I had (end of July), I was on Cipro and during the time I took it, my body was in complete havoc: all over body thumping/jerking, burning, high anxiety, panic disorder. I have not had a bladder infection since, and thank god because I never want to take antibiotics again!
6. Do you have any Anxiety or OCD disorders? Anxiety/fear/panic disorder, all of which started and got worse as my twitching started and became more widespread
7. Any other medical conditions that may be connected to BFS? No
8. Did you go through the typical ALS scare so common on this forum? YES! Still happening
9. Body region most affected? Thighs
10. Most unusual area affected? Underside of my feet

[notfromearth]

1) Age: 31
2) Gender: Male
3) Race: Caucasian (white)
4) Length I've been twitching: 9 years
5) Trigger for twitching: probably a cold (at least the started after that)
6) Anxiety or OCD disorders?: moderate anxiety... but was probably higher past then
7) Other medical conditions connected to BFS: none I'm aware of
ALS scare: Yes... amusingly, at first I was more afraid of the mad cow disease... but since too many symptoms didn't fit I 'discovered' ALS in internet... well... and of course the twitches became worse
9) Body region most affected: After such a long time, it is truly hard to say. I have a few spots twitches appear rather often, such as: thighs, right temple, eyelids, left eardrum, arms... (these are only the most common spots... I'd say they appeared pretty much everywhere so far except for inner organs and genitals )
10) Tongue, Eardrums

[will97]

) Age: 38
2) Gender: Male
3) Race: Caucasian (white) from Canada
4) Length I've been twitching: 22 months
5) Trigger for twitching: I have a few theories: I lived abroad for 7 years (in the British Virgin Islands located in the caribbeans) and every year we would go back to Montreal for the X-Mas holidays and would stay with my parents and inlaws. My father in law had cancer so when we stayed with them we needed to get the flu shot). Towards the end of December 2012, I had the flu shot and then I went on a business trip for a week to London & Scottland. I then returned home (BVI) and shortly after I started feeling sick ... I had some sort of rash that developped on my testicles and went to the doctors who gave me all sorts of antibiotics and creams ...nothing seemed to help but eventually it went away. At the same time, I was having bowel problems, where I couldnt hold any food in my stomach and eventually I lost almost 30lbs (which is a lot as I went from 190lbs to about 160lbs in about 2 months). I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy performed and nothing came up. After seeing a naturopath, she said that I had some ''fungus'' located in my little intestin so I took some natural products and that surely did help as I was able to start holding solids in again and gained most of my weight back. So a few things come to mind ... too many meds, an infection, etc.??? and the same as Xina535 I never want to take antibiotics again!
6) Anxiety or OCD disorders?: never, I have always been pretty calm and cool even with a very stressful job but once I started twitching I have to say that anxiety took over my life ... I hate anxiety!!!
7) Other medical conditions connected to BFS: none I'm aware of
ALS scare: Yes... I did what everyone here I am sure did ... I asked DR.Google - muscle twitching and the first thing that came up ... well we all know what came up. And yes, when I have twitches that last a long period of time at the same location (more than a week or two) I start to freak out and think that my ''illness'' is progressing ... so I still balttle with that fear at times.
9) Body region most affected: I believe to have twitched almost everywhere at least once, the calves twitch 24/7 and dont even bother me anymore. The other regions that twiches a lot are my tongue (24/7) and my thighs and I have often hot-spots there (in the thighs) very often. Right now, I twitched 3 weeks in my left thigh and not its already 10 days that I am twitching in the right one.
10) Tongue, chin, abdomen and deep (sucking in feeling) twitches in the thigh

[Twitchy82]

1. Age: 32
2. Gender: Female
3. Race: Latin
4. Length of time you have been twitching?: 5 years very sporadic light twitching in calfs, 3 months generalized more persistent twitching and 1 month light twitching.
5. Was there anything that appeared to trigger the twitching. (i.e. viral infection): My generalized strong twitching started 3 months ago after a stomach virus.
6. Do you have any Anxiety or OCD disorders?: I haven't been diagnosed but im sure I have some sort of anxiety disorder.
7. Any other medical conditions that may be connected to BFS?: I have IBS (irritable bowel Syndrome)
8. Did you go through the typical ALS scare so common on this forum? Yes and still do!
9. Body region most affected? Calfs and arms.
10. Most unusual area affected? Lips

[Meled]

1. Age: 29
2. Gender: Female
3. Race: Caucasian
4. Length of time you have been twitching?: 4 mounths of intensive twitching
5. Was there anything that appeared to trigger the twitching. (i.e. viral infection): Googling symptoms...
6. Do you have any Anxiety or OCD disorders?: Yes, health anxiety
7. Any other medical conditions that may be connected to BFS?: spasmophilia
8. Did you go through the typical ALS scare so common on this forum? Yes ! I'm so worry about ALS, a nightmare for me...
9. Body region most affected? Calves, feet, hands, face
10. Most unusual area affected? eardrum, nose

[UFGatorGuy20]

1. Age - (31)
2. Gender - (M)
3. Race - Caucasian (Northern European Descent)
4. Length of time you have been twitching? (Started in my right elbow 8 months ago, disappeared. Now 3 months body wide)
5. Was there anything that appeared to trigger the twitching. (VERY stressful time in life (trying to buy 2nd house, government furlough, pregnant - feared for my wife's safety, vigorous exercise routine - running 3-4 miles 3-4 times a week + lifting weights)
6. Do you have any Anxiety or OCD disorders? (general anxiety disorder, horrible anxiety and stress management all my life)
7. Any other medical conditions that may be connected to BFS? (B6 toxicity? Copper deficiency?)
8. Did you go through the typical ALS scare so common on this forum? (Oh yes... made my symptoms explode)
9. Body region most affected? (calves for twitching, hands and arms for aching / tingling / numbness)
10. Most unusual area affected? (MY PRIVATES! Seriously... Didn't know that could twitch)

[Mark1369]

Hi fellow BFSers,
I was thinking it might be interesting to start a survey about our individual experiences with BFS. It's totally unscientific, but maybe we can create a valuable pool of information for new BFS sufferers.
Please answer any of the following questions you feel are important.

1. 39
2. Male
3. Hispanic
4. 8 months
5. Viral respiratory infection
6. I did not before this started but have some anxiety now
7. No
8. Hell yes
9. Arms
10. Neck

[Marcin1975]

1. 39
2. Male
3. White
4. 5 and 1/2 years
5.
6.
7.
8.yes yes yes dr Google;)
9. all
10. tongue

[HeyHeyJJ]

1. Age
27
2. Gender
Male
3. Race
Caucasian
4. Length of time you have been twitching?
7 months
5. Was there anything that appeared to trigger the twitching. (i.e. viral infection)
Sinus infection during stressful job change and relocation, also stopped intensive exercise routine
6. Do you have any Anxiety or OCD disorders?
GAD
7. Any other medical conditions that may be connected to BFS?
No
8. Did you go through the typical ALS scare so common on this forum?
Yes
9. Body region most affected?
Calves
10. Most unusual area affected?
Tongue

[Pedro]

1. Age
2. Gender
3. Race
4. Length of time you have been twitching?
5. Was there anything that appeared to trigger the twitching. (i.e. viral infection)
6. Do you have any Anxiety or OCD disorders?
7. Any other medical conditions that may be connected to BFS?
8. Did you go through the typical ALS scare so common on this forum?
9. Body region most affected?
10. Most unusual area affected?

1- 43
2- Male
3-Hispanic
4- 4 months
5-No
6-Yes
7- Bulged disks on C3-C4 and C5-C6
8-Yes BIG TIME AND STILL SCARED!
9-Left forearm and calves
10- Left eyelid

[Nikita01]

1. age 26 years
2. Sex woman
3. Race liban
4. Strock Length of time you've been twitching? 1 years
5. was there anything that appeared to trigger contractions. (i.e. viral infection) my pregnancy
6. do you have anxiety or disorder disorder obsessive-compulsive? Yes I have another OCD and am very anxious
7. other medical conditions which can be connected to BFS? no it happen during my pregnancy
8. do you go through tue fear of ALS typical so common on this forum? Yes
9. region of the body most affected? no certain day I other non I've had on any of the 10 corp. most unusual affected area? Sex And language

[Pinguino]

1. 33
2. Male
3. Dutch Caucasian
4. 1 Month
5. My anxiety?
6. GAD
7. B12? vitD?
8. yes first MS and now ALS.
9. Legs
10. Fingers

[trustme78]

Time to take the survey as well

1. Age - 35
2. Gender -male
3. Race - Caucasian
4. Length of time you have been twitching? -
3 months twichting. I first got sensory issues (tingling, burning). About 2 months into that (with the sensory stuff having improved a lot) I got a strange buzzing feeling in my right foot. Like a vibration. Invisible to the eye. Over the next week I felt increased twitching (biceps, shoulder). Then I noticed visible (but necessarilly ones I could feel) thunderstorm-like twitches in my calves, stronger on the right side. The buzzing has stopped, the calves are still twitching happily along.

5. Was there anything that appeared to trigger the twitching. (i.e. viral infection) -
Maybe a high stress period at the beginning of this year. Another cause may be some kind of infection. The child of my coworker had infectious mononucleosis. I got sick at this time too with flu like symptoms but never went to a doctor. I was out for about a week or so. Don't think there is a connection.

6. Do you have any Anxiety or OCD disorders? -
Yes, I got diagnosed with an anxiety disorder because of this. Actually before the twitching started and I just had sensory issues I thought I had MS.

7. Any other medical conditions that may be connected to BFS? - Not that I am aware of.

8. Did you go through the typical ALS scare so common on this forum?
Yes. See above. First MS scare => MRI and all kinds of tests (Evoked Potential Test) => next I thought I am in the 5% group of people with MS with clean MRI scans => twitching started => ALS scare

9. Body region most affected?
Buzzing in right foot (sensory? Not a visible twitch), "thunderstorm" twitches in calves (right more than left). Seldom: Eyelid, upper lip, neck.

10. Most unusual area affected?
Haven't noticed any "unusual" area twitching yet.

Feel free to add more
I wonder how many people have had the "thunderstorm" calves twitch (the one you can see but not really feel) for years without ever noticing. I probably started paying attention because of my other symptoms and "noticed" it.

Oh and no weakness. I constantly self-test. Annoying habit.