New and scared Jaw Jerks HELP please

[Red Raider]

Hi my name is Houston

I am new to this so please forgive me if I offend anybody I am currently a student at Texas Tech University and I am 32 years old male. I was in the military for 7 years got out and now I'm trying to make it in this world and I will put it like this 2014 has not been a good year at all and I would like some reassurance from some of you good folks on this forum. I've been to the dark side reading everything on the internet about A** and the symptoms that come along with it probably just like every other sole on this site.
We'll here it goes, back in January this year around the first I started feeling weak in my arms and legs and twitching just didn't feel right so I went in to see the pain specialist and he referred me to a Nuero. So I went around mid January they ran all kinds of test did an EMG/NCV (1st one) of just my right arm and back of neck and the Nuero said I was good no A** and no peripheral neuropathy. We'll like everybody else I didn't trust this one bit so I went to Dallas Tx to a ALS Specialist and let him do a work up on me on Feb the 14 what a lovely day to have all this done. We'll my clinical exam was good besides I had "BRISK JAW JERKS" which are scaring the death out of me right now. He said I had bilateral adductor reflexes in my knees and legs I guess that's not good either but I had a good hoffmanns and good babinski test. He performed a EMG/NVC (2nd one) 3 limbs and para spinals and chin and said I was good no A** by what he saw in my clinical and EMG/NVC so I felt good then. He diagnosed me with anxiety and BFS because of twitching. At that time the twitching was not bad but now it is constant in both calves, thighs, arms sometimes, shoulder blades and neck you name I've had it twitch. Sometime I get pains in my calves from twitches but no cramping yet and this is scaring the crap out of me and I would like some info and reassurance from some of the vets that I'm gonna be ok and that I have nothing to worry about please! The calves are the worst by far more on my right side than left then I will get the occasional twitch upper body in thighs and butt and stuff. It gets real crazy if I go for a walk I come home sit down and my calves are going nuts is this normal? When I get in bed at night they go crazy as well my wife is going nuts because I'm driving her crazy with all this. It's been three months since this started and I still have my strenght run, jump, toe walk you name I can still do it wouldn't I be showing more by now after three month? I just can't let this go even after the Doc told me I was good. Is there anyway the EMG could of been done to early? I still feel weak and the twitches are scaring me and feel as though they are getting worse I have lost 22 lbs since January cause of this I guess is the only good thing from it. The biggest thing was the jaw jerks I test myself or have my wife do it and my jaw bounces is this normal and of course are the twitches normal? Just so much negative stuff on the internet when you google twitches and all that shows up is A** especially the jaw jerks leads straight to UMD. I'm a nervous wreck currently seeking help and I would love some feed back from you guys.
Sorry this is so long but it feels good that other people are just like me the biggest one is the Jaw Jerk has anybody had brisk Jaw Jerks and can they be normal?
Thank you so much for your time to read this and give some input maybe someday if I ever get over my fears I will be able to help other individuals out there that are new just like me. It's in Gods hand and God is good I put all my faith in him and HE WILL lead you in the right directions you just need faith.
Thanks Houston

[Yuliasir]

Hi Houston,
with military past you may fall intovarious delayed stress reactions so no wonder if you will twitch etc. plus being a tech student is a hard life.
Bilateral reflexes means you have them on both sides of your body and this is perfect - when people start to loose reflexes due to MND, they ususally loose them asymmetrically.

As you were tested twice by people specialized in ALS (at least one of them was), you may be fine. Brisk reflexes and jaw jerks are common in our condition, as a sign of generaly nerve hyperexcitability. What you say about yur twitching fits BFS patterns perfectly (feeling them after excercises, especailly when you gopt to bed, plus predominant localisation in calves).
Do not test yourself for reflexes - you may not evoke proper response and, which is worse, can not estimate the result correctly, not being a doctor. Such tests are misleading if not done by professional.
Do not test yourself for a strenght - people diong so ususally end up in a trauma ER due to torn muscles, damaged joints etc, becasue we do not put any limits in our condition.


Should you have "UMN signs" clear as clinical reflexes changes, you would have that seen on EMG at the time. We have recent posts form a fellow named TDenver who supposedly has some neurological deficite (not necessarily ALS, most probably viral damage, but DAMAGE. not just hyperexcitability as in BFS) - and it is very clear that in his case EMG, MRI and clinical were coincident in 'something is wrong here". While your clinical, EMG and NCV test did not evoke any suspicion in two doctors, forget about MND please.
We are used to exagerrate and distort information we receive in the state of fear and disterss. Your doctor said only that you have brisk jaw reflex, and did not send you to further tests, and brisk reflexes are normal for people under stress. Jaw clenching, tooth marks on the tongue, TMJ problems are so common here (among anxious people mostly presented in this fellowship) that you are definitely not alone.

As you are diagnosed with anxiety, think about treating anxiety, which, on my personal and common experience here is the best way to get rid of fears, twitches etc.

hope this will help
wish you good and soon resolution on this way
Yulia

[Red Raider]

Thank you so much for such a fast response. I've just been a nut case since all this went down but your right I have two docs one a specialist that say anxiety and seek help for it and which I am. I'm just having a hard time letting go because each day I feal weak and twitchy which constantly reminds me of a horrible disease. My wife is a nurse practioner and she says the same thing I need to quit testing myself haha though it is pretty funny hoping on one foot across the room with the dog humping my leg at the same time. So everything going on with me sound normal to BFS huh? You ha ve been a God send and giving me reassurance it feels good I just need to have faith in my doctors and get this anxiety under control before something really bad happens like heart attack wife leaving me you know the norm. I had to sit ths semester out cause all the doctor appt I had I've seen every doctor you can think of and all say I'm good. Next is the rheumatologist that is the only one I haven't seen yet lol. Thank you so much! I'm gonna be one pretty regular because I freak out every day lol.
Do your hands ever fell fat and stiff mine do more in left and then it will go away like it is hard to open when you make a fist?

[Red Raider]

Oh I forgot to mention my legs feel wobbly as well since this all has been going down. They feel weak and clumsy but I have not fallen yet I am currently going to physical therapy for my neck which I have DDD in it but not bad. Is this part of BFS as well? Sorry for all the question.

Thanks

[Yuliasir]

Houston,
I had all issues you describe and I was so nuts driven that I deliverately told to my family that I am probably dying with incurable disease (can you imagine that? many of us did it by the way). I had perceived weakness in my hands, I was dropping utensils, etc. etc.
i had stiffness in the hands,pains in the finger joints, feeling like ti is hard to type (I work over 10 hours per day typing as I am technical translator). I had wobby legs, tripping sessions, pain and cramps in the legs, arms, breast, rib cage and even in the specific ladies parts, so I know what is hyperexcitability. yesterday I had an eardrum twitch day and it was like a rock concert in my ear - BOOM BOOM BOOM! last summer I had incredible stubborn pains in my wrists and had to wear wrist bandage - I do not feel them any more and even feel curious what would be the next show my body will do for me.

Listen to your wise wife, enjoy your dog (surely you will survive your pet!), and please consider at leat tight schedule for a several weeks - walking, sleeping, minimum coffee, no energy drinks, 6 hours of sleep minimum even if you will need a sleep pills, massage, if you can afford that, and you would feel much less prone to fears then.

Our problem is NOT wobby legs, fat tongue or slow wrist opening.
Our problem is stress, long ignored, and the fact we can not manage it in that way.
And our problem and real diosred is fear, anxiety and stress. For wastest majority of BFSers it is so.
Focusing on fears management, psychological help and relaxaxtion had cured numerous fellows on this board.
Nobody was cured by the neuro, believe me - in our disorder.
Our doctros are not neuros, but psychologists, phychiatrists, physiotherapists (as we often have muscle strains, knots etc., so massage, light swimming and bath are extremely beneficial for us (unlike strenous excersises, running/cycling or powerlifting which may be adviced to quit at least temporarily if you do that).

You are not alone here, come and search for keywords you may imagine and you willfind tons of fellows suffering the same.

[Red Raider]

I will take all that into consideration I'm not a big coffee guy or energy drink don't work out a ton just a ball of stress. Now I could use some better sleep and a massage sounds good to thanks. I've always had high stress why is it coming out like this now and not along time ago like say when I was in the military?

[Yuliasir]

We all are getting older, that is one of the reasons.
stress leads to specific hormonal changes in the body, and each system has certain resistance. After the threshold is reached, the damage becomes evident. For example. long term stress results in lowering cognitive abilities - we become less critical to the info we receive, and that starts irrational fear cycle which is extremely sustainable becasue for weeks, month and years our neuronal paths were changed due to stress influence, and hop! Our amygdala (certain part of the brain responsible for emotional reactions) becomes more sensitive, and all info comnes to emotional part not to reasonable one. We start to fear even of innocent thing, sometimes even technical paper you read may cause dull anxiety not because of content but just because ALL info causes excitation of amygdala (which is much selective in people under normal conditions).

That is why we need schedule - it lowers excitation threshold (and that is why in the military stress is handled easier - becasue military life is highly scheduled), and that is why we need time to heal emotional issues caused by stress.

Psychotherpay helps to speed it up as it learns the ways how to treat fears.

hope that could help.

[ShawnW]

I agree with what Yulia said. Also, being in the military if you have seen any fighting, PTSD can result in hyperexcitability... looks much like BFS.

[Red Raider]

Thanks guys for your inputs I greatly appreciate them. My ALS specialist keeps telling me I'm a pretty much a freak and need to seek mental help lol in which I have. I just wake up in the mornings freaking out body trembling jaw jerking weak in my knees and arms and it is a constant viscous cycle that I can't break it happens every morning to me and the it ruins my day because I'm anxious then twitch then I think I have an awful disease and so fourth. Yuli what I meant by the bilateral adductor reflexes was when he was testing my knees when he hit my left knee my right knee would jerk a little and vice versus they say it's a sign of upper motor neuron disease just like jaw jerks but those were the only two things wrong with me. So the specialist said at this time I do feel Houston has NO ALS at this time or a Neurological problem he has anxiety and should seek counseling. My biggest thing is I just need to believe him believe you guys and try and live my life. I guess it's good I had two Negative EMGs right? I always wonder if they could of been done to early though one was right the beginning about a mont into my weakness and the other was about two months into my problems I should be good right guys?
I'm so shaking up about this it's ruining my life and again thank you both for your kind words and support.

Houston

[Red Raider]

Has anybody else had their jaws tested for possible JAW JERKS or am I the only one on here? I thank you Yuliasir for your wise input and ShawnW. I am just wondering if anybody was told by their Neuro they had brisk jaw jerks? Surly I am not the only one hahaha. I am just having a hard time with this and it keeps me down in the dumps guys. I used to be a pretty active dude until now thinking I have some God awful disease and since I read all about it on the internet I am a fruitcake!!!!! I will never look up stuff on google again its the devil sorry to rant I am just having a hard time right now and again is their anybody who has had Jaw Jerks in a clinical and was told it was fine? Just like before the Neuro said I had a neg Hoffmanns neg babinski and neg EMG. I would just like to know if anybody else is in my same boat. Thank you guys and god bless.

[ShawnW]

I think the most telling thing is your MND specialist didn't believe it to be significant. That opinion is worth more than all of our opinions combined. Specialists don't stay in business long blowing off ominous signs. In that I believe you can rest well.

[Red Raider]

Hey thanks Shawn I appreciate I just am having a hard time letting it go I figured by now if I had something sinister it would have shown its ugly head I hope I have been having problems since January and it still feels the same. My Specialist said it was nerves I don't really remember being nervous that day back in Feb but I guess I was I mean I able to still do everything I used to do so I guess i need to quit letting my mind get the best of me and start living huh. I appreciate all the support you guys having given me ok thank a bunch. Hopefully this will pass and I can become a new person and live my life again thanks for your input.

Houston

[Yuliasir]

Must admit that chronic stress does not maen you feel nervous like on a hot pan.
it is like in the anecdote^ how to boil the frog? put it in a pot and warm the water slowly, slowly, and when the water would be already boiling, the frog can do nothing.

so looks like you were boiled gradually )) It happens to tons of us. I got my own BFS after a holiday! I thought a holiday is a relax! But then, thinking thoroughly, I understood that 2 weeks in a bus, changing sities, climates, having a flu carrier in a group who made me awfully sick for 3 days without ability to lay down in the bed properly - was a HUGE STRESS, not a relax!
After that I came home and found my job was boldly criticized by reviewer.... and in two days I had full blown BFS - twitching all over, came to doctor, she said "benign myoclonia", I decided to read what is myoclonia, ended up in ALS wikipedia article.... oh god, good that I finally managed to type 'benign fasciculations" in English (I am not native speaker) and get this site...

I mean I just did not realize how much pressure I was putting on me. So may be your case too.

With the BFS our body usually says that something is wrong in terms of stress management in our lives. Listen to it.

[Red Raider]

Yes girl you had it rough wow. Mine is just really stressed out about these jaw jerks and maybe they will be gone when I go back to the Neuro on the 10. Your right our bodies deal with stress in different ways for sure but I've been put in some hairy spot and never felt like this. I guess maybe I have my age on my side as well. Hopefully someday I can be as strong as you about this and over come it. Thanks for your help but I guess I am the only one maybe two who have had jaw jerks and be considered normal hopefully fingers crossed. By the way where you from?

[Red Raider]

Even back then when I would get stressed out I never felt muscle twitching or weakness it's weird. I mean I've felt twitches before but not like this all in my calves, thighs, back, shoulders, arms, forearms, eyes, I mean it is crazy oh in ankles too but more in the calves I can see them sometimes but not feel them is that ok? Then of course I feel the ones upper body anyways I'm always scared I'm gonna wake up and see them in my arms everywhere and not feel them like the little fines ones and I'm gonna flip out haha. I guess it's true by the time you start twitching you should have shown some pretty pronounce weakness that's what I have read anyways. And jaw jerks can be present just not crazy jerking mine only jerk maybe 1cm if that so who knows I just pray to God to watch over me and my family and he will bring peace and health to us all.