Hello. 38 year old female new to this site. I fell like the luckiest person alive to have found this site and I am hoping some of you who have contributed for a long time can tell me if I am on the right track with what ends up being a self diagnosis. Sorry this might be lengthy. Here is my story followed by a few questions:
About 9 months ago my calf started twitching visibly. Maybe once or twice a week it would also cramp up in th middle of the night (ouch). Saw a Neuro who did an EMG and nerve conduction study which he claimed were normal. Fine. No mention of BFS or its existence. Nothing. He didn't even mention the term "fasciculation." I was pretty convinced at that point I did not have ALS, but I have an uncle who died of it two years ago (so you never really stop worrying).
8 months ago I found out I had a cystic thyroid and had darn near the whole thing removed. Now I am stuck taking Synthroid forever. Oh well. Thyroid is testing normal so I don't think this is related but thought I would mention it.
Enter tons of financial stress though I never thought I was the kind of person who had physical manifestations of stress. Don't know if it factors in.
Then about a month ago the twitching in my calf went off the twitch-map! I read "BFS in a nutshell" by Aaron and laughed when I read about "thumpers" because I have them. Literally my right calf thumps and twitches all day long and it is constant. Big twitches that are highly visible. I bet my calf twitches 2 or 3 times a SECOND. It isn't just one muscle. It looks like it is every muscle in my calf! It is far worse at night making it really difficult to get to sleep. Feels like my legs have electricity running through them. They even jolt sometimes (mostly the right leg). My calf sometimes cramps but mostly its the thumping that has me nervous. And my calves are really sore but not weak. I too have done the tipto and heal test on myself over and over. I also experienced a two day period of what I think is called buzzing. Felt like a bug was crawling on my ankle. Drove me crazy. Never had buzzing before so the ALS fears returned. Next thing you know I am getting sporadic twitches in my shoulder, my forearm, my thighs, and even my side. So, back to the GP. He won't do another EMG because he said it was too soon. He was nice enough to say he doesn't "think" I have ALS, but we'll know in a few months when I have the new EMG. I don't think he has ever heard of BFS as he never mentioned anything. Just peachy. I get to wait for about 4 more months to get the experts opinion.
Well that's where I am now. No real diagnosis but I know I have something. Found this site and thought maybe this is what I have. I know no one else can give me a certain medical diagnosis, but I would sure appreciate your thoughts on anything I have mentioned but especially:
1. Does anyone else have these constant "thumpers" that get way worse at night?
2. Any thoughts on the sore calves? Is this an indication of weakness?
3. Can the constant twitching cause muscle soreness?
4. Is anyone fairly certain that by now ALS would have progressed to real weakness?
I am sorry this was so long.
Thank you so much to anyone who responds. Everything I have read so far tells me you are all such nice people.