Fatigue or something else?

[Arron]

Ok, even the veterans here have strange symptoms every now and then and look for ideas and support.

Last night, "Grama" came-by to take our kid to the movies. This gave us about 2 hours of free time (a very rare thing around here) and you can guess how we spent it... uh, well... you know what I'm talking about, especially if you're married with children. Anyway, after we were "done" I tried to get out of bed and my legs tremored and shook REALLY bad. In fact, I could hardly stand on them! I showed this to my wife and she just blew it off as nothing. I on the other hand could feel the muscle tremors through my whole body! It was like a fast oscillation of "on and off" controls going to my muscles. If I bent my knees, my legs would shake, jerk and jump all over the place. So bad that I had to hold-on to the side of the bed or simply sit down! I very stiffly and wobblily hobbled out to the living room couch and sat there for a while. I could feel the shaking if I flexed my legs, even with my feet up on the leg rest. If I relaxed, the shaking would go away. This lasted for a couple of hours.

Today, My legs feel "weak". I can squat down and get back up but it is a little shakey and my legs feel like I pushed a car around the block or something, really "tired" feeling.

We were in Las Vegas last year and after holding myself up on my arms for a while... doing the same thing , my left arm would shake really bad when I held it up. I showed this to my wife and again, she just blew it off as nothing. That episode lasted a couple of hours too, where I could re-check my arm and it would still shake. It's a fast and violent shake. It also feels weak when this happens. It isn't consistent or constant like Parkinson's, I mean, these shakes oscillate at many different frequencies at the same time, so mixed in with the small little shakes are large jumps and jolts as well. Once the limb has rested (after a day or two) it seems to be totally fine again. I'm sure my legs will do the same thing. Any ideas what this may be? I was thinking maybe it is Essential Tremors, but my wife thinks it's just fatigue and stress related along with this weird BFS crap. I might have Fibro as well, I'm not sure. I do have a LOT of the symptoms of Fibro. So, any of you have any ideas?

[tlotoxl]

sounds familiar, aaron.

especially in your latest leg adventure -- i don't think we need to hear all the details and neither do i intend to talk too much about myself on that subject, but sometimes the exertion turns out to be much greater after the fact than i had thought at the time . i've had problems walking the same day and the next, and as you say the shakes, essential tremor-like, were especially bad during that period. i know it's always been like that a bit, but since bfs hit it's certainly more wacky.

[Jen]

Same thing happens to me . I had assumed it was from the adrenalin rush?? It takes the "not now, honey, I have a headache" to a new level, LOL!

[Arron]

I have to say, today, (which is the day after) my upper thighs are really sore and my legs feel weak. My wife works at a well known winery here in Sonoma and they are doing the big crush right now. We went there today to ge see how things were going and climbing up and down the stairs to the top of the huge wine vats was a real chore for me and really made my legs worse. I could hardly do it. I know this isn't ALS or anything like that, I was just hoping other's had the same kind of fatigue or whatever this is, so I can have a little re-assurance. Re-assurance of what I have no idea, but it sure eases your mind when you hear that other people experience the same thing and even being a veteran of this stuff (about 2 years now) and knowing what I know with all of the research I have done on ALS and BFS, we all still need a little help every now and then.

[Jen]

I totally agree about the reassurance. The fatigue can be a bit overwhelming at times, and it gets frustrating not being able to do "normal" things when the fatigue hits. I work in a building that was built long before the American Disabilities Act. There is no elevator, just stairs. I've had entire days where I've just hung out on the first floor. I was too tired to haul upstairs. I've learned to just "let it go" on those days, and plan on heading upstairs later in the week. Fortunately, those days are few and far between. And besides, all the cool people all work on the first floor anyway, LOL!

[Debbs]

Heck Arron tell me about it.......I cant do much wiff my legs either without getting similar responses to you, cant bend down and get up without chronic aching in my legs from knees up, aboslutley kills. I cannot walk down a staircase without my legs shaking and then going all rubbery on me,and going up a staircase I take a deep breath first and its usually a very slow assent, definately no jumping allowed sheesh! I know what Im in for if I do anything physical with my legs, there will be shaking thumping, random twitching, wobblyness, aching, pain, feeling of weakness, the list goes on..lol.. well you get the picture, seems all I can do without getting too much response is walking, even my feet are sensitive, I have to wear sneakers and socks most days now, getting out of bed in the morning placing my feet on a beautiful soft carpet, is too much for me at first, I have to tread ever so softly...Someone said recently to me that diabetes can cause leg problems?? and feet problems??? interesting hey Any way the moral of the story is that You are NOT alone Arron, hang in there matey it will all come out in the wash eventually!

Debbs

[SusanSid]

Hey Arron,
I haven't had the exact situation you are talking about, but a similiar one. If for example, I work hard in the yard using my hands, my forearms and thumbs are so weak and sore for days it's unreal. They will shake very easily unless absolutely relaxed..even then it doesn't always stop. I havehad that feeling to some degree with my legs when I've done some hard physical work (you must have been really busy! lol). My legs will feel weak and it may take a few hours or day or more to feel "normal".
Your symptoms sound very familiar with fibromyalgia too. Worry doesn't help the situation either. Many say that even the mildest forms of exercise can cause this. Just one thought. Is your blood sugar OK? A low blood sugar can cause the weakness and shakes as you described. It's at least worth looking into and just having it checked.
Keep us informed, and don't let your imagination get the best of you (like I do!)
Sue

[Craig]

I have had the whole stiff/sore legs thing since this all began. I get it mostly in my thighs, but I also get it in my calves and feet as well. It seems to come and go--sometimes it lasts for a day or two and sometimes it lasts for a couple of weeks. The other thing I have noticed is that my joints feel like they need to "pop" much more often, which seems to make the stiffness twice as bad. Annoying as all of this is, it will eventually go just as quick as it came.

[Nole]

I think alot of what we have is normal for everyone, even people without BFS. Everyday wear and tear on your body will add stress and weakness at times. I think we look into it sometimes too much because we all seem to be anxiuos about our symptoms. Go for a massage, take a hot bath, take some Tylenol, and rest.(That is the best remedy for us.) If you are tired or strained you will pull and weaken muscles more easily. I find a good nights sleep takes the pain and aches away.

[javens]

hi Aaron,
I get real bad leg pain...especially from the knee up. i had a similar experience as you with my arms. i went to the gym to work out my upper body(i'm trying to prove to myself that my muscles ar ok). After a while of working out my chest muscles and arm muscles I went to work(starbucks). At work I couldnt lean on the counter with my arm without it shaking. Also if i held my arms out in front of me or over my head they would shake. This concerned me greatly at the time but it went away within 2 days. My dr is pretty sure that I have fibro. maybe you do too.

[Arron]

you know... I have been thinking Fibro too lately. I have read many posts by neuro's over the past 2 years that fibro and BFS are on in the same, or possibly different strains of the same underlying cause. I kind of think so too. Thanks for all of your help! I do feel better now and my shaking has stopped unless I strain or stretch-out.

[Nole]

I am thinking that what we all have my be fibro related also. I have a misconseption of Fibro, does it always have to show extremem pain in muscles or jopints or can it be mild. I have mild aches and pains every know and then, but twitching is the only ongoing symptom. They to are very mild right now also. Question for you, how do you diagnose fibro? Is it a benign condition?

[Jen]

I discovered something today that made a huge difference for my legs. My dr has been trying to get me more active, and suggested swimming. I've been to the pool a couple of times, but today I brought swim fins. What a difference, and what a blast they were! I was amazed at how fast I was able to reach the other end of the pool. My legs did not tire as easily this time. Without the fins, my legs would tire too easily, and I would constantly have to stop and rest. This is the first time that I've exercised, and not twitched like crazy afterwards

[javens]

fibromyalgia is a syndrome charaterized by widespread muscle soreness(all four quadrant of the body for more than three months) and fatigue. In addition to this it is very common for people with fibro to have Irritable bowel syndrome, Joint pain(with no swelling or rednes), Irritable bladder syndrome, Muscle twitching, TMJ, costochondritis(chest/rib pain), need for a perscription change in glasses, waking up and feeling like you've been working out all night, Chronic fatigue syndrome and a bunch of other stuff. Usually people with fibro have pain(tender spots) on the back of thir neck, along the spine, the elbows, lower back, somewhere on the side/hip area and on the fat pad of the knee(the inner front part). pain can vary from mild to severe. this is a non progressive syndrome. There is no test that it shows up on. some people do fully recover. cause of fibro is debated. Some say a virus, some say stress...who knows? tri-cyclic antidepressants (like amytriptalin) seem to help. people with fibro almost always don't get enough stage 4(restorative) sleep.
One can be diagnosed through a rheumatologist.
My Dr. and neuro think that's what I have.
I'll be seeing a rheumatologist to confirm that.
I hope that this helps some.

[DaveKD]

I saw a health report on Fibro a few months ago( i think it was on Discovery) and they mentioned that it is now being viewed as a nuerological problem were as in the past it fell under the rheumatologist's domain. They said that some people through an unknown cause(virus, stress, both) get some minor nervous system damage that causes the body to misinterpret pain and amplify it. I have also read that fibro causes cells in our muscles to not utilize certain vitamins/mineral effectively and that is why our blood tests keep coming back normal. We have enough magnesium and calcium for a normal person but just like type 2 diabetics get insulin resistance, we have some kind of similar problem. As someone else mentioned the lack of restorative sleep can perpetuate and worsen things.