ALS, otherwise called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a type of degenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscles. The symptoms include difficulty walking, falling, leg weakness, muscle cramps or twitching, and behavioral changes.
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Should I be worried about my tongue twitches?
Query: Hello doctor, I am having twitches on my tongue and I am really freaking out about them. I looked online and ALS pops up all over the place. I have twitches all over my body that do not bother me at all, but the tongue is really freaking me out. I had them in March and then they went away after a f... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Tongue muscles twitching are due to many causes and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is rarest of them. Do you have any weakness in limbs, unable to type on a keyboard, difficulty in using hands or walking? Any history of thinning of limb muscles? If no, then no ne... Read Full »
I have body twitching and pain in my fingers. Kindly help.
Query: Hello doctor, Over the last few months, I have been dealing with body-wide twitching, arm sensations, and, recently, hand pain, particularly in my thumbs and between my thumb and index finger. An EMG was conducted with normal motor nerves and minor ulnar neuropathy on my left arm. It came normal. I ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I would like to know further details about your symptoms: 1. Since when you started to have body twitching? 2. These twitchings occur in which part of the body? 3. Are the twitchings visible or only felt by yourself? 4. In which arm and part of that arm do you fe... Read Full »
I have been experiencing muscle twitches all over my body. Kindly help.
Query: Hello doctor, I am a 48-year-old male in generally good health. For the past year, I have been experiencing muscle twitches all over my body, not all at once. My right thigh may twitch for several days then stop. Then my left shoulder, or ankle, or bottom of my foot. I searched plenty about it and c... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I am gone through your history. You are having unexplained twisting movements of muscles and weakness on the left upper limb. Your history does not mention any sensory symptoms or urinary bladder symptoms. Hence, I am assuming it normal. You are suffering for a year, ... Read Full »
Why is there numbness in foot and arm for the last six weeks?
Query: Hi doctor, I am a 26-year-old male. I am feeling numbness in my left foot and left arm (especially near fingers and hand area) for the last six weeks. Firstly, I just ignored it and thought it will go away with time but now I am getting confused about it and want your opinion on this. Got your medic... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have read your question carefully and I understand your concern. Before we say it is stress related (because it might be), initially we have to rule out other causes. I think that a face to face neurological assessment is warranted. A complete neurological exam will sho... Read Full »
My bicep muscle has been twitching. Is it due to ALS?
Query: Hello doctor, My bicep muscle has been twitching and my leg and arms muscles twitch occasionally. I am super anxious about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I am 36 and postpartum six weeks but I cannot stop obsessing about ALS. Please help. Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern and would explain that there are a lot of other benign causes that may lead to fasciculations like anxiety and insomnia, benign fasciculation syndrome, vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiency, an electrolyte imbalance or thyroid gland dysfunctio... Read Full »
Are the cramps I am experiencing are due to ALS or MND?
Query: Hello doctor, I am a 29-year-old male and in need of some reassurance over my serious health anxiety re motor neurone disease (MND) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I am not normally anxious or depressed, married with a young daughter and a wife who is pregnant. It started with an entire all day... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Your symptoms are not typical of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). You should know that at your age ALS is a very exceptional diagnosis. But there are also a lot of other conditions that may mimic this clinical situation. For this reason, I would recommend performi... Read Full »
I am suffering from health anxiety and scared of ALS. Please help.
Query: Hi doctor, I am suffering from health anxiety, and I am scared of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I started getting muscle twitches all over my body about six months ago. It started after I stopped taking Valium 10 mg daily for seven months (in suppository form). However, they still occur. I ha... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Your symptoms could be related to benign fasciculation syndrome, which is associated with multiple muscle fasciculations in the absence of any neurological disorders. Of course, anxiety can trigger this clinical situation. As your EMG (electromyography) was normal, we ca... Read Full »
I have twitching in my legs. Do you think it is ALS?
Query: Hello doctor, I have a question about twitching in my legs. Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Muscle twitching can be related to differential medical disorders: 1. Neuropathy (nerve damage) 2. Thyroid gland dysfunction. 3. Electrolyte imbalances. 4. Muscular disorders. 5. Epilepsy (seizures) or central nervous system disorders. 6. Benign fasciculation syndrome... Read Full »
I have intermittent twitching in hypothenar muscle. Should I be worried about ALS?
Query: Hi doctor, I am worried about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I have had a twitch in my left hypothenar muscle intermittently for three weeks or so. Perhaps a few twitches per hour followed by hours of no twitching. I also have twitches in other parts of my body quite regularly though this one ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I read carefully your question and would explain that your symptoms are not typical of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Benign fasciculation syndrome, an electrolyte imbalance or thyroid gland dysfunction could mimic this clinical situation. Coming to this point, ... Read Full »
Is tongue fasciculations in a baby always a sign of SMA?
Query: Hello doctor, My son is 18 months old. He was born with ankle clonus, but it was completely gone after a while. So, he no longer has clonus. He also has possible tongue fasciculations. I say possibly because the pediatrician said that it was difficult to tell if they were or not. He is always sticki... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. You should know that tongue fasciculation do not have the same clinical significance in children as in adults. There are many abnormal neurological signs in adults which are usually present in normal children and disappear while growing up. This is because of an immat... Read Full »