Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed Abdelrahman Abouibrahim
Internal Medicine
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My grandfather died of ALS, and now I am having signs of it. He is the only one that we know of that had it in the family. So my first question is, what are the chances of me getting it? The second question is I twitch in my left arm, left hand, left leg, and left calve non-stop. Sometimes I get it on my right side but it is more frequent on the left side. So is this BFS? I had a clean EMG three months ago, but I have started twitching more and have more weakness/soreness. If I had an EMG but did not twitch during the EMG, would it have still picked up ALS, or does the EMG just work when you twitch? The last thing is my vastus lateralis muscle on my left leg has twitched non-stop for six months and gets a painful soreness sometimes. Could this be ALS?
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your concerns.
ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is familial in only 10 % of the cases.
The diagnosis is mainly clinical (with characteristic symptoms). EMG and NCS (nerve conduction studies) may help in the diagnosis, symptoms include:
1. Fasciculations (muscle twitches) in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue.
2. Muscle cramps.
3. Tight and stiff muscles (spasticity).
4. Muscle weakness affecting an arm, leg, neck, or diaphragm.
5. Slurred and nasal speech.
6. Difficulty chewing or swallowing.
If you have some of these symptoms, the neurological examination is required.
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Internal Medicine
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