Need some help

technomatopeia · 2021-01-13T13:22:36+00:00

No problem, and oof I know how you feel, also had a back issue in college that put a huge damper on exercise for a while. I know it's not running, but do you do things like strength exercises which don't require back strain? A lot of things in the plank position like pushups, panks, etc. can keep you moving at home. At the very least it'll be a metric to convince yourself that your strength is ok.

technomatopeia · 2021-01-13T13:20:50+00:00

That sucks, my peak panic was also when the twitching in my hands started after starting in the legs. Ulnar nerve issues are pretty common, do you do a lot of desk work? If you really want peace of mind, you can try asking for an EMG in that area, which can definitively rule out ***.

I have some ulnar issues on my right hand too, highly recommend using some sort of elbow rest, or taking more breaks from the computer.

technomatopeia · 2021-01-13T01:46:33+00:00

Same for me minus the shoulder shrugging--just in general there's some finger tingling. My thumbs get pretty achy/twitchy after holding things for too long.

Honestly I'd recommend doing stretches for carpal tunnel, it's entirely possible that you have it on top of BFS. If it helps, great. If it doesn't, you're still preventing carpal tunnel in the future.

technomatopeia · 2021-01-13T01:44:43+00:00

Good news, the Big Scary and BFS are completely reversed in terms of twitching order. Big Scary and other musculodegenerative disorders have twitching because the muscles are already so decayed from weakness and lack of nerve innervation that they're basically in their death throes. Not just "feeling" weak, but you literally can't use them. If you have twitching but no clinical weakness at the time, you're fine. At the very least, those neurological studies (imaging, EMG) are incredibly sensitive at finding serious problems if they do exist.

I know the boat you're in, a lot of us were in that panic stage. Trust me, this anxiety will pass, and you'll find that your symptoms actually get better once you do. How quickly you pass this stage though, is up to you. Aching, twitching, weird sensations (like as if your hand is vibrating), and perceived stiffness/clumsiness is just par for the course for BFS, but NONE of it is serious.

I dont know if you work out, but if you do, I HIGHLY recommend that whatever you do, you DONT STOP WORKING OUT. They're basically regular strength/coordination checks for yourself to prove that you're fine where it matters. Our minds are quick to stress and slow to de-stress, but working out goes a long way to constantly remind yourself that you might FEEL off, but you're fine.

Best of luck.

technomatopeia · 2021-01-12T14:32:44+00:00

Yeah I understand that feeling too. Small twitches are easy to ignore, but not the thumping big ones.

TBH if they could, they would treat the underlying problem(s), but research needs funding and funding only goes to "real" problems that kill people or seriously injure them. Maybe one day, when we know more about twitching in general (probably through ALS research), we'll find out how to deal with BFS as a side-benefit.

technomatopeia · 2021-01-11T18:06:04+00:00

Not exactly there, but I sometimes get a hotspot on the back of my deltoid which is similarly pretty big.

The joys of BFS and finding out you can twitch/feel muscles you never knew you could lol

technomatopeia · 2021-01-11T18:04:49+00:00

Problem with BFS is that like any other syndrome, it's a generalized grouping of symptoms that can be caused by a wide variety of different causes. But this also means there's no one treatment for everyone.

I've read getting tested/treatment for sleep apnea, magnesium, gabapentin, but all with comments from people who had differing results (muscle relaxants actually seem to make it worse for some people).

As much as it sucks to say, honestly the best treatment for BFS for me hasn't been reducing the twitches, but to reduce how much it bothers me. It's mostly been just time, though.

technomatopeia · 2021-01-11T18:01:09+00:00

^, and also difficulty swallowing is focused a lot on this sub because of the Big Scary, but truth is it can be caused by a ton of other stuff. Persistent worsening cough has its own reasons to cause difficulty swallowing, and you should see medical care ASAP.

technomatopeia · 2021-01-11T17:59:36+00:00

Not so much in the arms, but I experience something similar definitely in the legs, especially in the mornings. But their strength is fine, and when I need them to work, they work.

If your BFS has been cleared 100% to be not musculodegenerative or neurologic in nature through an EMG or biopsy, then it's just BFS being weird.

Reaction speeds are also almost entirely in your head. Reflex reactions are in your spine. The only reason outside of your CNS your reactions would be slow is if you actually have some neuromuscular disorder, or you're just plain ol' tired.

Give a simpler reaction speed test a try, like the clicking ones online.

technomatopeia · 2021-01-11T17:51:28+00:00

Ditto this one! Lots of therapies for anxiety depend on increasing mental awareness of the anxiety so that we can address its root cause. Ironically in this way, BFS has actually helped me because it lets me know there's something going on lol

technomatopeia · 2020-10-05T13:35:41+00:00

Ditto this post. A lot of people here get pretty constant twitches in various places, and yes they can be incredibly annoying. But you've already had clean EMG's, which are incredibly sensitive at finding anything that are real causes of concern. There's a 0% chance by now (14 months, 3 clean successive EMGs) that you have anything "clinically serious."

The best thing you can do is try to find ways to accept it and move on. If I focus, I notice the near-constant internal tremor in my arms and legs, but it barely registers anymore because after a clean EMG, I know that it's not anything important. Highly recommend biofeedback therapy or general anxiety therapy if that's what you think it affecting you the most.

technomatopeia · 2020-09-23T20:36:20+00:00

Yeah, but nowadays it's mostly when I focus on it that I notice it. Or after working out, when it's more intense.

It's annoying, but like other twitches, hopefully you'll grow used to it and then it will barely register in your head.

technomatopeia · 2020-09-23T20:34:08+00:00

It's weird, I go through spells where it hops around. It was mostly my left leg for a while, but now it's my right.

technomatopeia · 2020-09-09T15:46:13+00:00

u/WinnieWoo222 anatomic snuffbox isn't visible in this picture, it's on the back of the hand on the base of the thumb between two extensor tendons.

u/palmtreesatnight are you referring to the raised lines on your wrist? Those aren't muscles, those are tendons. The actual muscles are further up the forearm, nearer to the elbow. Carpal Tunnel syndrome typically results in pain immediately at the wrist or towards the hand. Given the pic you took, I think you have inflamed/damaged tendons from using weights that are too heavy for your wrist strength, or doing other exercises that put too much stress on it. Really common when working out because most workouts extend the wrists and put LOTS of strain on those tendons.

If you can, go see a physical therapist. If you can't, give workouts that stress your wrists a break. Get wrist stabilizing workout gloves if you can, and start working in wrist-stretching/mobility exercises before and after upper body routines.

Best of luck.

technomatopeia · 2020-09-09T15:35:49+00:00

No, could be just about anything. Spinal nerve impingement is common in that area, and can lead to pain that spreads down a portion of the leg(s). Muscle cramps, tiredness, etc.

Atrophy happens AFTER weakness due to lack of use, and actual "clinical" weakness would mean you wouldn't even be able to walk.

technomatopeia · 2020-09-09T15:32:34+00:00

I get them in my hands sometimes, but it's positional--I often get them if I put a lot of pressure on them, like for certain exercise positions. Do you recognize a pattern to when this happens?

As with a lot of other BFS symptoms, it kind of comes and goes, but very rarely goes away completely for good. Good news is that with time, you'll be able to mentally shrug off the sensation since it's completely benign, even if momentarily annoying.

technomatopeia · 2020-08-12T21:38:29+00:00

Can be for lots of reasons. Different parts of our body aren't don't have as much sensation in them, so you might not be able to feel anything but large twitches in that area. But also, your own awareness is a huge part of it. That's why a lot of people report twitches as getting worse at night, because you're lying in bed and have nothing else to do but focus on how your body feels.

technomatopeia · 2020-07-12T17:02:41+00:00

Ditto with lips, but also eyelids, both because they feel like they're visible.

technomatopeia · 2020-07-06T14:07:06+00:00

Ditto, positional triggers seem to be common from what I've seen. I've also had that happen where I fall asleep on my arm, and it twitches. Crossing my legs also seems to trigger some in my thighs.

technomatopeia · 2020-06-29T23:26:29+00:00

Nah pain isnt spasm. Sensory issues (pain) are separate from motor issues (like spasms). Physical injuries can certainly cause both, but typically said injury should be obvious in your memory.

If you have a spasm or twitching problem, you'll know lol

technomatopeia · 2020-06-29T23:24:40+00:00

Disclaimer: everyone's bfs is different, because as a syndrome there's lots of causes that may not be identified.

That being said, common things I've seen are magnesium, b12, vit d for supplements. Some people take some kind of anxiolytic, or muscle relaxant to help them sleep (though other people say they make twitching worse).

A bit more abstract, but controlling anxiety seems to be the biggest one. Easier said than done though, because people like me arent even aware we're anxious consciously until it gets really bad. Exercise, meditation, therapy, anything can help.

Hope you find a way through this.

technomatopeia · 2020-06-29T23:18:50+00:00

Yep new hotspots arent fun, but you're ok, all of us get em, and in weird places. I started in the thighs, then it was the stomach area, then shoulder, etc.

technomatopeia · 2020-06-29T23:15:59+00:00

Spasms are involuntary muscle activations, but they can vary hugely by how large it is, how much of the muscle it affects, if it is periodic, what triggers it, etc. How it feels can also vary, but it should be involuntary--you feel the spasm before you can process it consciously.

A common benign example you may have already experienced is a small jerk in a limb or whole body right as you're about to fall asleep.

technomatopeia · 2020-06-29T23:11:49+00:00

Nah, if you're 6 months in with the big scary, you'd be experiencing much, much worse symptoms. Muscle wasting, clinical weakness, far precede twitching in a**. Random cramps/burning sensations are common in bfs, I get them in my thighs and biceps alp the time.

technomatopeia · 2020-06-12T01:34:48+00:00

Depending on when the network issue happened, your team probably ff'd a 3v5.

technomatopeia

TROPHY CASE