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Re: Thumb/Finger Twitching?

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:32 pm
by mewow
I have had twitching in my right hand, thumb and forefinger for a few years, it comes and goes and now I have it in my left hand too post type 1 diabetic diagnosis. I went to a neurologist who did testing and he said this was focal dystonia- an mri showed a white spot in my brain which he said was from chronic migraines. He wanted me to do a neck mri also since I have neck injuries as it could be caused by nerve compression. I'm wondering if I should go back to him for more testing and see if this is my neck or something else? It seems to be stimulated by muscle use like when I'm on the computer a lot so that suggests it is from nerve compression.

Re: Thumb/Finger Twitching?

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 6:17 am
by lyndacarol
mewow wrote:I have had twitching in my right hand, thumb and forefinger for a few years, it comes and goes and now I have it in my left hand too post type 1 diabetic diagnosis. I went to a neurologist who did testing and he said this was focal dystonia- an mri showed a white spot in my brain which he said was from chronic migraines. He wanted me to do a neck mri also since I have neck injuries as it could be caused by nerve compression. I'm wondering if I should go back to him for more testing and see if this is my neck or something else? It seems to be stimulated by muscle use like when I'm on the computer a lot so that suggests it is from nerve compression.
I have often wondered if the spasms and twitching could result from a problem in the muscles themselves; why is the nerve rather than the muscle thought to be the source of the problem?

Re: Thumb/Finger Twitching?

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 3:44 pm
by ScaredofMS
Mercfh wrote:I know tremors can be a sign of MS.......but i've been dealing with something for the past few months that seem to come and go.

Recently especially, in certain "positions" of my thumb or certain fingers i'll have a sort of 'twitch'.....but it seems to go away once I change positions. Now in my job I am at the computer alot, so naturally my hands probably get alot of "stress", and tons of things can obviously cause twitching/tremors. This is both at rest and when held against gravity/moving etc.

Anyways, I guess my question is......does this sound at all familiar to anyone with MS?......and also the thing is, is it's in both hands (albeit a bit worse on my left). Twitching/Tremors in MS is caused my Lesions in the motor pathways I'd assume, so wouldn't that mean it'd only be on a certain "side" of my brain? (and for it to be on both sides at the same location would be a huge coicidence). Unless thats not how MS works?

I've had no tingling/weakness in my arms or hands either (besides the general arm fatigue that comes with sitting at a computer all day).
Sorry for the strange question, i've just been trying to narrow it down. I have no other real symptoms of MS (no real serious fatigue...except when I don't sleep haha, and no weakness or anything). I've also been told most tremors that people with MS experience are way later on in the disease (like 8-11 years of being diagnosed).
Thanks
I'm in the same boat as you. I have had these off and on tremors. They happen when moving and against gravity. I've also had slight weakness and limb fatigue. You should go with your own gut. I think you would know much better than some neuro whether or not something is wrong with you.What's funny is that if both you and myself end having this disease, we would have diagnosed ourselves. Makes me wondetr what the purpose of neuro is.

Re: Thumb/Finger Twitching?

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 12:42 pm
by mewow
lyndacarol wrote:
mewow wrote:I have had twitching in my right hand, thumb and forefinger for a few years, it comes and goes and now I have it in my left hand too post type 1 diabetic diagnosis. I went to a neurologist who did testing and he said this was focal dystonia- an mri showed a white spot in my brain which he said was from chronic migraines. He wanted me to do a neck mri also since I have neck injuries as it could be caused by nerve compression. I'm wondering if I should go back to him for more testing and see if this is my neck or something else? It seems to be stimulated by muscle use like when I'm on the computer a lot so that suggests it is from nerve compression.
I have often wondered if the spasms and twitching could result from a problem in the muscles themselves; why is the nerve rather than the muscle thought to be the source of the problem?

I'm not sure why, but the nerves probably affect the muscles- someone who is a physical therapist as well as my ortho doc said this could be affected by nerves in my neck. she said this in relation to apparent bursitis in my shoulder- at that time the twitching was in remission of some sort I think. Just before my type 1 diabetes diagnosis it has started up again and now my left hand is doing it too. I have been dealing with so much this has been the least of my worries, but I think it is time now for another ortho/neuro visit. I have had symptoms for years since my original injury of numbness, tingling, pain etc. especially when tilting my head/neck in certain directions and they said this was due to radiculation. A recent physical just before my hospitalition revealed some compression in vertebrae I think, but I'm not sure which ones as I was totally out of it at the time from being in dka.