Twitching and the whole fascilation thing....

chrishasms · Post by **chrishasms** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:06 pm

I am such a hypochondriac.

I used to get them.(twitches) Still do from time to time. Mostly when I am at rest after doing something or right when I wake up and I'm still getting going. They may not show up for a month sometimes longer. Then the buggers come back. May hang out for a week or 2. They are usually in my hands or a finger but I can get a flicker everywhere from a calf, hamstring, back, oh where ever it happens. Nothing for a long period of time but enough to annoy me.

Well then I saw it was a sign of ALS as well as MS and my brain instantly went into overdrive and I started to freak out. Even though I've had them before and I keep getting stronger.

Who else has these things that I know and trust? I just want to hear that I still don't suffer alone

Loriyas · Post by **Loriyas** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:50 am

I still get them in my legs on occasion, especially at night. I take clonazepam and that calms it down. That was one of the first symptoms I had right before diagnosis and the neurologist I was seeing at that time said it was a very common symptom with MS. It is not RLS or ALs. So I have had this going on for more than 6 years. Hope that helps you a little.
Lori

MissDee · Post by **MissDee** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:46 am

I get them all over, they usually last a couple of seconds. I too can go months without them. I have found stress and lack of sleep a major factor in getting them.

My mom died of ALS and as far as I know did not suffer from twitches. I have MS and do, but then I have friends who have no issues and also twitch from time to time.

EyeDoc · Post by **EyeDoc** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:39 pm

I have had the same "freak out about ALS" that you have had! I bet we have all done that, but twitches can happen for anybody, not just us MSers.

On a personal note, I get twitches with an unfortunately high frequency and as annoying as they are, they are normal.

cheerleader · Post by **cheerleader** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:06 pm

Hey Chris-
Jeff gets those twitches...I can feel them going in his calves at night once he settles in bed. He looks at them as a good sign. Electrical current is still able to travel thru those nerves, which means they're working. Could even indicate an attempt for the body healing. Magnesium supplements have helped him with the major spasms.
Here's a good thread on "fasciculations"
link
AC

chrishasms · Post by **chrishasms** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:19 pm

Thanks folks...its so wild getting better. You still suffer from some of the same old stuff, but then something else keeps getting better.

I don't mean to sound like a doofus but I spent a lot of my life having one bad thing after another happen to me of my own doing and then I finally got rid of this crud...sometimes I just scared that now I got something worse not of my own doing! lol

Sorry, just hypo-ing out.

CureOrBust · Post by **CureOrBust** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 4:06 pm

chrishasms wrote:one bad thing after another happen to me of my own doing

Wait a sec, if I can ask a doofus question now

are you saying the "MS was of your own doing"?

chrishasms · Post by **chrishasms** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:47 pm

Well, I always thought I may have had it as a kid but if I didn't...

The 8 years of heavy drinking, crystal meth, coke, various other drugs, and just my "fuck it" attitude certainly leads me to believe I gave myself this disease. If that abuse doesn't hurt an immune system what does?

cheerleader · Post by **cheerleader** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:19 pm

Chris...
please don't blame yourself. You had a genetic predisposition to this stupid disease. There are people who have done much worse stuff, and they don't get MS. My hubby didn't smoke, drink or do drugs, and he got hit.
A healthy lifestyle can help you stay stable and heal....but you're partying days didn't give you MS.
Take care of yourself now, and let go of the past-
AC

CureOrBust · Post by **CureOrBust** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:41 pm

Chris, I lived a relatively clean life before I got my first MS symptom. It clearly didn't protect me, and I am sure you will have no problem finding others. I don't think I have ever read anywhere where someone has convincingly shown that a lifestyle like that would cause MS that would not have happened anyway.

chrishasms · Post by **chrishasms** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 7:36 am

Maybe so...and I agree with you all and you are right I know but if I tell myself it gave me MS I never even think about doing a line!!

Loobie · Post by **Loobie** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 12:27 pm

Whatever it takes on that front brother. All you have to do is read "Scar Tissue", the autobiography of Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and you'll never think that drug abuse can cause MS, or he'd have had it since maybe age 14!

But seriously, I do some of that and I only had a brief period in college where I was an amateur chemist. I think our internal critical parent makes us do that to ourselves. You've beaten a lot of demons Chris. Take some pride in that and just keep plugging away!

robbie · Post by **robbie** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:33 pm

from your picture chris i see u as a one of the nerds in life a goddie goodie not a drugy , one of the guys that gets picked on because your such a browner. i don't mean that in a bad way at all but as for the question maybe it did or maybe not who knows.i think at this point i would try any drug put in front of me with all thats known one just might help. dosn't cocaine make you feel like your up with energy,that would be a blessing right know.

chrishasms · Post by **chrishasms** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:15 pm

LOL

Yes it is a great anti fatigue...never mind the rest of you is torn to hell because you desperately need the rest but it is great for fatigue lol.

I have worked very hard to be a goody goody. I really was a real POS, or PITA. Real bad. I weighed close to 110 lbs once.

Yes, so when I yell at people for being stupid this 33 year old man is really 60 so I have every right too! lol

AllyB · Post by **AllyB** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:49 pm

Hey Chris
First, whew! You should be so proud of yourself and how you have turned yourself around - try to think of that whenever you get to beating yourself up over the past, which you cant change. You have taken control of your life, unfortuanetly, you cant control ms, but you can control how you deal with it, and guilt is just so draining. Hold in your head the thought that drugs are really damaging, and will not do your ms any good, but your ms is not your fault.

But you should try to be proud of how far you have come along this road...You have done so, so well.
As for th etwitches, yeah I get 'em, but so do people i know who dont have ms - my doc doesn't have an answer, except to say that once th enerves are excited by activity, it may take them longer to settle down, hence the twitches, and yes, they can be annoying.
So glad you are seeing improvement in your ms, concentrate on that very positive thing, and look forward, not back.
Take care bro', and shit, so proud of you.