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What Causes Intermittent Muscle Twitches In Face, Arms And Legs?
Question: Hi - 32 / F experiencing on and off muscle twitching in various locations (face, arms, legs, back). I started having them in April. I have had them in the past, but often when I do get them I worry about having ALS. I'm trying to calm my fears of the disease, but the internet does not help. Sometimes, I also get buzzing feelings in some muscles. Thoughts?
Brief Answer:
ALS very unlikely.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX and thanks for using HCM.
I had gone through your query and understand your concerns.
Regarding to your worries about ALS, I think it's not your case.
ALS is a progressive disease (symptoms worsen with time) and besides muscles twitching, there are other more prominent symptoms such difficulty walking, progressive muscles weakness in arms and legs, vision problems, difficulty swallowing, speech problems and muscle cramps.
Another element against ALS as possible cause of your symptoms in your case is age, almost all cases diagnosed with ALS are between 40 and 60 years old, with only very rare cases reported in literature under 40 years old.
Possible causes of muscle twitching include benign fasciculations syndrome, side effects of certain drugs, low levels of vitamin B12.
As a start, I recommend you to discuss with your primary care Doctor about having done an EMG (neuromuscular function test) in order to properly diagnose your condition.
Hope I helped you. I remain at your disposal for further questions and clarifications.
Take care.
ALS very unlikely.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX and thanks for using HCM.
I had gone through your query and understand your concerns.
Regarding to your worries about ALS, I think it's not your case.
ALS is a progressive disease (symptoms worsen with time) and besides muscles twitching, there are other more prominent symptoms such difficulty walking, progressive muscles weakness in arms and legs, vision problems, difficulty swallowing, speech problems and muscle cramps.
Another element against ALS as possible cause of your symptoms in your case is age, almost all cases diagnosed with ALS are between 40 and 60 years old, with only very rare cases reported in literature under 40 years old.
Possible causes of muscle twitching include benign fasciculations syndrome, side effects of certain drugs, low levels of vitamin B12.
As a start, I recommend you to discuss with your primary care Doctor about having done an EMG (neuromuscular function test) in order to properly diagnose your condition.
Hope I helped you. I remain at your disposal for further questions and clarifications.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
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