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What Causes Discomfort In Upper Right Quadrant And Body Wide Muscle Twitching?

Posted on Thu, 12 Mar 2015

Question: Hello doctor, I am contacting you because I have a tremendous fear of MS. Roughly 16 months ago I began to have discomfort in my upper right quadrant just below my rib cage. I ignored the discomfort for a few weeks until I went to get it checked out. The doctor sent me for a ultrasound and CT on my abdomen and everything was normal. I began to worry it was cancer and then I developed body wide muscle twitching. This threw me through a loop and I was worried about MS and ALS. I seeked help for my anxiety with a physiatrist in which he sent me for a CT of my head which was also clean. My primary sent me to a neuro who did a full physical work up and emg which were all deemed normal. The neuro said I was healthy as can be and it was anxiety and BFS. I am still have twitching and tingling along with waking up sometimes with my foot or hand asleep. I am currently still very active with sports and lifting weights. Bench pressing 275+ , squatting heavy weight etc. I have no family history or MS and have been healthy my whole life. I am still extremely worried about MS, does this sound like MS? Also, I had a clean MRI done about 3 yrs ago. Thank you for your time.

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (33 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No,its not MS.Have confidence and be reassured.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist, here to answer your query.

If you would have presented to me as an outpatient,I would have told you that-No...Its not MS.Its not ALS.It is anxiety with Benign fasciculation syndrome(BFS).That way,I completely agree with the neurologist who examined you.

MS is a disease defined with dissemination in time and space of neurological deficits and MRI lesions.You have none of them as fasciculations are not counted as a neurological deficit.So,MS is out.

ALS is a disease of which fasciculations is an important component but then without wasting,without weakness in limbs and with anxiety-it surely is BFS rather than ALS.

Waking up with limbs asleep is very normal due to the transient compression of nerves.It occurs in almost everybody.

What more?You have got neurological examination,EMG and MRI negative.Do you need any more proof that you are normal?

Please be confident,reassured and live your life happily.Go and ask the individuals around you and you'll find that BFS is hell common.

Hope I have answered your query.If you have some follow-up questions,I shall be glad to answer else,please close the thread-rate it and write a review.

Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (3 hours later)

It helps to know this simple fact, if it were MS would I be able to workout like I am and also play sports still? It's just a constant battle believing it's BFS. Thank you

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (8 hours later)

Brief Answer:
No,you do not have MS.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being in follow-up.

No, you do not have MS. This is an absolute truth and nothing but the truth. Heat generated during workouts usually worsens the symptoms in MS. Moreover, You don't have any focal neurological deficits nor any MRI lesions. MS is out of question.

I hope to generate some confidence in you.

Hope I have answered your query. If you have some follow-up questions, I shall be glad to answer else, please close the thread-rate it and write a review.

Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (5 hours later)

Thank you for your quick detailed reply. I have been having the feeling of heat on my face and ear, still twitching and vibrating. I will try and push through and tell myself I am fine. Just very scared of MS. Thank you again!

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (14 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Its not MS. Don't be scared.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for being in follow up.

Normal MRI = NO MS
No focal deficit=NO MS

Have confidence and be assured. You are fine.

Hope I have answered your query. If you have some follow-up questions, I shall be glad to answer else, please close the thread-rate it and write a review.

Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari