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5 Months Ago I Had An EMG Conducted By A

Posted on Fri, 16 Aug 2019

Question: 5 months ago I had an EMG conducted by a neuromuscular specialist in the context of several years of body-wide fasciculations. The EMG was clean/normal and I was told that no follow-up was needed. However, I'm an avid weightlifter, and over the past week I've noticed that my left arm is significantly weaker than my right arm during workouts. My arms have close to the same strength to begin with, but by the end of the workout my left arm is very noticeably weaker than my right arm. Today, the discrepancy in strength was so significant that it alarmed me.

My questions are:
1. Is it safe to assume that if the weakness I'm describing was related to ALS that the EMG 5 months ago would have detected this?
2. Do I need another EMG if I had one just 5 months ago?

Thanks for your help.

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (0 minute later)

5 months ago I had an EMG conducted by a neuromuscular specialist in the context of several years of body-wide fasciculations. The EMG was clean/normal and I was told that no follow-up was needed. However, I'm an avid weightlifter, and over the past week I've noticed that my left arm is significantly weaker than my right arm during workouts. My arms have close to the same strength to begin with, but by the end of the workout my left arm is very noticeably weaker than my right arm. Today, the discrepancy in strength was so significant that it alarmed me.

My questions are:
1. Is it safe to assume that if the weakness I'm describing was related to ALS that the EMG 5 months ago would have detected this?
2. Do I need another EMG if I had one just 5 months ago?

Thanks for your help.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Consultation

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for using Ask A Doctor service.

I read your query and understand your concerns.

Since the problem of fasciculation was existed for many years and EMG was conducted just five months back with no abnormality detected, It is completely safe to assume that if there was any ALS it should have been detected during EMG done few months back.

I do not think there is need for further testing in this regard. At the same time I feel there is need to get evaluated for anxiety disorder as presence of fasciculations is common among individuals with anxiety disorders. In contrast to ALS the fasciculations persent in anxiety disorders are widespread and can affect any part of the body in random order.

I hope this answers you.
Feel free to write back to me if you have more questions.
Thanks and regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (0 minute later)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (9 hours later)

Thanks for your advice. So if I'm understanding you correctly, the EMG 5 months ago means that the weakness I'm experiencing now could not be from ALS? Because it would have been detected then?

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (0 minute later)

Thanks for your advice. So if I'm understanding you correctly, the EMG 5 months ago means that the weakness I'm experiencing now could not be from ALS? Because it would have been detected then?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (15 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes that is true

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for follow up and your feedback.

I am glad to know that information was useful for you and understood in the way it was intended.

Let me know if you need more help.
Thanks and regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar