Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Trembling Lips And Tremors In Legs?
Question: One more als question. About 3 months ago I noticed my lower lip trembling when I was taking my temperature with an oral thermometer. Now it seems like it's getting worse. Today I was smiling at someone and noticed both lips trembling. I still feel shake in my limbs to.
Brief Answer:
Not a symptom of ALS.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back to HealthcareMagic.
I am sorry that you are finding it so hard to get past the idea of having ALS, it's obvious how distressing that is for you.
Fortunately as my other colleagues I can again confirm that there is no reason to believe that and those symptoms are clearly related to anxiety which treatment you should re-discuss with your psychiatrist.
You seem to be thinking that the lip trembling is that manifestation of ALS which is called fasciculations, which are involuntary contractions of a single motor unit (a motor unit is a group of muscle fibers innervated by one single nerve cell). Because a motor unit is a small one (a muscle contains many of them) it would be a small localized contraction under the skin. So that is not the case of the trembling of the whole lip which involves contraction of the whole muscle. The same goes for shaking of the limbs which would involve several entire muscles, certainly not the case of single separate motor units.
I hope I was able to explain that in an understandable way, in order for you reach to that conclusion yourself and not just because I or other doctors said so.
Wishing you feel better soon.
Not a symptom of ALS.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back to HealthcareMagic.
I am sorry that you are finding it so hard to get past the idea of having ALS, it's obvious how distressing that is for you.
Fortunately as my other colleagues I can again confirm that there is no reason to believe that and those symptoms are clearly related to anxiety which treatment you should re-discuss with your psychiatrist.
You seem to be thinking that the lip trembling is that manifestation of ALS which is called fasciculations, which are involuntary contractions of a single motor unit (a motor unit is a group of muscle fibers innervated by one single nerve cell). Because a motor unit is a small one (a muscle contains many of them) it would be a small localized contraction under the skin. So that is not the case of the trembling of the whole lip which involves contraction of the whole muscle. The same goes for shaking of the limbs which would involve several entire muscles, certainly not the case of single separate motor units.
I hope I was able to explain that in an understandable way, in order for you reach to that conclusion yourself and not just because I or other doctors said so.
Wishing you feel better soon.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
So the muscle twitching I'm experiencing throughout my whole body including my face isn't a symptom of als?
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
If it is shaking/trembling/tremor/spasms which are the terms you use at times (from reading your other queries as well) they are not even fasciculations as I said.
If it's subtle twitching it could be fasciculations, but the reason it can't be due to ALS is this widespread manner which you describe. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease and like all diseases of this group degeneration occurs in a very slow manner starting insidiously on one limb and spreading over years. It does certainly not happen in the dramatic whole body fashion which you describe.
So if indeed they are fasciculations they fit much better in the benign fasciculation syndrome category (also commonly in the setting of anxiety).
Of course there are also the considerations of muscle atrophy, weakness, being too young for ALS, considerations which you have already been told about.
I hope to have been of help.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
If it is shaking/trembling/tremor/spasms which are the terms you use at times (from reading your other queries as well) they are not even fasciculations as I said.
If it's subtle twitching it could be fasciculations, but the reason it can't be due to ALS is this widespread manner which you describe. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease and like all diseases of this group degeneration occurs in a very slow manner starting insidiously on one limb and spreading over years. It does certainly not happen in the dramatic whole body fashion which you describe.
So if indeed they are fasciculations they fit much better in the benign fasciculation syndrome category (also commonly in the setting of anxiety).
Of course there are also the considerations of muscle atrophy, weakness, being too young for ALS, considerations which you have already been told about.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
