Benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS)

I woke up a few weeks ago with a sore spot on my foor and it hurt to touch and couldn't put wt on it flr a few hours. I went to urgent care and they wanted to xray it. It was normal so it was called a contusion and i was to take it easy. Ablout 7 hours into it suddenly the pain was gone. Completely. It was a cramp right behind the toes that wouldn't stop. It felt like i needed to stretch it but i couldn't get it to. It felt different than a normal charlie horse. But as soon as the cramp relaxed it was like it never happened and i knew exactly why my foot hurt. I have read where people have had spasms so bad it has broken bones. I hope that was the last cramp i have like that. Have you experienced anything similar?

I usually look everything up on the mayo clinics site. They have pretty good information on everything. Ican say they have everything covered I've ever looked for. I also started looking on the NIH site (national institute of health)

Melatonin and benadryl make my symptoms 100 times worse.

Any resolution on symptoms?

Hello @pudgie84 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Can I ask to whom you were responding to with your question so I can bring them into the discussion to help connect you?

Hi. This is new for me, but here goes... I am 49 and had been very healthy. About 6 weeks ago, I contracted a nasty viral illness with perisistent diarrhea and some respiratory symptoms. The same day I got sick, I started having fasciculations different places in my body. The viral illness lasted at least 10 days, and the fasciculations are continuing, although maybe a bit milder. About a week after the illness set in, I also started experiencing vibrating in my feet, cramping various places throughout my body, and sometimes felt like my entire body was vibrating. I had a tremor for several days, which went away. The vibrating has improved, although I still have it in my feet. One interesting side note... I had a nasty viral illness in my twenties, which left me with the vibrating all over my body for a while, but particularly in my feet. I had stiffness in my joints and the vibrating sensations for over a year. I've been tested several times for Lyme and various things, but was always negative. Since that illness, sometimes when I get sick the vibrating comes back, but milder and goes away after the illness does. Never had fasciculations until this illness. I am going to see a neurologist in November, and am pretty sure it's BFS, since my experience sounds similar to what others of you have experienced. Just thought I would comment because it's very strange indeed. I, too, was concerned about ALS. On a side note, my husband was initially diagnosed with ALS when he was 40, but has a much rarer condition called multi-focal motor neuropathy, which is treated with IVIg.

Hello @franksgirl210, Welcome to Connect, an online community where patients and caregivers share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others. It definitely seems that you might be onto the cause of the fasciculations. Hopefully other members with experience can share some information with you. I did find an article on the subject but it's one of those you have to purchase to read and you already have a neurologist appointment setup which is good.

A viral origin for benign fasciculation syndrome?: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10072-020-04888-3

Do you mind coming back after your appointment and let us know what you found out?

Thank you for sharing this information concerning fasciculations. I have been experiencing them for the past 5 or 6 years. I have told my GP about them every time I see her but she does not offer any explanation for them. These "twitches" can be very annoying and many times keep you up at night. I have often wondered about them being neurologically connected. I am very interested to see what your neurologist says about fasciculations. Thanks again for sharing this information.

How long after your surgery did you begin having fasciculations? My discectomy/lamenectomy was in October of 2018. About two months ago I began having persistent twitching and spasms. Mainly in my legs. I'm trying not to panic, but it's getting unbearable.

I would be happy to let you know what he says about it. I really appreciate reading the experiences of others. It helps to know you're not alone 🙂 I actually came across that article, too, and was tempted to buy it. Thanks for your help.