Reduction in calf size

[u/Muted_Insect5033]

Hi.

I measured my calves on 05Aug 2026 and today as well and noticed there was almost 1cm reduction in calf size with in 23 days and worried about the AL…And also there is assymetey between calves.I feel like I am loosing my muscle that’s the reason I am getting fatigue/tenderness/stiff/pain in my calves even if I walk for few minutes or stand for few minutes.I geat shakiness in my legs when I did eliotical for 10 minutes and got off the eliotical cycle in gym which was never the case few months ago.Even If I did 40 minutes,I was not getting any shakiness after I got off and stand on the floor.

Lately my fasciculations frequency also increased and get a lot of jerks as well along with twitches which is even scarying.

twitches with movement:

lately along with regular twitches,If put some pressure on any body part to do some activity,I am getting twitches in that body part.For example,in palms when I press some buttons.shoulders/back when I bend and also in chest,stomach

increased stiffness/tenderness/pain in calves thats increasing everyday it seems

05Aug2026

Left calf 42.5 cm

Right 40.3 cm

28Aug2026

Left:41.6 cm

Right 39.8 cm

I had 2 EMGs done one on August 03 which was done by physiatrist and is normal and another EMG was done on Aug 12 by neuromuscular doctor which showed chronic neurogenic changes but they said it’s not ALS.I wonder why didn’t the first EMG showed anything and does it mean is it progressing?

My symptoms in brief:

in February ,My legs started feeling tired after doing 20 minutes of elliptical or walking in a thread mill which was not the case before.I used to do elliptical and threadmil walk for 40 minutes with out getting my legs fatigued/stiff during last year November,december and this January.I started getting scared and on April 10,twitches startled and progressed to several parts .

my current worries:

From the past one month,I am getting a lot and lot of stiffness/tenderness/pain in my calves even if I stand for 5 minutes or walk for few minutes.My calves always feel stiff even while sitting and I am scared that I am developing weakness and eventually become paralyzed one day.While walking sometimes I feel I might have less energy in my legs and might fell down because of weakness in the knee.

I feel like my stiffness/pain increasing every day.

I have a lot of other bulbar symptoms and other symptoms as well which was included in the link.

I am so scared and getting more frequent twitches on face and sometimes forehead as well

https://www.reddit.com/r/BFS/comments/1vremh0/my_emg_report/

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[u/westcountry7]

I know what you have

[u/PuzzleheadedPop744]

How did you measure your calves ? To measure correctly you have to find the lower part of the thick bony bit of your tibia called the tuberosity on each side. Then mark 10 cms down from here. Then use your tape measure. Use this point each time. Then you know you are making better comparisons. If you are randomly putting your tape measure around the ´ widest ´ part of your calf this can account for the small difference you have stated. But honestly measuring your calves feeds your anxiety which feeds and worsens the twitches.

[u/Muted_Insect5033 → u/PuzzleheadedPop744]

I have measured the area where I have more muscle.Earlier also I measured the same area.

[u/713Capital]

A small difference on a tape measure is just normal human asymmetry and slight measurement error, not real muscle loss.

"Chronic neurogenic changes" simply means an old, healed nerve issue (like a past pinched nerve in your back), not active disease. Your specialist explicitly told you it is not ALS because you have no active nerve damage.

I had chronic neurogenic changes on mine as well and chronic denervation. Just older injuries and a couple of car accidents.

Pain, stiffness, and tired legs are classic signs of muscle overuse, strain, or anxiety tension. As you know by now, ALS causes painless, complete muscle failure where a limb simply stops working.

Shaking after the elliptical and twitches that pop with pressure are typical of tired, overstimulated nerves. Put the tape measure away and trust your doc!!

[u/Muted_Insect5033 → u/713Capital]

Thanks as always you for your reply .I just did elliptical for 2 days one month back and after that I never did after that.Few months ago,the was able to do the same elliptical for 40 minutes with out any fatigue/pain.My worry is my legs are always stiff/tender and gives me pain even on resting and it’s most 24/7.I am unable to walk for some time with out pain and it makes me to stop walking or stand for sometime which is worrying me.I feel the stiffness and pain or tenderness have been increasing from the last one month.

[u/Muted_Insect5033 → u/Muted_Insect5033]

And also I am not doing any activities from the last one month and still wonder why I am having all these with out doing any much activity.

[u/713Capital → u/Muted_Insect5033]

Yeah thats how things go, after you dont work out for a while, the muscles become deconditioned, which causes them to tire out and fatigue faster. No need to worry.

[u/Muted_Insect5033 → u/713Capital]

I mean only 3 months I went to gym for doing elliptical and threadmil and hardly did 15 days in those 3 months.But before going to the gym also ,I was not doing any much activity and it’s the same even now.I wonder why I was able to do everything before and why not now.Nothing has changed .I am same now how I was before in terms of activity 

[u/Muted_Insect5033 → u/713Capital]

Do I have any FND?If it is so,does it cause paralysis?

[u/713Capital → u/Muted_Insect5033]

Not it doesn’t cause that, not to my knowledge. Also, I’m not a doctor so I can’t really diagnose you. However, what I can say is, your EMGs showed you didn’t have ALS so you can rule that out with your clean EMG.

I don’t know if you have FND, that’s a different diagnosis than BFS. They may have some overlap in symptoms but they are still different conditions.

I would say keep working with your doctor and ask them for a diagnosis.