Randall1893
New member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2023
- Messages
- 1
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 08/2023
- Country
- US
- State
- OH
Hi, I'm a male in my 30s and new to this forum. My family has had rare diseases before (my daughter died of cancer) so you don't know how important and valued I find forums like this.
Over the summer I injured my upper back doing some boxing like exercise - a month later in July I injured my lower back quite bad going way too hard on the elliptical. My primary care doctor was not concerned - but the pain has persisted, so I went to a ortho yesterday who did a nerve conduction test which he said pointed to pain in my last disc. I've also had horrible pain in my butt - which he DXed as likely sciatica. I have an MRI next week.
Just in the last week twitching has started in my arms/legs.
At the same time, I've had awful pain in the upper back the last few days and likely spasms. Typing makes my arms tired and I have tingling and carpal tunnel pain, trouble swallowing (feeling of food getting stuck), pain in the chest.
My arms both feel weak - but the doctor said insurance would only cover one MRI or nerve conduction test at time. So I have to wait for it happen for that.
I initially went done an insane google rabbit hole and convinced myself I had early symptoms of ALS. I feel insane thinking this because my symptoms initially got a lot better before I reaggravated them on a 40 mile charity bike ride (in 90 degree heat BTW). I also ran the next week (twice) six miles on a treadmill in 40 minutes.
But now the pain is so bad I can't barely walk.
Do people here think it would be worth also seeing a neurologist or waiting for those MRIs on the upper back and lower back. I think getting an EMG done would answer this is my understanding? But I'm not an expert - and also might have multiple herniated discs that could show.
I'm driving myself insane with anxiety around it.
The other note is my daughter died of a rare cancer (like very rare - they all with kids are by definition, but the kind of thing where you're more likely to get struck by lighting like 1/100,000) so have been that stat before - which I think has made the anxiety around this all soooo much worse.
Over the summer I injured my upper back doing some boxing like exercise - a month later in July I injured my lower back quite bad going way too hard on the elliptical. My primary care doctor was not concerned - but the pain has persisted, so I went to a ortho yesterday who did a nerve conduction test which he said pointed to pain in my last disc. I've also had horrible pain in my butt - which he DXed as likely sciatica. I have an MRI next week.
Just in the last week twitching has started in my arms/legs.
At the same time, I've had awful pain in the upper back the last few days and likely spasms. Typing makes my arms tired and I have tingling and carpal tunnel pain, trouble swallowing (feeling of food getting stuck), pain in the chest.
My arms both feel weak - but the doctor said insurance would only cover one MRI or nerve conduction test at time. So I have to wait for it happen for that.
I initially went done an insane google rabbit hole and convinced myself I had early symptoms of ALS. I feel insane thinking this because my symptoms initially got a lot better before I reaggravated them on a 40 mile charity bike ride (in 90 degree heat BTW). I also ran the next week (twice) six miles on a treadmill in 40 minutes.
But now the pain is so bad I can't barely walk.
Do people here think it would be worth also seeing a neurologist or waiting for those MRIs on the upper back and lower back. I think getting an EMG done would answer this is my understanding? But I'm not an expert - and also might have multiple herniated discs that could show.
I'm driving myself insane with anxiety around it.
The other note is my daughter died of a rare cancer (like very rare - they all with kids are by definition, but the kind of thing where you're more likely to get struck by lighting like 1/100,000) so have been that stat before - which I think has made the anxiety around this all soooo much worse.
