Status
Not open for further replies.

cholden90

New member
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Messages
2
Reason
Other
Country
US
State
Massachusetts
City
Winthrop
Hello,

I am a 24 year old male who is presently concerned about the possibility of having ALS. I am a nurse and often have a tendency to overthink things, but being a nurse, I also have a tendency to notice symptoms a lot more than other people would.

My symptoms

1. Muscle spasms in both upper and lower extremities, on right and left sides
2. Muscle aches in both upper extremities
3. Occasional twitching.

I do have some anxiety, I work out every day and do take BP meds (hctz) which can sometimes dehydrate me, but lately I have been drinking more to counteract this, but to no avail. I do not have any difficulty moving or performing fine motor functions, but I am concerned that this might only be because i am in the initial stages? Please somebody help me. I will schedule an appt with my GP, but I feel the need to have some credibility before I go.
 
At 24 you would almost certainly not have ALS. ALS is a disease of motor neurons. Muscles are not getting signals so they don't contract. They don't hurt, they don't tingle or go numb. they just don't work. Enjoy youth, you don't belong here.
Vincent
 
1. Muscle spasms in both upper and lower extremities, on right and left sides
2. Muscle aches in both upper extremities
3. Occasional twitching.

Vince is right. I think that, when you present to your doctor with these symptoms, she might run some tests to find out if she can find something to treat. But if you say you suspect ALS, she'll turn away so you don't see her as she rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
 
I do not mean to upset anyone but considering what I have read online, I do believe some of my concerns are justified. Many of the ALS websites discuss muscle spasms as being a symptom. Normally, I would shake this off and say it could be a number of different things, but considering that I am getting them in my arms and legs, I do not know, it just scares me.
 
1. As a nurse, why would you leap from common symptoms to a rare disease? That's a rhetorical question that doesn't need an answer. You need to rule out a whole boatload of other causes. See your doctor.
2. I agree that your concerns are real, you might have something going on there. It isn't ALS, though.
3. We live with ALS 24/7 and share our experiences and study it. We've developed a "readme" file that you should read. It's a sticky post stuck at the top of this Do I Have ALS subforum and is called "New Members Read This Before Posting."
 
As a nurse working a hospital do you tend to jump from elevated temperature immediately to ebola. That is what you are doing. As we say around here, When you hear hooves think horses not zebras. See your doctor about this instead of self diagnosing. Doctors hate competition.
Vincent
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top