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massurfer1

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florida
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orlando
I left a couple posts about a month ago talking about stiffness in my right hamstring. Well I went to the doctor and was sent to do an mri on my back. The results showed that I have a heavily herniated disc in my lower back that is pinching my L5 nerve root, and I also have a case of stenosis resulting from it. It brought temporary relief and my doctor prescribed me antiinflammatories and muscle relaxers and set me up to meet with a nuerosurgeon next week. What worries me is that my symptoms continue to worsen. First I started to get tremors in both feet, then my left leg started to feel restless and tired until It got stiff as well. My arms started feeling funny and very shaky when i would try to hold things, and over the last week I have started getting muscle twitches everywhere when i would try to relax (Both legs, both arms, back, chest, and sometimes face). The muscle twitches worry me the most because they seem to be everywhere and are really annoing. Now both of my legs feel very tired, heavy, stiff, and restless. Can all this be caused by my diagnosis or should i be worried about something else going on? You guys have been very helpful and informative in my past posts, so thank you a lot for taking your time to help!
 
stenosis

HI,

I just wanted to post in regards to stenosis.
MY grandmother started tripping and losing her balance about a month ago. (she did not tell anyone..she is a tough nut.) anyway, they thought she may have drop foot. They did an mri on her back and fond severe spinal stenosis. they said, no drop foot. the foot problem is from her stenosis in the back. she said her foot is not numb but she cant feel it. she can stand on it or walk (she refuses to use a cane) she says it feels like a piece of meat. anyway, stenosis can cause foot problems according to her doc. MY father in law has this also, he was in a wheel chair at one point but is now better.

hang in there. I know how you feel. I get all the twitches and weakness the same as you. and my calf is where it all seemed to start when I was pregnant.

Back proplems can cause twitching, my aunt in law just had back surgery with rods put in and she had bad spasms after. (wow, it sounds like alot of sick people in my family)

Hang on to the fact that you have a pinched nerve. I just got an mri that was "unremarkable' and I was really upset about it. I just hoped somthing, and you have somthing.

take care and give it more time

april
 
still scared

Thanks April for your response. Its just so hard for me to believe that stenosis and a disc herniation can be causing all these feelings in my legs without much pain. The fasics and spasms are becoming more bothersome and have kind of centralized in my calves. I dont understand how in 5 weeks i can go from just a stiff hamstring to all of this. I am also noticing some weakness in my right arm with some shaking when holding things, and access phlegm in the back of my throat (might be associated with the stress, have had this before with my anxiety problems)

Im driving myself crazy thinking that I have some disease that could end my life in a couple of years, im so young and there is still alot more I want to do in my life. I feel so bad for everyone in these forums, its such a terrible way to end your life and the courage you guys show knowing this is unbelieveable to me and hard to understand.

I dont want to come off as someone who is sellfish and just cares about my symptoms. I really do want to connect with some of you in here. Reading some of these stories have really touched me and I want to get to know some of you ALS or no ALS. The world is so scary sometimes but ive learned in the past that bonding with others can make you feel a lot better.

Thanks for everything.......Andy
 
When I started journey towards getting a prognosis in March of this year I was told by a sports medicine doctor that I either had a herniated disc or ALS - I was voting for the disc but it has turned out to be very agressive ALS.

I had a fall in November onto my right knee that never really cleared up hence the referral to the specialist. In the interim I had weakness in my right leg, foot drop, fatigue, etc. I progressed from using a cane, to a walker to a scooter and am now in a power chair. I cannot move my legs at all and am losing strength in my upper body. I did not really have any pain just discomfort.

If I were you I would seek treatment for the herniated disc and chances are it will relieve your symptoms and your anxiety. I wish that I still had this option as a diagnosis. :cry:
 
sorry to hear

Im sorry to hear about your fast progressing als. what made your doctor suspect a herniated disc and how did you find out you did not have one, through MRI? Did you have any symptoms before ur fall? I have heard of a lot of als cases starting after a surgery or an accident. Its a wierd connection. From reading so many cases of als im starting to think there are mutiple causes of the disease and thats why researchers cant figure it out.

Anxiety is a scary thing, it can cause so many symptoms of horrible stuff and its hard to tell which symptom is real and which is not. Ill pray for you and thank you for your response....Andy
 
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