Twiching, weak, tired, cracking, scared.

[kalrin2001]

About a month and a half ago i noticed that I had some shoulder pain and my shoulder would crack quite often. then after a few weeks my shoulder got weak, followed slowly by the rest of my body. My legs feel like rubber if i walk more then 1 block, my neck crunches something fierce, my legs click when i walk, i have muscle twitches or fasiclations in my legs
calfs, feet, hands, face. I get a lump in my throat that lasts for days, I get this dull throbbing pain in my shoulder, in my leg, and various other places in my body.

Everyone tells me it's stress and anxiety. I've been to a GP a sports med doctor, had a mri on my cervical spine. Just went for bloodwork and a chest xray. waiting on results.

My GP seems to think it's anxiety, and prescribed me zoloft, which i have been taken for a week, the weakness has not gone away...

 

[Northern Dancer]

Kalrin,

Welcome to the forum. It takes sometimes 6 weeks before your blood level of Zoloft is high enough to start helping you. But it will. I don't have ALS but from all the info here from those who are living with it, I would hazard a guess that the symptoms you are experiencing are not those of ALS. Clicking, crunching feelings are often from extremely tense muscles and, yes, anxiety can cause that.

Wishing you my best,

ND

 

[kalrin2001]

Hey northern, thanks for the reply, it does make me feel a bit better. as i am freaking out a bit over here. I do have a history of anxiety, but it's never affected me to this extent before, and it seems a bit much to accept at the moment, but i am poppin those pills and hoping for relief soon.

 

[jspec]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. You definitely do not have to worry about ALS.

I'd be interested to see what blood work was ordered. I've learned to ask for a copy of the results so you know what has been checked and for future reference. Did the sports med doc think it was anything joint or bone related?

I hope Zoloft fixes you up.

 

[kalrin2001]

hey there.

Well the mri result on cervical spine was slightly bulged discs in a few places, but nothing seems to be pressing on any nerves there.
The sports nerve doctor gave me an epidural which did not rectify the problem. the blood tests ordered i believe where to check thyroid, chelostrol, magnesuim, calcium, and a urinalysis. if nothing is found here the next step is a nuerolgist at a university hospital.

My symptoms seem to be changing a bit, the crunching in my neck is minimal today, but i have pressure in my legs, kind of feels like the muscles are tight, and the twitching this morning has been more violent.

 

[archie]

Twitching following limb weakness and lasting more than 7 days definitely needs to be checked out by a neurologist. If you have no weakness then I would not worry about ALS, if you do all the more reason to see a neurologist. Still, odds are against it being ALS but it probably is something else that needs correcting.

 

[kalrin2001]

another additional fact is my age, i'm 28 years old and male.

And i'm not sure what came first the twitching or the weakness. I'm 99% sure I do not have ALS. But I do have some troubling symptoms that make me hold on to that shadow of a doubt.

such as trouble swallowing (no choking on anything)
trouble breathing at times
at night my left leg stiffens to the point of almost hurting.
i have weird muscle spasms in my shoulder and my leg
my shoulder, my leg, my arm, and my hand feel weak on the left side.
i can't really walk very far, my muscles seem to get fatigued really quickly.

Matter a fact, I cannot tell really if it is all fatigue, or actual weakness, I have not lost any ability (aside from walking any kind of distance)

I just have to say i do feel really silly even posting here, I have read so many stories on here from people dealing with this terrible disease It is heart wrenching, they need to find a cure for this ASAP.