Undiagnosed.. Read please

[mwrules]

Well hey guys I'm new to this, and I'm worried. I've been getting these sympthoms. First of all I haven't gone to the doctor due to haveing no health insurance. I know this a forum for people that have ALS but I'm scared and I want opinions. Recently I started getting these sympthoms:
Yawning frequently
Twitching in thighs, calf, sometimes arms, sometimes everywhere
Right hand fingers feeling a little stiff
tingly nerve feelings in legs.
sharp little pains throughout body

First of all I'm 16, I'm overweight, and I started getting these sympthoms on 07/17/2010. Now the first day I started to yawn alot. The second day 07/18/2010 I started to have little twitches all over my body, I woke up with a stiff right hand. Now the past days I've been feeling tingly nerve feeling on my thighs and calfs with twitches time to time. I know it's been 4 days but I feel scared, I can't go to the docs because I lack insurance.. I just need answers, someone tell me something please

 

[joelc]

First, your age would make it extremely rare to have ALS.
Second, what you have described is not ALS type of symptoms.
Third, ALS does not come on that fast.

But, the main thing is what you are experiencing is NOT ALS symptoms. Please try to put it out of your mind and go outside and enjoy the summer. Get some exercise.

Relax and take care!

 

[Kohler]

I'm new to this as well, but from what I've been researching and as JoelC said, your symptoms don't match ALS. Do some research on the Babinski's sign (there are even videos on YouTube demonstrating the procedure), a simple reflex test that you can perform at home that can indicate if there is some kind of neural disruption or not (of course this won't replace a doctor's reflex test or diagnosis, but until you get medical care it's at least a way to gain some more information either way). I have also had periods without insurance, and most areas have low cost treatment options for those with no or little income. If you are 16 you are also still a minor and should be eligible for social service help. Do some looking around to come up with some health care support, it's out there, you just sometimes have to dig for it, unfortunately. In the meantime, light exercise like yoga, walking, and strechting just might take care of some of your symptoms.

 

[planningguy]

mwrules,

I think Joel did a great job of giving you reasons why you shouldn't worry about ALS.

I just wanted to chime in really quickly regarding self-testing for Babinski's sign while waiting to see a doctor. Although I'm sure Kohler only has the best intentions for your welfare, testing for Babinski's sign is part of a clinical neurological exam, and it isn't really something you can test yourself for. Even though the exam looks simple from the outside, it still requires training to perform and more improtantly to interpret. There is a chance you'll only needlessly scare yourself more for no reason.

Take Joel's advice and get out and enjoy the season.

Take care,

Robert

 

[TedH5]

mwrules,

You have received some excellent advice from some very smart and caring people. Since you are a minor I imagine that California has some type of state subsidized health care for minors. I would look into that immediately as only a Dr can help you.

That being said I concur with everyone on here who advised you that your symptoms do not sound like ALS. So put that out of your mind.
Furthermore at the risk of being abundant as rare as the disease is it is even more rare for someone your age to have it.

Go outside, enjoy some fresh air, get some exercise and enjoy life. You have a long life ahead of you! Enjoy it!

 

[Kohler]

As soon as I posted up about self-testing for Babinski's I knew it was probably a dubious suggestion, but I'll explain my reasons: when my sister's leg weakness started, she ignored it for quite a while thinking it was everything from the heat to poor sleep, etc. One day she just happened to itch the bottom of her foot and noticed the toes going strange. At that point, none of us had ever even heard of the Babinski's sign, but her instincts told her it might not be "normal," especially considering the weakness and the fact that none of the rest of the family's feet did this. Point of the story, it was that Babinski's that sent her to the doctor probably much sooner than she otherwise would have gone. She did turn out to have hyperreflexes which, coupled with the weakness, are getting her on the road to a diagnosis, whatever that may turn out to be. So in that way, at least for us, the home Babinski turned out to be a help, and I figured the issue of when (or if) to seek further care is even more critical for someone facing the hard choices that go along with no or very limited health insurance, which can sometimes force you to take matters into your own hands more than you should.

Note: I do know that the Babinski can be hard to properly measure or elicit and certainly must be considered within a full professional evaluation, this just MY experience with the Babinski and a suggestion for someone who may not have the "best choice" option of going to a doctor at this point.