notme
Extremely helpful member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2011
- Messages
- 2,605
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 08/2011
- Country
- US
- State
- Fl
- City
- Orlando
HI
I'm a 50yo woman. I have a medical hx of high blood pressure and multiple issues with prior blood clots, and now take blood thinners.
About a year ago, I started to notice pronounced weakness in my left hand (my dominant hand) Over the course of the next several months, it's progressively gotten worse and is now spreading to the right hand as well. I drive a Ford--with the door buttons that you push to lock and unlock the car. The first thing I noticed was my finger literally collapsed when I tried to push it. Within a short time, the muscle in my hand between my thumb and forefinger has almost completely wasted away. My GP is at a total loss -- and was last year. They put me in the hospital when the weakness began to rule out a stroke. MRI was unremarkable. They released me within a few days. The MRI shows some disc damage--but they said it isn't causing this.
It was only two weeks ago that I finally got approved to see a neurologist. I go in next week.
The muscle atrophy and weakness is getting much worse. What started basically in a finger has progressed throughout the entire hand. I'm dropping things. My writing is nearly illegible now as I can't hold the pen. Buttoning buttons is out now as well.
I was thinking it was likely a pinched nerve somewhere, but my doctor doesn't think so because the MRI was normal. Now it's spreading to my right hand as well.
I'm getting horrific leg cramps in both legs--but I do have a ruptured disc in my lower back.
I'm having a lot of problems with falling. My legs just give out and I'm down.
My arms, though, worry me the most. My hand is nearly useless. It twitches constantly--then cramps.
I'd like to know what intelligent questions to ask the Neuro when I see him next week.
I know ALS can cause atrophy and progressive weakness--but does it also cause numbness? I seem to recall that the numbness in my fingers last year proceeded the weakness and eventual muscle atrophy. Now that it's moving to the right side as well, I'm sort of freaked out.
I'm also choking a lot--on drinks of all things. Foods seem to be fine.
I know just enough about medical conditions to scare myself. Honestly, I've been afraid to go see a neurologist--but when the symptoms moved to the right arm, I just couldn't ignore it anymore. The right arm didn't start having problems until about a month ago. About the same time I started falling. The horrendous leg cramps started about 3 months ago.
I'm hoping someone here with more knowledge than me can give me some idea as to:
1. What this could be
2. What to ask the neurologist
3. Is numbness even a sign of ALS
4. Are muscle cramps a sign of ALS
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
I'm a 50yo woman. I have a medical hx of high blood pressure and multiple issues with prior blood clots, and now take blood thinners.
About a year ago, I started to notice pronounced weakness in my left hand (my dominant hand) Over the course of the next several months, it's progressively gotten worse and is now spreading to the right hand as well. I drive a Ford--with the door buttons that you push to lock and unlock the car. The first thing I noticed was my finger literally collapsed when I tried to push it. Within a short time, the muscle in my hand between my thumb and forefinger has almost completely wasted away. My GP is at a total loss -- and was last year. They put me in the hospital when the weakness began to rule out a stroke. MRI was unremarkable. They released me within a few days. The MRI shows some disc damage--but they said it isn't causing this.
It was only two weeks ago that I finally got approved to see a neurologist. I go in next week.
The muscle atrophy and weakness is getting much worse. What started basically in a finger has progressed throughout the entire hand. I'm dropping things. My writing is nearly illegible now as I can't hold the pen. Buttoning buttons is out now as well.
I was thinking it was likely a pinched nerve somewhere, but my doctor doesn't think so because the MRI was normal. Now it's spreading to my right hand as well.
I'm getting horrific leg cramps in both legs--but I do have a ruptured disc in my lower back.
I'm having a lot of problems with falling. My legs just give out and I'm down.
My arms, though, worry me the most. My hand is nearly useless. It twitches constantly--then cramps.
I'd like to know what intelligent questions to ask the Neuro when I see him next week.
I know ALS can cause atrophy and progressive weakness--but does it also cause numbness? I seem to recall that the numbness in my fingers last year proceeded the weakness and eventual muscle atrophy. Now that it's moving to the right side as well, I'm sort of freaked out.
I'm also choking a lot--on drinks of all things. Foods seem to be fine.
I know just enough about medical conditions to scare myself. Honestly, I've been afraid to go see a neurologist--but when the symptoms moved to the right arm, I just couldn't ignore it anymore. The right arm didn't start having problems until about a month ago. About the same time I started falling. The horrendous leg cramps started about 3 months ago.
I'm hoping someone here with more knowledge than me can give me some idea as to:
1. What this could be
2. What to ask the neurologist
3. Is numbness even a sign of ALS
4. Are muscle cramps a sign of ALS
Thanks in advance for any suggestions