Hi, new to site and have questions.

[Giuna99]

Hi my name is mike an im 33 yrs old i lost my father to this horrible sickness on jam 30th 2011 after 2 long horrific years of him tryin every treatment possible. Mine would not wish this sickness on anyone ever its by far the most horrible most suffering thing to bare witness to. I am scared that this could happen to me since im my fathers son, what can i do to find out if i have this laying dorment in my body waiting to one day claim me. I think about it a lot n im terrified that could suffer that same fate please any info n help would be appreciated , I've been recently waking up at night in my REM stasis where i can talk or have any motor function and its scaring the hell out of me please dont tell me in starting to have signs of ALS!

 

[Clearwater AL]

Mike, no one here could really tell you much without being more specific about the physical symptoms you have during the day and at night. Do your symptoms come and go? If you can, share some more detailed info concerning your symptoms.

 

[Kosmoskatten]

I am not a doctor, merely trying to help.

You say that you wake up from your dream sleep (REM) unable to move. Sleep Paralysis is associated with anxiety and sleep apnea among other things.

Go see your GP and describe your problem.

 

[Nikki J]

Hi Mike. I am so sorry about your dad.
To address your concern that you have inherited ALS. Familial ALS is rare. Only 5 to 10 percent of ALS falls into that category. If you do not have other ALS relatives then your dad probably had so-called sporadic ALS which is not something you need to worry about so please put it out of your mind. Most FALS families have multiple members. In the past 15 years I have lost my mom 2 aunts and an uncle to our gene defect. My sister has ALS now. Mine is a common FALS scenario.

 

[Barbie]

Mike, listen to Nikki--she knows what she is talking about. I am sorry about your dad's death...it sounds like it really affected you deeply. Even though it has been 3 years, you could still be dealing with grief. I would kindly suggest you see a counselor for a short time just to try and work things out. Your dad would want you to move on with your life.

 

[lgelb]

Mike,
I would see a sleep specialist and get an overnight study done. There are medication options for parasomnias if you have one, though addressing your fears may help as well. Meanwhile, if you haven't, you might consider one of the "calming" herbal teas and your favorite tunes on a sleep timer at bedtime. I would also make sure that any allergies, congestion, environmental discomfort or pain that might be affecting your sleep are fully addressed. Like the others, this does not sound like ALS to me.