Apologies in advance, I have read the stickies

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GreenPurple

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Joined
Apr 10, 2014
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Reason
Learn about ALS
Country
IRE
State
Leinster
City
Kildare
I never thought about ALS up until about 2 weeks ago and since then I have started to feel the symptoms. I am constantly fatigued and had a twitch under my right eye for 5/6 days. For the past 5 days my left arm has felt heavy but not in pain, as has my left leg. I must also mention that the day before these symptoms came about I was out shopping all day and walked for 5/6 hours, only eating food at 1:00 p.m, only to go on to drink roughly 15 units of alcohol that night with minimal sleep. I've spent most of the past 3/4 days asleep trying to get back to normal but that hasn't helped. I went to the doctor and he says that I have trapped a nerve in my neck from the way I slept and that's causing the sensation in my arm, but said nothing about my leg. That's as much as I can think of, if I remember anything I'll add it but thank you to anyone who reads and responds!
 
Hi --

Glad you took the time to read the stickies :)

So, by now you already know that the odds are heavily in your favor that ALS is not on your list of likely diagnosis.

>I went to the doctor and he says that I have trapped a nerve in my neck from the way I slept and that's causing the sensation in my arm, but said nothing about my leg. That's as much as I can think of, if I remember anything I'll add it

Most of us have been diagnosed over months, even years, as we work through the elimination of other possible explanations for a common family of symptoms:

-slurring swallowing issues
-clinical fatigue, usually in a specific limb
-foot drop, and the list goes on

One thing seems common to me about folks who are anxious about a possible ALS diagnosis: anxiety :)

I'm actually not joking, ALS is such a scary thing that it seems easy to get worked up simply by the fear of it.

I think it's reasonable to talk to your doctor about your concerns and to read every post in the "do I have ALS" forum. Every post.

Realize again, the odds are heavily in your favor that you will live a normal life and not have to deal with the monster we know as ALS.

Keep us informed of how your diagnostic process proceeds.

Kind regards,

Max
 
Thanks Max!

I think what I'm really looking for is just a definite 'you don't have ALS' and I totally agree that a lot of it probably does come down to anxiety, however, that won't stop me from worrying about it as I know but your words of reassurement do go a long way in helping me!
 
Just trust your doctor's GreenPurple and not so much the internet. Read posts and then take a break so your anxiety doesn't get out of whack. Do you have an history of heart problems since you are experiencing everything on the left side? People seem to always want to run right to the diagnosis of ALS when it could literally be millions of things and often something minor that can be treated or managed. Best of luck to you. Kim
 
GreenPurple, you don't talk of anything that sounds at all like ALS. My guess is that your self-diagnosis is probably correct: a day of overexertion followed by too much drinking, followed by minimal sleep--I'm certainly in no position to cast the first stone on that one and, as in my past experiences, I think your symptoms will resolve themselves over time. If I had those symptoms, I'd probably give it a few weeks and then re-assess. (Or I'd see my chiropractor as I have a rib that slips our of place and simulates a pulled trapezius.)

Of course, if the pain in your left arm gets worse, then the heart has to be considered and a revisit to your PCP may be in order.
In the meantime, relax, stop trying to get a diagnosis from the internet and just be happy you don't have this disease.
 
I cannot thank you all enough, I've never really been affected with anxiety like this but even the reassurance you are giving me helps so so much!
 
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