Good afternoon,
Just a little background on myself-I'm a 30 year old male with active Crohn's/colitis-but no flare ups for over 2 years- (diagnosed at 13 years old) and have been on Imuran/Mercaptopurine (6MP) for over 17 years.
In 2009, I started getting muscle twitches all over my body. I went to a neurologist who gave me an EMG/NCV and said nothing indicated MND.
In 2011, the twitches got worse. He again gave me an EMG/NCV and again said nothing indicated MND.
On January 8th, I really hurt my back shoveling snow. I couldn't move without getting a huge stabbing pain in the right side of my back. After about a month, it went away.
In early February, I noticed a small pain in my neck, which still somewhat comes and goes.
In mid February, I noticed the ring finger and pinky finger on my right hand were aching. A few days later, my middle finger ached, and the muscle that goes straight down the middle finger seemed stiff. A few days later (late February), my thumb really started to ache as well. The best way to describe the ache is a cramping kind of ache, and it feels like it's on the "back of my hand" wrist area up to my top knuckle on my thumb. It aches the most when picking up a glass of water or doing things of that nature.
A few days later, in early March, my left hand ring finger, middle finger, and pinky started to ache. About a day later, my left thumb started to ache. The aches are now in both hands in at least 4 fingers (even the index finger is in on it every now and then).
I've also noticed that in the last month, it's more difficult to "stop on a dime" on my right leg. For example, I'll be walking and have to take an extra half step to stop myself because it feels like I'm about to fall. Also, the twitchings are still here yet, 5 years later (they occur all over the body).
Update: I am having more symptoms. Essentially, in both hands and arms, anything I do with them, there is a dull aching pain while completing the task. It could be something as simple as writing and I have a dull aching pain in my hand and fingers, especially the thumbs.
The more alarming thing that has started in the last 2 weeks is my tongue & throat. My tongue also now has an aching pain (particularly while & after talking and eating), and when I talk, it feels like someone is pressing a finger up against my throat, making it more difficult to speak. I also am having dull aching pains on both sides of my neck while & after using my neck to turn my head, etc. Lastly, I've been awakened the last 4 nights by a jaw jerking thing-I'll either be sleeping or about to fall asleep and my lower jaw will suddenly jerk (I awoke myself once when I bit the tip of my tongue and started to bleed).
Any help on these aches and symptoms would be greatly appreciated. I'm still deathly terrified this is ALS
Thanks everyone!
Just a little background on myself-I'm a 30 year old male with active Crohn's/colitis-but no flare ups for over 2 years- (diagnosed at 13 years old) and have been on Imuran/Mercaptopurine (6MP) for over 17 years.
In 2009, I started getting muscle twitches all over my body. I went to a neurologist who gave me an EMG/NCV and said nothing indicated MND.
In 2011, the twitches got worse. He again gave me an EMG/NCV and again said nothing indicated MND.
On January 8th, I really hurt my back shoveling snow. I couldn't move without getting a huge stabbing pain in the right side of my back. After about a month, it went away.
In early February, I noticed a small pain in my neck, which still somewhat comes and goes.
In mid February, I noticed the ring finger and pinky finger on my right hand were aching. A few days later, my middle finger ached, and the muscle that goes straight down the middle finger seemed stiff. A few days later (late February), my thumb really started to ache as well. The best way to describe the ache is a cramping kind of ache, and it feels like it's on the "back of my hand" wrist area up to my top knuckle on my thumb. It aches the most when picking up a glass of water or doing things of that nature.
A few days later, in early March, my left hand ring finger, middle finger, and pinky started to ache. About a day later, my left thumb started to ache. The aches are now in both hands in at least 4 fingers (even the index finger is in on it every now and then).
I've also noticed that in the last month, it's more difficult to "stop on a dime" on my right leg. For example, I'll be walking and have to take an extra half step to stop myself because it feels like I'm about to fall. Also, the twitchings are still here yet, 5 years later (they occur all over the body).
Update: I am having more symptoms. Essentially, in both hands and arms, anything I do with them, there is a dull aching pain while completing the task. It could be something as simple as writing and I have a dull aching pain in my hand and fingers, especially the thumbs.
The more alarming thing that has started in the last 2 weeks is my tongue & throat. My tongue also now has an aching pain (particularly while & after talking and eating), and when I talk, it feels like someone is pressing a finger up against my throat, making it more difficult to speak. I also am having dull aching pains on both sides of my neck while & after using my neck to turn my head, etc. Lastly, I've been awakened the last 4 nights by a jaw jerking thing-I'll either be sleeping or about to fall asleep and my lower jaw will suddenly jerk (I awoke myself once when I bit the tip of my tongue and started to bleed).
Any help on these aches and symptoms would be greatly appreciated. I'm still deathly terrified this is ALS
Thanks everyone!
