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Bobby36

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Joined
Nov 20, 2014
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2
Reason
Learn about ALS
Country
US
State
GA
City
Atlanta
I am an otherwise healthy, active, and slim athletic type 36 yo male. I appreciate and respect those who are battling ALS. Any information from those who have and know this disease is welcoming. Thank you for the opportunity to post my question/concerns.

SHORT STORY: This all started about 2 weeks ago.
I have had 2 weeks of weakness/stiffness (maybe perceived, not sure) to the back of the left wrist and hand with some fatigue, with stiffness to the small and ring finger. The hand seems tense on the associated small finger side. Occasional burning sensation, not always, yet when present, it is to the back of the left hand with stiffness still to the small and ring finger, worse with movement, such as when typing or doing manual work. I’m not sure but think there has been some cramping to the left hand too, and sometimes a “twinge” of pain when pressing on the “ulnar wrist” I believe?

Dexterity is worse after typing for a bit (this scares me). I still retain full range of motion, but it seems tense/stiff as if the fingers are having a hard time with the A, S, W, Shift keys. I can perform these tasks, but it seems stiff. I have an occasional popping sound to the back of the left hand when closing to a fist, but NOT every time, yet it seems worse at the end of the day or night. No trouble with grip strength, I don’t think, other than perceived weakness… but I‘m not sure. I am constantly gripping stuff to test it and constantly opening and closing my fingers in paranoid fashion.

I also have some jaw tension on both sides making me wonder if I am having trouble speaking. I have a dry mouth. I’m still eating and drinking without difficulty though. This seemed to start with the onset of fear associated with “looking up” ALS, not prior that I can remember. There is left foot stiffness just above the outside ankle, comes and goes, kinda sore with walking. I’m still walking fine tough. I have a crampy feel to the left lower front shin. Ultimately the main concern is the left hand. I’m VERY ANXIOUS (don’t doubt this is related) and I seem to feel anxiety ridden with constant fear of ALS for the past week.

I am wondering if these are early onset type symptoms or am I being overly anxious?

LONG STORY:
The reason I post the long story as well is because this is when I started my fear of ALS and my associated symptoms. I don’t want to overlook the left hand/finger stiffness, but there are other components to the story which make me think I’m just crazy. This all started 2 weeks ago:

Tue Nov 4th, I went to the Chiro for the first time for right lateral neck pain and right tennis elbow, which has been ongoing for over a month now. It is painful. I had minimal, but some relief with the deep tissue palpation stuff, and had neck spine manipulation as well. I’ve never had this before, yet there were no complications and it seemed to feel good. This is NOT why I’m posting here.

Thu Nov 6th, returned to Chiro 2 days later for repeat neck manipulation. I immediately noticed a twinge in my left lateral neck after the manipulation. I had never had this pain before. I left the office with a crick in my left neck per say. I then went on to work that same day with no real issues. The plus side, the right neck was no longer a real bother.

Later that evening after work I was home and sat around scrolling on the ipad, nothing unusual. I was using my left hand, like always. After a short time I was then lying in bed reading on the ipad when I noticed a warm, burn sensation per say, to the back of my left wrist and hand. It felt like my wrist and back of the hand was slightly stiff, but I could still move it fine, it just felt stiff. The symptoms seemed very similar to what occurred over a year ago to my right hand and wrist, which has been on and off with some associated numbness and tingling at times, but lately much better. I freaked a bit, thinking “weakness”! I immediately looked some stuff up (not the best thing I know) and quickly started thinking of ALS = weakness. This started my train of thoughts for the past 2 weeks.

A few days later I was now noticing some “weakness” or heavy feeling in my left arm with very faint tingling. I attributed this to a pinched nerve in the neck from the Chiro manipulation, but was still freaking about ALS. Further looked up ALS and realize these are not the symptoms, I do get that. That evening I began to notice a slight burn/warm type of feeling with some mild pain while walking. It was to the left dorsal foot, just above my outside ankle. By this time though, I am freaking and every little movement is making me think ALS. I can walk fine, but I started thinking “foot drop” as a sign of ALS. I also remember kind of twisting my ankle on a 5 mile run a week or so back, but continued to run…and work days after with no issues.

The next day, Tue Nov 11th, I began a loading dose of oral prednisone for my tennis elbow. I’ve never taken this medication before. I felt a little on edge, but nothing crazy. I was still having the left wrist stiffness and left leg heaviness and foot twinge. That night I was VERY anxious, as I have been about all this, BUT WORSE. I googled all kinds of stuff and ultimately came up with a MAJOR concern for a vertebral artery dissection from the Chiro doing the neck manipulation. Maybe this was causing all my tingling, numbness, heaviness, stiffness, etc, as I had explained ALS away. I had no headache though. I barely slept that night. The next morning I awoke in a panic and headed to the ER.

A long story continued, I had a normal exam along with a normal CT angiogram of the neck, showing no dissection. I felt drastically relieved and thought this must be a small pinched nerve or some neck inflammation from the muscles.

That day I continued my prednisone, which was now day 2. After the second dose, both my calves and basically my legs felt crampy, with spasms. This progressed to my back and neck. I was CRAZY ANXIOUS and VERY TENSE. My neck was so stiff and my jaw was tight. I started thinking about ALS again and bulbar symptoms. I was freaking out. I tried a few beers that evening, but nothing would help me relax. I felt like I had just consumed 6 cups of high test coffee.

So that night I finally fell asleep and awoke a little nervous with my continued symptoms. I vowed the prednisone was not for me and I could just use Motrin instead. I went to breakfast with my brother in law, still a little tense by the way. I started feeling like my jaw was tight, on both sides and chewing was causing fatigue. I started really freaking out about bulbar ALS symptoms because I also had the left wrist stiffness and now making my left small and ring finger feel stiff. I thought it felt weak, but my brother in law swears the strength with my grip was actually better than my right, and I am right handed. So basically, he elicited no weakness.

So that was 5 days ago and throughout I have continued to freak about ALS symptoms. I feel my jaw feels tense on both sides, but it seems to come and go. No one tells me I am slurring my words, although it feels tight when I talk. I can swallow without difficulty. The foot thing comes and goes and seems associated with pain, so I kinda stopped worrying about it. But…my left hand still feels tight and stiff at times. I feel like I my small finger and ring finger feel stiff, but I cannot tell if this is perceived as weakness. I can still grip things fine. When I type, like right now after all this jumble, my left wrist and the back of my hand burn making my small and ring finger feel like they’re not typing well, very stiff. I can still move my fingers with closing to a fist and opening just fine. Sometimes, but again not sure because I now have such an acute awareness for symptoms, I feel a popping sensation in the back of my hand.

I have no idea what this is, but fear ALS because of the stiffness and maybe weakness. Do people have these symptoms at the beginning or earliest signs of ALS? Stiffness to the small and ring fingers with back of the hand/wrist stiffness? Maybe a perceived burning?
 
Bobby, prepare yourself. You don't have ALS or anything like it. Of this I am absolutely certain.
You might have a pinched nerve somewhere, but I'm not a doctor. I know ALS fairly well, but can't diagnose anything else at all.

I discourage using chiropractors. See a medical doctor.
 
Stiffness, tightness, burning, warm sensations, twinges and pain are not signs of ALS. You mention frequently your ANXIETY. My suggestion is to stay away from google and this forum. Worrying about ALS only makes your anxiety worse. Nothing sounds like ALS. Nothing.
 
I am sorry for posting, yet very appreciative of the feedback, especially given my long post. I promise to give back and pay it forward. I'll show myself out now...thank you.
 
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