13yearsago
New member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2015
- Messages
- 8
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- Fl
- City
- Miramar
Hello everyone. My name is Ana. I am new to the forum, but I lingered for a long time at the old braintalk.org forums 13 years ago.
This is my story: In 2001, during a trip to Italy, I noticed that I couldn't pull my luggage. My shoulders and arms felt as if they had lost their strength. Following that, other symptoms showed up: muscle pains, twitches, some slurring of my speech, and clumsiness. I felt that my hands and feet were "thinning", so I started seeing all kinds of doctors for a diagnosis. I saw some of the top neuros in US, 3 of them in Miami, and one in Baltimore. At that time, they did many tests: nerve conduction studies, EMGs, etc, and nothing. I was diagnosed with depression, and given paxil Before the symptoms, I didn't have a reason in the world to be depressed, but after, I have to say, I did feel frustrated and depressed. After much struggle trying to get a diagnosis, I quit seeing doctors in 2003, and decided to let "whatever this was" show itself. My symptoms continued for some time, and then slowed down, having cramps, muscle pains and clumsiness from time to time, but not debilitating. My balance has always been somewhat off, and sometimes I have trouble pronouncing some words. My life was quite normal otherwise.
Fast forward to September 2014, I started developing a new symptom: double vision. In the beginning I thought I had a bad prescription, then it was clear that was not the reason. I visited a neuro ophtalmologist for answers, but he couldn't find any eye disease. Since September, gradually, my muscle twitches have come back, along with the muscle pains, just as before; burning pain throughout my body, pins and needles, and more loss of balance. I am also yawning a lot, and I have abnormal reflexes in my knees. I am very worried. I've heard from some people that they are misdiagnosed for a few years, but their progression has continued until they're finally diagnosed, but I have not heard of anyone whose symptoms went dormant for so many years and then flared. Please share your experiences with me. Thank you. Ana
This is my story: In 2001, during a trip to Italy, I noticed that I couldn't pull my luggage. My shoulders and arms felt as if they had lost their strength. Following that, other symptoms showed up: muscle pains, twitches, some slurring of my speech, and clumsiness. I felt that my hands and feet were "thinning", so I started seeing all kinds of doctors for a diagnosis. I saw some of the top neuros in US, 3 of them in Miami, and one in Baltimore. At that time, they did many tests: nerve conduction studies, EMGs, etc, and nothing. I was diagnosed with depression, and given paxil Before the symptoms, I didn't have a reason in the world to be depressed, but after, I have to say, I did feel frustrated and depressed. After much struggle trying to get a diagnosis, I quit seeing doctors in 2003, and decided to let "whatever this was" show itself. My symptoms continued for some time, and then slowed down, having cramps, muscle pains and clumsiness from time to time, but not debilitating. My balance has always been somewhat off, and sometimes I have trouble pronouncing some words. My life was quite normal otherwise.
Fast forward to September 2014, I started developing a new symptom: double vision. In the beginning I thought I had a bad prescription, then it was clear that was not the reason. I visited a neuro ophtalmologist for answers, but he couldn't find any eye disease. Since September, gradually, my muscle twitches have come back, along with the muscle pains, just as before; burning pain throughout my body, pins and needles, and more loss of balance. I am also yawning a lot, and I have abnormal reflexes in my knees. I am very worried. I've heard from some people that they are misdiagnosed for a few years, but their progression has continued until they're finally diagnosed, but I have not heard of anyone whose symptoms went dormant for so many years and then flared. Please share your experiences with me. Thank you. Ana