Status
Not open for further replies.

kmax19

New member
Joined
Jun 30, 2015
Messages
4
Reason
Other
Country
UK
State
london
City
london
Hi, I'm a 36 year old woman. I've been having worrying symptoms for a few weeks now. It started with cramping in right thigh and calf muscles, with an aching right arm. These symptoms were accompanied with twitching all over my body.
A couple of weeks ago, the muscle between my right thumb and forefinger was noticeably twitching for a few minutes which then lead to my thumb and finger involuntarily moving by themselves for a dull day. This stopped. But ever since my whole arm, hand and fingers have been aching and cramping.
I sleep terribly and wake up very stiff in the morning. My legs ease up a little once I'm up and about, but always have heavy, aching legs and body wide twitching. My arm constantly aches and it's getting more difficult to get my hands into a fist position.
I've seen my GP. He carried out some tests on my legs and said all was normal. No brisk reflexes etc. he has referred me to a neurologist.
My worry is that these symptoms are the start of als. Can it present in this way and can als still be possible with a normal clinical exam?
 
Please confine your posts to this subofrum. Please also read the sticky post. no it is not possible to have a diagnosis of ALS with a normal exam. ALS is upper motor neuron disease found on clinical exam plus lower motor neuron disease clinical exam and EMG. Your symptoms do not sound like ALS to me. See what the neuro says but don't worry
 
Last edited:
Thank you for your reply.
Can I ask, if the GP checked only lower limbs, would something have been detected, even though I'm experiencing a lot of symptoms in my right arm?
 
If you have a problem confined to an area that was not examined then no it would not be detected but since you are having symptoms in multiple areas and some were examined I would not worry. I am sure the neuro will do an appropriate exam
 
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Is it unusual for als to present in more than one place at once and random twitching in many areas?
 
>> cramping right thigh calf muscles -- very common, not an ALS symptom
>> aching right arm -- ALS doesn't ache
>> twitching all over my body -- too common. Not a sign of ALS
>> finger involuntarily moving -- ALS doesn't move at all
>> whole arm aching and cramping -- again, ALS doesn't ache
>> wake up very stiff -- very common. Not a sign of ALS.
>> legs ease up a little -- ALS would NEVER ease up.
>> a normal clinical exam -- then it's not ALS.

First, you don't have ALS. Of that I am really sure.
I don't know what you've got, as I'm not a doctor. But we know ALS really well, and we're all saying you don't have it.

Second, all your symptoms are very common complaints, but none of them are ALS symptoms. ALS is a brain disease that destroys only the motor neurons that tell our muscles to contract. So when you have ALS, a muscle simply will not work. There is no aching or pain or heavy feeling at all; it just won't contract.

As to your last question: No. ALS does not present in multiple areas at once, and it doesn't involve twitching all over. It strikes one muscle--paralyzes it--then moves to the next muscle, proceeding up the body from the feet, or down the body from the hands. Twitching, if it occurs, involves the next muscle to be paralyzed, not all over.

But again, twitching is so common it isn't diagnostic of anything.
 
Thank you both for time, I really appreciate it. Your replies have made me understand a bit more. I'll sit tight for my neuro appointment.
 
He carried out some tests on my legs and said all was normal.

There's your answer...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top