Very Worried

[veryworried12]

I am a 38-year old female. Over the past couple months, I’ve had some concerning symptoms and am hoping some of you can shed some light on whether they may be indicative of ALS. My right forearm and bicep feel very week and are easily fatigued and often sore as if I’ve done an intense workout, even though I haven’t. I have not noticed any loss of strength or dexterity, or any visible atrophy in my hand, but if I use my hand for repetitive motions, I feel my forearm becoming weak and shaky and it will often be sore for a couple of days afterward. Even holding my right arm on the steering wheel while driving or holding my e-reader with my right hand will cause my hand, wrist, forearm, and bicep to become weak and shaky. My right bicep has been twitching visibly for the last few weeks.

Also, things like reaching for something, twisting, or even stretching when I wake up in the morning will often cause a muscle in the area I’m stretching or twisting to cramp, then feel fatigued, and then be sore for a couple of days afterward as if I’ve pulled a muscle. I pretty much always have muscles that feel fatigued or stiff with no explanation. Besides my right arm, I’ve had muscle cramping, fatigue, and stiffness in my back (low and mid on the right side), my right shoulder, the back of my neck, my calves and ankles, and my hamstrings. Two or three times over the past couple of months, both of my hamstrings have been so stiff that I can’t walk normally for several days and have to use a heating pad, but I’ve never been able to come up with an explanation for it (no intense workout, new or different activity, etc.). Running up the stairs will make my leg muscles burn and I’ll be out of breath. None of this is typical, as I am very active and fit.

I will readily admit that I suffer from anxiety, and since I started becoming concerned about ALS, I have been hyperaware of these symptoms. However, I had the symptoms before ALS was on my radar, so I can’t chalk all of it up to anxiety.

I do have an appointment with a neurologist scheduled for two weeks from now. I was just hoping to put my mind at ease a bit during the wait. Please share any thoughts you may have.

Thanks in advance for reading this and I wish you all the best.

 

[affected]

Honey, at the top of this forum section, just below the button you used to start this thread is a link that says 'New members: read this before posting'.
We call it a sticky. Please go and read it because it answers all your questions in detail.

In short, I am really happy to tell you that you don't have any ALS symptoms in your description, so that really great news.

The soreness, and feeling weak really point away from ALS.
Twitching muscles aren't diagnostic of anything.

I would really encourage you to go to your doctor and explain your anxiety so that you can get help.

The most helpful thing will be to stop reading anything on this site, I mean really don't read another thing here. Also do not let yourself google symptoms as you are scaring yourself without any medical knowledge of what you are reading.

All the best

 

[Atsugi]

VeryWorried, in case you need a second opinion, I totally agree with Tillie. You don't have any signs of ALS. --Mike

 

[veryworried12]

Hi affected and Atsugi,

Thank you so much for your prompt and reassuring responses. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my post.

I did read the sticky before posting, and it was very helpful. I noticed the part about leaving the forum gracefully when told that your symptoms don't point to ALS, and I'm prepared to do that, but I just have a couple of things I wish to clarify.

I read an American Academy of Neurology publication that was posted somewhere on this site. It was about diagnosing ALS vs. MG. A couple of statements that struck me were:

"Most patients with ALS will present with the chief concern of asymmetric weakness affecting a limb."
"Muscle cramping is a common symptom in ALS and motor neuron disorders in general. Cramps may be quite painful and bothersome and occur after a contraction of the involved muscle or at rest... a simple twisting movement of the torso can precipitate muscle cramps involving the trunk. The cramping tends to be more severe during the early states of the disease..."

So, I have asymmetric weakness affecting a limb (my right arm) and I have muscle cramping from simple activities like stretching or twisting.

Why would these symptoms not possibly be indicative of ALS?

To be clear, I'm not questioning your knowledge or intentions, I'm just trying to put my mind at ease.

Thank you again for your replies.

 

[Nikki J]

By your own report you have no clinical weakness but rather feel weak which is different. I am weak but feel nothing.
Cramps can happen to anyone
Good luck with your neurology appointment I hope it puts your fears to rest

 

[Atsugi]

>>forearm and bicep feel very week and are easily fatigued and often sore== Not ALS. ALS doesn't feel weak, fatigued or sore.
>>not noticed any loss of strength== Then it isn't ALS
>>for a couple of days afterward== ALS never lets up. In ALS, once a muscle weakens, it cannot come back.
>>bicep has been twitching visibly== Twitches can be so many things that they are diagnostic of nothing.
>>can’t walk normally...have to use a heating pad== ALS isn't helped by heat, or anything else.

As to the articles:
"Cramping" == Cramps, like twitches, are very common. Don't jump from a common symptom to a rare disease.
"Asymmetric weakness" == This means true clinical weakness, not feeling weak. You see, in ALS, the MOTOR nerves in the brain become destroyed, one by one, in serial fashion, usually moving upward from the nerve that serves the foot muscles or the hand muscles. Since your muscle doesn't get the signal to contract, it doesn't work (ever again), and you fall over. That muscle just lays limp, useless, paralyzed. It doesn't feel weak or sore at all. It just doesn't work.

"Why would these symptoms not possibly be indicative of ALS" == "Possibly" is a very stretchy word. It's possible to have ALS. Your symptoms are very common complaints to a doctor, and they can point to a whole LOT of possibilities. ALS is only diagnosed after everything else (hundreds of diseases) have been ruled out.

You are much, much more likely to have a vitamin deficiency. You don't have ALS. Frankly, it would be a waste of resources to test you with an EMG, but your neurologist might possibly give you an EMG just to give you peace of mind.

I hope you can please put your mind at ease. We can't help you with anxiety or worry here, and we can't diagnose what condition you might have, because we're not doctors. But we know ALS better than most doctors do, and you don't have it. Good luck.