strange symptoms worried for als

[nida1976]

Hi all my name is Nick 39 years old with 3 lovely kids.
first of all i want to apologige for my english i hope u can unterstand what i have to say.
I had two uncles from my mothers side that died from ALS in age of 50 and 49 .
Now i started having some strange symptoms and i am really terrified.
My first symptom was Fasciculations in my both calfs and toes for more than 3 weeks now constantly they never stop also i get some sporadically in hands in my back and in other parts of my body just for few seconds then they go away.
Second i feel pain in diferent parts of my body especially in my left calf and thigh that comes and goes over time.
third i notice that my left calf is weaker than the right one, also my knee i think there is some muscle loss there.
fourth i feel really weak mostly in legs i am getting tired easilly and they hurt after a short walking.
i went to 2 neurologist first one after the physical exam said there is nothing to worry about now everything looks ok.
the second one also did the physical exam and also nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test in my both legs but not EMG test because he said there is no reason to do it now, physical examination and NCV test was also normal from the second doctor.
My problem is that i cant relax because every day i feel weaker in legs and i think i am loosing muscle especially in legs and knees, also i get pain (evey time i am walking) in my legs.
i also lost 5-7 kilos in last two weeks.
My concert is about my symptoms and probably if its too early from a doctor to diagnose since its only 3 -4 weeks since my symptoms started.
i would really appreciate your opinions for my case.
Thanks for your time really looking forward for your replies and suggestions !

 

[Nikki J]

Hi Nick. I am sorry to hear about your uncles. Is your mother their sister ( same mother and father?) and is she still living and without neurological issues? It seems like there is a genetic issue but if your mother is still well there is at least a 50 percent chance she did not get the gene. If she did not you did not. If she was it your chance is only 50 percent.

Now your symptoms. If you read the sticky you know. Twitching is common in otherwise healthy people. Pain is not generally an early ALS sign
Feeling weak is not the same as clinically weak
It is very difficult for you to tell accurately whether you have any atrophy.
So 2 neurologists found no weakness and no atrophy? Very good signs. If they were worried at all they would have done more tests

 

[nida1976]

Yes my mother is their sister she is still alive 59 years old and healthy yes from same mother and father.
clinically weak how can i unterstand that ?
about atrophy i measure my both legs in same spots and can see the difference.
we did all the blood tests and all was ok

 

[Nikki J]

Clinical weakness would have been determined by your doctors. The second paragraph of the sticky talks of clinical weakness.
If your mom is 20 years older than you and well that bodes well for your genetic chances.

It does not sound like ALS to me from what you have said but more importantly it did not seem like ALS to 2 neurologists. You speak of legs feeling weak ( legs plural) but apparently not clinically weak ALS affecting both legs in one months time would be so fast progressing as to be undeniably obvious. Speak with your regular doctor and see what they think

 

[nida1976]

thanks Nikki J for your reply as u can imagine i am really desperate

 

[nida1976]

Hi all again, on monday i had my EMG test and doctor said it was normal exept he found a possible old broblem on L1 nerve root and he said that fasciculations can be probably from that.
Still have some questions though.
Is it possibly too early for EMG to find the problem since its only 3 weeks since fasciculations started ?
Two days after i did my EMG my left hand also started having fasciculations 24/7 and also in my left side of my neck.
My legs are getting worst every day and i get tired very quicky.

 

[Atsugi]

Congratulations, Nick. I am glad to hear that your EMG was normal.

It is not too early. EMG will show ALS before any symptoms show up to your eyes.

Getting tired legs does not mean ALS. Work with your primary care GP doctor.

 

[nida1976]

Thanks for your reply Atsugi !
As you can understand i am still worried bebause of my weakness in legs and because of fasciculations spreading in other parts as in my arms.
today was really hard to climb the stairs to my second floor and i am getting really anxius.

 

[Atsugi]

Nick, again, ALS does NOT "feel" weak.

Twitches and fasciculations are very common, even in healthy people. They are so common that they are not diagnostic of anything.

There are many reasons why you find it really hard to climb the stairs. Get it checked out by a doctor. While you're waiting for your doctor, don't worry about ALS.