19 year old with symptoms of ALS

[stan1996]

Hi my name is Stan i am a male and lately i have been dealing with symptoms wich seem to be the exact same of that of ALS.

my first symptomwas a fasciculation in my left tricep, didn't pay much attention to it until the next week my left arm felt weaker: normal objects feel heavy to pick up.
now my left leg is pretty weak as well and i have trouble talking sometomes9 it kinda feels like i have 2 tongues or something). i also experience a bit of cramping in my toes and my hands seem to be stiff especially in the morning. in also got 'body zaps or shocks'. this all developed in a matter of three weeks. and i am affraid i have ALS because my symptoms are exactly alike and i cant find any other diseases that would have these symptoms. i already went to the doc who did some global testing like: heart rate, brisk reflexes and stuff, she said everything was normal and i was way to young to have ALS and told my my symptoms were caused by anxiety and stress and reffered my to a psychmatic physiotherapist, because i have had anxiey disorder and my parents are gonna devorce etc.

so here is why i think i have ALS
- i am a very active person and ALS seems common in athletes
- ALS seems to be more common in males which i am
- i have the exact same symptoms

here is why i might not have it:
- doc's tests were clear
- i am 'to young' (although it seems like it is not htat rare in young people)
- i have anxiety
- i have stress

could anyone tell me if this could be ALS or is it just in my head or due to other factor?

 

[stan1996]

edit: some people also told me i was limping

 

[Nikki J]

You do not have the exact same symptoms. Not remotely close.
It is EXCEEDINGLY rare in 17 year olds and those cases are almost all genetic with a parent and other relative having also had ALS at a young age
ALS is not " common" in any group other than people with a documented family history and genetic defect. There does seem to be an increased incidence in professional athletes not 17 year olds who are participating in sports
You have a very smart doctor. Follow her advice
Read the stickies for this sub section. You should have posted here instead of scrolling down to the PLS section. You don't have PLS either

 

[FamilialALS?]

Stan please don't waste any more time here. You do not have ALS. Your doctor pointed you in the correct direction. Spend your time on therapy, this site absolutely will not help your issues.

 

[stan1996]

thanks alot for the replies, i did read the sticky for new members but my symptoms seem so familiar and it's going trough my mind constantly. i will see wath the therapy can do for my and work on my anxiety.

 

[affected]

Stan you have NO exact symptoms of ALS, you are just interpreting them that way.

You have the exact same symptoms as someone with very high anxiety however.

 

[stan1996]

again, thanks for the replies

but i just read that people got bit by a thick and get ALS long after this and it has something to do with it. well i also got bit by a thick some time ago and forgot to mention that i also have little muscle spasms. and i also read that a mom on this forum ahd a child with ALS as young as 16 years old and one was 18 years old so this is still freaking me out.

 

[Nikki J]

The tick is Lyme story is common and in my opinion wrong. Lyme is considered a mimic by some and is one of the things that is ruled out by blood test for many.

I am not sure what stories you are reading here about ages. There is one current poster where her young son was given a possibility among other things. This is not at all confirmed diagnosis. I do not know who else you mean. There was someone who posted briefly claiming to be a teenager with ALS. They also claimed to be familial which I already told you accounts for almost all the teenage ALS cases rare as they are. Unfortunately you can not be sure that people represent themselves truthfully here and I have some doubts about the validity of that case anyway.

You should not be reading these things. You are clearly not understanding fully or thinking critically perhaps due to anxiety. This is a very bad place for you to be. It is feeding your fear

 

[stan1996]

okay, just got my psychomatic physiotherapist on the Phone for an appointmant and i told her withmy symptoms were and she said anxiety caused all of them except for the mouth but that might be in my head ten because it's seems to be gone sometimes. i thin im gonna get an EMG just to be 100% sure because if that would come out clean i would be so relieved

 

[Atsugi]

Getting an EMG is:
1) A waste of time and money.
2) Just a way of pretending ALS is a serious possibility, which it isn't.
3) An insult to the doctor and to those who have ALS.

If you had a backbone, you would confront your anxiety and cancel that EMG.

 

[Green Queen]

Stan please trust your doctor.

In my country it was just reported that 46 MILLION dollars is wasted every year on unnecessary tests.

Please, the money spent by the American tax payers on an unwarranted EMG could help someone with a real disease.

 

[stan1996]

okay, went to another doc yesterday he had 37 years of experience and said the youngest person he had seen with ALS was 52 year old. he also said the fascilatiosn i ha were almost as normal as breathing(i knew that already) and said my symtpoms did''t point towards ALS. did a blood test and will get the results Wednesday. doctor says hes 100% ertain it will be clean as well. he also said it is pretty much impossible for me to get ALS. so this will be my last post and i think am gonna join a anxiety related forum and stuff. thanks for all the replies and farewell!

 

[Green Queen]

Awesome news Stan!
Great decision about a forum for anxiety.
I am sure you will find it very beneficial.
All the best for a long, healthy life.
Janelle