Do I have ALS?

[nique]

Hi, im not one to post things on forums like this but I am really concerned with the symptoms im experiencing. A few months ago I gave my dog a flea treatment on the following day I pat her in the area where I administered it, at the time I was suffering from hay fever and I stupidly rubbed my eye, a blister formed in the white part of my eye. The eye was red, a had a pressure feeling but no pain. At the time I wasnt thinking straight and I didnt even wash out my eye (really dumb I know) but I didnt think much of it because within 20minutes the eye was back to normal. Few days later I experienced a pressure feeling in my eye, it would come and go. I seeked medical attention but they said it was fine.

6 weeks after that my vision because blurry and the pain (pressure feeling) was constant. I had a full eye examination done and everything came back good, they said absolutely nothing wrong with my eyes. Then a week later my eyes began to twitch and my head felt tingly. Iv had 101 blood tests done and a ct scan everything has come back good. My doctor doesnt believe my symptoms are related to the flea treatment because of the time in between the initial exposer and the vision problems.

Now im experiencing mental fogginess, im having a hard time concentrating and remembering things. I have a hot tingling feeling at the back of my head, my face, neck & shoulders but especially my arms are feeling heavy, weak, hot and tingling. My vision is still blurred and my eyes are still twitching. I feel uncoordinated when I walk and my legs are beginning to feel weak. Im hardly sleeping and have no appetite, since all this has started iv lost 8 kgs.

Im really worried because my symptoms are progressing but my doctor doesnt think its the flea treatment. The chemical in the flea treatment is fipronil it disrupts the nervous system by blocking GABA- gated chloride channels and glutamate-gated chloride channels resulting in central nervous system toxicity. After researching ALS I read a glutamate chemical imbalance can cause ALS. Im suffering extreme anxiety not knowing and so much frustration because I feel like my doctors and family arent listening to me. If anyone has experienced similar symptoms as me please let me know. Could I have ALS?

 

[Nikki J]

Hi sorry for your symptoms but they do not sound at all like ALS. I hope you get some answers from your doctors but I am quite sure they are not here.

BTW it is not accurate to say glutamate imbalance CAUSES ALS. Except for genetic forms no one knows what causes ALS. Yes, for many with ALS glutamate is a problem. That is the theory behind Riluzole but if it were the cause we would be cured by now

 

[nique]

Hi thank you for your response. Im sorry if I offended you by saying it can cause ALS its just what iv read (and who knows what accurate on the internet). Im sorry to hear that you and your family suffer from ALS. I literally just found out about it and was so shocked something like this existed, they really do need to find a cure.

 

[nique]

Update since the other day

The hot tingly sensation in my head has now turned numb, even my brain feels numb, I cant brush my hair or hold my phone, its too strenuous. My arms have become numb as well as my stomach. Iv still got feeling in my legs but its weak. Im getting random twitches in my arms and legs and my throat and tongue are loosing sensation. Facial twitches are still present. Im shocked on how quickly this is progressing. Am I still wrong to think this is asl?

 

[Atsugi]

Nique, you definitely did not describe anything to do with ALS.

I can't diagnose what you might have, because I'm not a doctor. But I know ALS fairly well and you haven't said a word that would lead me to think about ALS.

If it is too strenuous to hold a phone, you need to see an MD.

 

[nique]

Hey Atsugi, thank you for your response, iv got more tests coming up hopefully ill be able to get some answers then. Once again thank you for replying.