bulbar onset...?

[justanother]

ive been having strange, but unrelated symptoms the past year or so, and since they're unrelated to als or anything like that i'll leave them out.

im in college at the moment, and i think it was about the third week in (mid-september) that i started noticing i was having some trouble speaking. it's like my throat is just completely exhausted all the time but it kind of feels like it's my tongue a lot. i was doing a work shift today and i thought for the hell of it i would look at my tongue in the mirror. i stuck it out and, wouldn't you know, it was quivering. im freaking out because i feel like this coupled with my speech means bulbar onset. i have not had any trouble swallowing yet, but i don't know if that is always present. i will point out i saw a neurologist the other day and he said most of my symptoms accumulatively pointed towards lack of sleep, stress/anxiety, and an issue with serotonin. i still don't know how this could possibly explain the tongue and speech issues, though. i brought up my speech issues but didn't say anything about the tongue because i hadn't really noticed it, it's not often i stick my tongue out and look at it. i tried looking at it while resting in my mouth but i can't tell if it's still moving around because it's fasciculating or because im trying to hard to watch it/am already paranoid of it moving that i am moving it without thinking or realizing it.

he said i don't have any muscle weakness or anything like that, as he tested all of my muscles. he also looked at how i walked and it was normal. the thing that bothered me was he pointed out that when i put my two hands stretched out in front of me, like im telling a car to stop, that my hands kind of move around. not dramatically, but definitely noticeable for both me (i can feel/tell) and when he was looking at it. i also, separately, got my vitamin levels checked and my vitamin D is below normal.

it's just really frustrating. i was joking with my friend earlier and i tried making a joke but when i spoke, i just could not enunciate the two words separately and they ran together into some kind of mess. since then i've been almost completely silent due to the fact that i hate listening to myself mess up my speech.

i also have had muscle twiches/fasciculations all around my body for a couple weeks now.

im really scared, i mean im not even old enough to drink yet. can someone help me please?

 

[justanother]

can't figure out how to edit, but i would also like to point out that i am not usually or currently under a lot of stress, nor do i drink a lot of caffeine, i don't smoke and i don't drink.

 

[Nikki J]

You clearly did not bother to read the please read before posting sticky. It addresses tongue twitching specifically. And even resting tongue twitching is generally benign

 

[BlueandGold]

Not old enough to drink? Way too young for ALS. Also, speech difficulty in ALS would be noticeable to everyone around you. It wouldn't be occasionally messing up a couple of words. If you saw a doc and he didn't comment on your slurred speech, then you don't have slurred speech.

Enjoy your youth.

Vince

 

[Atsugi]

"i saw a neurologist the other day and he said most of my symptoms accumulatively pointed towards lack of sleep, stress/anxiety, and an issue with serotonin."

I didn't read any ALS in your post. And Vince is right. If you're not 21, you shouldn't even THINK about ALS. We're in our 50s.

From your description, the neuro was thorough and knowledgeable and not concerned in the least about ALS. That ought to do it.

If you don't trust your doctor, get another one.

But in the meantime, don't worry about ALS. You don't have it.