Worried

[Jimmy4]

Sorry to bother everyone because just want to ask questions about symptoms.... My right bicep started twitching for many days about a month ago... I feel as if I have weakness in my left leg and lately a lot of different body parts of mine has been twitching like my left wrist and my left calf as well as thighs, these twitches come and go but do happen (also my right eye) mind you this as only been happening for a month or so and I can still workout and lift only 22 years old I do notice tho that my left arm has a little less muscle mass then my right ... Again sorry to bother everyone but does anyone think I should be worried about ALS?

 

[Jimmy4]

Also I feel when I lay down to go to sleep I cant breathe as well as when I'm sitting up..

 

[Jimmy4]

Just have been stressing myself out about it and want some guidance on my symptoms and if anyone thinks its ALS as well as learn about the disease itself

 

[lgelb]

No. ALS is about weakness, not twitching. Balance your electrolytes and have a good life.

Best,
Laurie

 

[Atsugi]

Jimmy, I moved your thread to the appropriate subforum called Do I Have ALS. Please confine your posts to this thread in this area. Thanks.

 

[Jimmy4]

Thanks Mike sorry about that... So just cause I have some body wide twitches and seems as though a little weakness in my left arm as well as a little less muscle mass you don't think I should be worried about ALS ...? I feel general weakness in my left arm but yet I can still weight do weight lifting ...

 

[Atsugi]

The key is that you "feel" that weakness.

ALS is a disease in the brain that destroys the nerves that take the "go" signal to a muscle. The muscle never gets the signal to contract, so you can't walk or pick up a coffee cup. There's no feeling of weakness, fatigue, etc. The muscle just can't go. Ever again.

Twitches are so common to so many conditions that they are meaningless for diagnosing ALS. Even healthy people twitch.

 

[Jimmy4]

Thanks Mike I appreciate all the info and the quick responses.... So basically ALS weakness is not feeling like you can only do 10 curls instead of 20 its like not even being able to pick up the weight or even pick up a fork to eat?

 

[Atsugi]

"ALS weakness is not feeling like you can only do 10 curls instead of 20 its like not even being able to pick up the weight"

Right. Although you have many muscles in your hand, when one of them is paralyzed and the others take up the slack, you can tell the difference. But there's not a feeling of weakness.

 

[Jimmy4]

When you say that Mike you mean that ALS could paralyze a muscle in your hand but the other muscles could make up for that muscle that is paralyzed?

 

[Jimmy4]

Quick again so my symptoms of left arm/hand weakness and the sense of it looks like there's a little less muscle mass on my left arm then my right as well as body wide twitches do you think that points to ALS enough to worry about it?

 

[Atsugi]

There's dozens of muscles in a hand. But if a pinky was limp, you'd know it. Other muscles, maybe not so much, but people have said they could def tell the difference.

Muscle mass needs to be examined.

But all this is a waste of time. You really should go now. We need to give our time to people who have ALS.

 

[Jimmy4]

Ok sorry about the waste of time Mike, just wanted to know if you thought these were big signs pointing toward als