Is this ALS or not?

[Joseph.khatam]

Hi everyone, I think I have become paranoid lately regarding my symptoms. Well first of all, it all started with inflammation and wide spread joint and tendon pain. I started having cracking sounds in my joints and different parts of my body joints started to look red and pink in color. My GP was diagnosing me for RA or other joint inflammatory diseases.

However lately, I started getting these random twitches in different parts of my body which come and go. The twitches were obvious to the eye and I could see the muscle twitching. The twitch started on my left arm for a brief moment and I started feeling twitches in different parts of my body like my thighs, chest, eyes. They all occur randomly and happen very briefly. They hardly last for more than a minute.

Is this a symptom of ALS? My doctor said these are not all symptoms of ALS as ALS does not have primary symptoms such as inflammatory joints and tendons. She said that the disease is so rare and especially for a 19 year old such as me while RA is more possible.

I just wanted some reassurance or opinions regarding this matter. My main question is this joint pain and inflammation at all connected to ALS? Its just the brief and random twitches which annoy me a lot and makes me think of ALS. I read that ALS does not cause random twitches that migrate around randomly.

 

[Nikki J]

Your doctor is correct. The inflammation you describe is not part of ALS You are correct that random migratory twitches are not ALS ( indeed twitches of all kinds are common and should not worry someone as an isolated symptom). Read the sticky post for this section if you want more information. Good luck with finding a diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately you can cross ALS off your list

 

[Atsugi]

Joseph, in case you wanted another opinion:

Ditto what Nikki said. You don't have any reason to worry about ALS.

 

[Joseph.khatam]

Thanks for you help Nikki.

I have just few last questions to ask:
1. It seems like these twitches are not ALS twitches since they occur very randomly in very different places. But I still dont understand, how do ALS twitches feel like? Do ALS twitches last long or do they just occur briefly for a few seconds? The sticky post for the section says that nobody gets a twitch in one place for one second, then a twitch in another place later in ALS.


2. Last of all, do ALS patients get burning sensations in their muscles which cause redness in the skin?

Thats all, and thanks for your help

 

[Annie's Phil]

1). The fasciculations (twitches) that occur with ALS are due to the spontaneous firings of the denervated muscle fibers as a consequence the motor neurons supplying those muscle fibers dying. As the disease progresses, more motor neurons die and consequently the parts of the body supplied by those motor neurons also become denervated which lead to the spread of the fasciulations. Thus, they don't randomly appear as transient events in various areas.

2) No. Muscle soreness can result from lack of mobility (greatly helped by range of motion exercises), but is not a direct effect of ALS. It certainly will not be manifest as skin redness. Again, lack of mobility can lead to pressure sores, but that occurs when patients are incapable of adequately changing position.

You do not have ALS. Your Dr. is correct. Nikki is correct. Mike is correct.

Be well.

 

[affected]

Hi Joseph

What works best is that you describe what is happening to you and we can tell you whether it is how ALS starts. If we spend all our energy describing what it is like to you, guess what your head does to you? I bet you can answer already - it makes you think you are starting to experience what we said. The mind can be our own worst enemy sometimes.

You don't describe ALS at all which is wonderful news.

Twitches - firstly they mean nothing, they are not diagnostic of anything. If you are worried about twitching you don't have ALS. Anyone with ALS are suddenly falling over, unable to hold things, or unable to speak and swallow properly. That is failing

If you had read the sticky you would now know that PALS do not get burning sensations and skin redness.

Three senior members have answered you now, that's the most you can ask for here. All the best working with your doctor

 

[affected]

ooops I change that - you have now had answers from four senior members.

Not many people in this section get that many senior member answers, so you should feel totally confident now. If you don't please join a health anxiety forum, they may help you.

 

[Joseph.khatam]

Thanks for the help everyone. It just bugs me that I keep getting this widespread twitching in different parts of my legs. Today it has been going for a while. And I feel that my legs are a bit weaker than usual, and they are shaky in a way. So is my left arm. I dont know if it is because of the joints or the muscles.

 

[Atsugi]

Whatever it is, Joseph, it isn't something we can help you with. Good luck to you.

Thread closed.