Help me please....so scared anyone

[salsajas1]

3 years ago I started with bad headaches, vision problems, and my legs would twitch every now and then. Then a couple of months later my joints began to hurt in both my hands......I noticed every now and then i would skip a breath and would take deep breath to compensate. Now my muscles on legs and arms hurt and are sore alot. Last month I had a pain at my elbow that almost felt like I hit funnybone bone and weakness began to radiate to my hand. At same time while I slept both hands would become numb and when I wake up in feel like ants are all over hands , it takes about 10 minutes to get rid of this every morning. Now I'm getting chest tightness and slight pain. Lower back hurts almost at kidney location both sides......they did email last November and it was good.......but now I'm scared it's ALSO OR MS please help.....scared have newborn 11 month old.

 

[salsajas1]

These are new symptoms along with brain fog, and slight confusion.....

 

[Nuts]

As Mike told you last summer, these are not symptoms of ALS. Have you gone to a doctor yet?

 

[salsajas1]

Yes saw neurologist she did email on legs and arms, did mri w/wo contrast, and battery of tests. Unfortunately I lost my insurance because I am partially disabled through VA so I don't even qualify for obamacare. I'm stressed because now I have to wait for months to see doctors at VA hospital. Please help me relief some anxiety and so scared of ALS or MS

 

[Atsugi]

"Unfortunately I lost my insurance because I am partially disabled through VA so I don't even qualify for obamacare."

That's a weird one. Doesn't sound right. Lots of us have VA and other insurance.

What percent disabled are you at VA? Are you P&T? What priority group--1 or 2 or...?

As for ALS:
3 years ago <> if ALS caused you to have symptoms 3 years ago, the odds are that you would be dead or terribly disabled by now.
bad headaches, vision problems, <> has nothing to do with ALS.
legs would twitch every now and then. <> don't concern yourself with twitching. It's very common to many conditions, so twitching is not diagnostic of anything. Even healthy people twitch.
my joints began to hurt in both my hands. <> this isn't a sign of new onset ALS.
skip a breath and would take deep breath to compensate <> problem, but not the new onset of ALS.
muscles on legs and arms hurt and are sore alot. <> pain, ache, sore: Not a symptom of ALS.
pain at my elbow <> again, not ALS
weakness began to radiate to my hand <> This might be a problem of some sort.
while I slept both hands would become numb <> Happens to everybody when they hold their hands in the wrong position during sleep.
when I wake up in feel like ants are all over hands <> That's the nerves in the hands waking back up from being squeezed all night. I hate that feeling, but it has nothing to do with ALS.
I'm getting chest tightness and slight pain <> Not ALS.
Lower back hurts almost at kidney location both sides <> Very much nothing to do with ALS.
they did email last November and it was good <> What do you mean, "email"?
11 month old. <> congratulations!
brain fog, and slight confusion <> ALS does not do this.

SalsaJas1, I see no reason to think about ALS.

 

[salsajas1]

I am 65 % due to hearing loss and amputation of left pinky...I tried getting insurance through healthcare.gov was denied due to medical coverage through VA. I appealed and was denied again for same reasons. I run a catering business so only other Avenue is private but too costly, they wanted
And average about $875 monthly to cover just me. My wife and kids were able to be covered through healtcare.gov, but not me. Very disappointed that a ten year vet and can't even get descent insurance......

 

[salsajas1]

Sorry neurologist did emg in November said looked good other than slight abnormalities in my lower foot towards toes....

 

[salsajas1]

Oh yeah and white card they give you at VA to supposedly use if appointments take longer than 30 days is nonsense, they have to be pre-approved and they get around that by saying they have clinic and emergency room. So white card is useless....

 

[Atsugi]

Glad to hear about the EMG being good. I'm not seeing ALS in your future, so I would just say try to relax while you're waiting. Frankly, I think you've got a LOT of the signs of stress, anxiety. But don't take my word for it, since I'm not a doctor. Be sure to bring up all your symptoms to a GP medical doctor.

 

[salsajas1]

Mike what you mean by questions you put problem?

 

[Atsugi]

You said "weakness" was moving into your hand. Probably you mean that you have a weak feeling and you are unable to do as much with your hands as you used to. Lots of things could cause that. I would only worry about ALS if one of your fingers suddenly stopped responding, laying limp and totally useless, with no "feeling" behind it. Even then, there would be other causes. I don't think you need to worry about ALS, though.

I think you should see a GP medical doctor and describe all of your symptoms. In my naive, uneducated mind, it seems to me that your body has been reacting to some stress or anxiety for awhile. Changed jobs? Got married?

 

[salsajas1]

I'll try not to post post anymore but my anxiety is at all time high...just left hospital after spending two days...with chest tightness and mild shortness of breath. They thought heart related did cath nothing.. I have also noticed slight muscle twitching on right calf, right hamstring and left hamstring, slight numbness or riggt calf comes and goes,facial itching at night especially around nose, now I have lump sensation on throat again like something is stuck....I find myself clearing my throat alot. My vision is blurry at times and eyes feels pressurre, I also feel slight numbness around outside of eyes closed to cheekbones, extreme fatigue, trouble sleeping, left hand slightly weaker than right ....I find my hands go numb if I rest my elbows on anything, get that ant tingly feeling. I get pain on outside of left elbow and radiates to hand making it hard to pick up heavy things because I'll get pain. Headaches alot, slight confusion at times, and short term memory loss, anxiety and depression due to undiagnosed....I can also hear my heart beating in ears.joint and muscle pains on most joints come and go...wrists, knees......bones feel tender.....maybe not related but alot of gas.. no trouble walking...can walk on tiptoes toes and heels painful but can do it fine. Please forward last time I need several experts to weigh in on this. I have no insurance using VA so worried...primary symptoms that started 2 1/2 plus years ago was joint pain, headaches, and fatigue.... they have done 2 mris, spinal tap, emg last yeareply on hands, legs, and feet, and countless of blood tests nothing. Please put this to rest ......

 

[Atsugi]

The question of ALS is already put to rest. Your anxiety prevents you from seeing that.
Again, I'm no doctor but it seems like your anxiety is really bad. Might wanna have your GP fix that.

 

[salsajas1]

Mike I have appointment next week with primary care but honestly with what you've seen and experienced this sounds nothing like ALS right... I'm just scared I've been through so much please be specific I could use some peace right now...This has been a difficult journey trying to figure this out...

 

[Atsugi]

This is pretty specific:
As for ALS:
3 years ago <> if ALS caused you to have symptoms 3 years ago, the odds are that you would be dead or terribly disabled by now.
bad headaches, vision problems, <> has nothing to do with ALS.
legs would twitch every now and then. <> don't concern yourself with twitching. It's very common to many conditions, so twitching is not diagnostic of anything. Even healthy people twitch.
my joints began to hurt in both my hands. <> this isn't a sign of new onset ALS.
skip a breath and would take deep breath to compensate <> problem, but not the new onset of ALS.
muscles on legs and arms hurt and are sore alot. <> pain, ache, sore: Not a symptom of ALS.
pain at my elbow <> again, not ALS
weakness began to radiate to my hand <> This might be a problem of some sort.
while I slept both hands would become numb <> Happens to everybody when they hold their hands in the wrong position during sleep.
when I wake up in feel like ants are all over hands <> That's the nerves in the hands waking back up from being squeezed all night. I hate that feeling, but it has nothing to do with ALS.
I'm getting chest tightness and slight pain <> Not ALS.
Lower back hurts almost at kidney location both sides <> Very much nothing to do with ALS.
they did email last November and it was good <> Good EMG
11 month old. <> congratulations!
brain fog, and slight confusion <> ALS does not do this.