Hi all. Advice needed

[Emmag]

Please excuse the length of this post in advance. I'm 38 yo female and two weeks ago my tongue began twitching at the tip on the left hand side. This has continued ever since on and off but always when I wake up in a morning and if I have an afternoon nap. Most of the rest of the time it does not twitch. I had an issue a few years ago with some limb weakness which I stupidly Googled and found out about als/mnd and of course bulbar onset so when my tongue started twitching this immediately crossed my mind. I decided not to worry about it as I had a holiday coming up so I thought if it was stress/anxiety it would wane on holiday. Unfortunately it is now being accompanied by what I deem as slightly slurred speech. Not slurred in the usual sense but I seem to be having a harder time getting some sounds out. My tongue strength is still very good and can move side to side very quickly and tent my cheeks and move all around my mouth but it does continue to twitch. As silly as it sounds I thought it might be my whitening toothpaste that was causing the speech difficulties but I have changed my toothpaste so it can't be that. I went to see my gp today who looked at me like I was a lunatic and did a very rudementry physical exam he said testing my cranial nerves and could find no problem and blamed it on anxiety.

Again I'm sorry for the length of this post and to be asking for help with this but I'm at my wits end I'm now scrutinizing everything I eat and drink worrying it will come down my nose or cause me to cough!

Thanks in advance Emma xxxx

 

[Atsugi]

Hi Emma.

First, don't worry about ALS. You have not any reason to think about ALS in the slightest.

It's difficult to find someone who understands the tongue. I tried several doctors and found my dentist was the smartest one. Perhaps an ENT?

But so far, I don't any reason to think it's anything but anxiety of some sort. So just ask yourself--what has changed in my life?

Your tongue muscles all work, so their controlling nerves are getting signals OK. As to slurring, do other people notice it?

I should add that I'm not a doctor, and anyone--even a doctor--who attempts to diagnose you over the Internet is wrong to do so. Those are just my thoughts. I don't know medicine, but I know ALS fairly well, and I don't see it in your post.

 

[Emmag]

Mike thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It's 5am here in England and I'm awake worrying about this even tho I didn't go to bed till 1am grrrrr. I keep telling myself if it was als it wouldn't have progressed that quickly from noticing a tongue twitch to a few days later my speech becoming altered! Nobody else notices my speech, or if they have they haven't said anything, I just feel like I'm going to spit when I'm talking too! I hope this is just because I'm on high alert and actually thinking about speaking instead of it just being a natural process like it normally is. I was prescribed some proprananol for migraines a while ago and never took them apparently they're good for anxiety too so I'm going to start taking them today and see how I go on.

Thanks again for your reply. I hope you're doing OK. Why does this hideous disease continue to kill people in 2016?????

Lots of love and best wishes Emma x

 

[affected]

I hope you can calm yourself soon emma.

My husband died of bulbar onset ALS and it was nothing like you describe. Sadly many people read things online and then imagine that what is happening to them is the same, when it isn't really.

All the best.

 

[Emmag]

Thanks Tillie. I'm sorry to hear about your husband. Your right the internet is a double edged sword. I wish I could unknow what I know and just let these symptoms run their course! I thought I'd cracked it today. My speech was OK this morning but is steadily getting worse again . The thing is I have UK private medical care through my husband's company so I could see a neurologist tomorrow but I don't want to waste anyone's time if it's not necessary. Thanks again xxx

 

[affected]

Staying on this site for hours on end is the worst thing you can do. Go see someone right now and admit your fears and get helps for your anxiety.