Worried about my husband.

[Paige521]

My husband has been experiencing some numbness in his hands and complains about it feeling like it is "asleep." He also says there will be times when it will cramp up. He has had times where buttoning a shirt has been difficult or will simply drop something out of the blue. He has been experiencing this for about 2 years now. He says this happens about 3 times a week. It isn't constant. As far as he can tell it hasn't gotten any worse, or spread to other body parts. He is very active, currently serving in the military and can complete PT tests and still workout in the gym, but does struggle with being able to hold and grip things. His grip strength in his left hand is not as strong as it should be.

He had an appointment with a neurologist yesterday where they did a NCV test. He was told that his nerves weren't responding as quickly as they should be. After seeing how his nerves were slower he also tested the nerves on the leg, which also had a slow response time. We were surprised by that, because he hasn't noticed anything happening in his legs. Also, he is 25 years old. So it was concerning. The doctor then did an EMG test. All of this is new to me, but that test seemed to be a little more normal.

The doctor seemed confused by what was causing this,but said he doesn't believe it would be anything like ALS. That hadn't crossed my mind, until the doctor had said that. Now I am fearing the worst. I suffer from anxiety, and I can only ask my husband so many questions about it before he starts getting irritated with me. But I need a sense of peace or if we should really be concerned about ALS. There are so many different answers with how ALS progresses. My fear would be that since my husband is so young, maybe it could just be progressing slowly. I really hope this doesn't come off insensitive, because that is the last thing that I want. I am just always concerned with the health of my husband. The doctor had said he is thinking about referring my husband to duke medical to get checked out. Which did not help my fear of the possibility of this serious disease.

Thank you all, so much.

 

[GregK]

The doc said no, the emg confirms.

Numb hands is not ALS.

Not progressing after two years is not ALS.

Listen to your doctor.

 

[Paige521]

Thank you. I think what had me concerned is someone had told me that an EMG could not determine if someone had ALS. It really means a lot that you took the time to respond. Thank you.

 

[GregK]

There is a very specific set of indications in an EMG that flag ALS.

 

[Paige521]

Okay. Good to know. Thank you. I wasn't as concerned until he has told me at one time for a few days buttoning his uniform was a struggle, and that he just couldn't get his hand to do it. He said it was hard to describe how it felt. I guess another neurological problem could cause something like that? That's probably the worst it's ever been. Which was about a month ago. Now it is back to just happening a few times a week and not as severe.

 

[GregK]

ALS doesn't come and go.

Good luck chasing this down.

 

[Paige521]

Thank you for the help. Hoping we figure it out soon.

 

[lgelb]

Hi, Paige, if it was the nerve conduction test that was abnormal and not the EMG, it is most likely not ALS. But given what you describe, by all means, get a referral to Duke and find out what he is dealing with. Most likely it is treatable, and so the sooner you know, the faster it can be addressed.

Best,
Laurie

 

[Paige521]

Thank you. We are waiting to see the results of a blood test. Since he is military, sometimes being able to get answers is hard. He needs to get a referral from an on base doctor before he is aloud to be seen off base. It took him over a year to convince his on base doctor that he needed to be seen by the neurologist. Hoping they make the next step easy for us. I am a worried mess about him, and hoping they don't drag this process out.

 

[Nuts]

Paige, Duke is a wonderful place. By all means, press for that referral. Wishing you the best.
Becky

 

[Paige521]

Definitely will be pushing for it. I think we have to wait until the blood work comes back before we can do so, just in case those results lead the neurologist to an answer. Luckily his symptoms have been minor than what some other people seem to have experienced, but the not knowing what is causing it, or if one day it could get worse is definitely a fear I have.