Many weird symptoms

[Fistuccio]

Hi everybody and thank you for the time and effort you spend in answering our anxious questions.
First of all I need to say that I have never been hypocondriac and never really worried about health in general as I have always been healthy.
It all started in august when I had a few nightsweats and a couple of days when I was fatigued.
I didnt give it much thought and I felt good within a few days so I forgot about it.
Later on this year though, around the end of october all hell broke loose:
I had even more profuse nightsweats, extreme fatigue in my legs (or weakness) , bloodshot eyes and intense photophobia, dizziness, some lymphnodes were raised and painful, a sort of lump in the throat and a clicking noise when I dry swallow, fasciculations epecially in my legs but also in my arms and torso.
I know that some of these sx might be caused by anxiety, since after my first week into this I started thinking of any possible disease that causes this.
So I went to several specialists to try understand the cause of it all.
So far I have perfect blood exams, no hiv or any other std, also lymphoma or any other cancer has been ruled out by a Ct scan, I had 2 neurologists visit me and said that I am fine but still one of them said it will ask for a Mri with contrast just to rule out Ms.
So, my question to you friends is, should I ask for a Emg in case of a clean Mri? And also, given these sx, do you think this could be Als?
Sorry if I was too long :smile:

 

[Nikki J]

No I would not ask for an EMG since you have no symptoms pointing towards ALS and many symptoms that have nothing to do with ALS. Twitching, as we constantly say, is so non specific as to be meaningless. Since you have had things like HIV ruled out I would think of the likelihood of this being a post viral syndrome which can last for a long time

 

[Fistuccio]

Thank you for you quick reply, its also worth mentioning that I was in Nicaragua for 3 months this year so I will also look into some tropical diseases causes, maybe lyme of some other.
The thing is though, I would think something would show up on the bloodwork if it was related to something either viral or bacterial. I also have problems emptying my bladder completety, and maybe because of this I had a urinary tract infection last year. One more thing that makes me worry is that I stumble on my right foot at least once a day since a few months now. I didnt give this much thought before but it all seems to be connecting now. I also have hypnic spasms that wake me as im falling asleep. I really dont know, maybe its Ms...

 

[Lkaibel]

You don't ask for EMG's if you actually need one. The Doctors order those in a hurry I think these days if they feel it is needed. Best wishes in finding the cause of your issues, but it sure does not sound like ALS.

 

[Fistuccio]

Thank you guys, I'll definitely find out whats up, meanwhile best wishes to you all

 

[Teppo]

I agree no point in asking for EMG. Italian medicine has a very good international reputation and odds are you are in good hands. I also agree this does not sound at all like ALS. Still, recurrent night sweats are abnormal and often associated with HIV (ruled out) , lymphoma (seemingly ruled out), and tuberculosis (TB). Your travel to Nicaragua could have put you in contact with persons with TB. It's a long shot (unlikely), but TB can rarely involve the central nervous system. Have you been tested for TB? (Skin test if never had BCG anti-TB vaccine; blood test if you have had BCG).[

I am sure you are anxious, as you state. Everyone on this board would be if they experienced what you have. Anxiety about a problem doesn't imply at all that the problem is anxiety...

Good wishes,

T

 

[Fistuccio]

Hello again, its funny how fate seems to work its strange ways sometimes : today I went to the dentist and I started describing my situation to him, hoping it would have something to do with teeth, maybe an infection or something like that. Well it turns out its got nothing to do with my teeth, but incidentally my dentist went through exactly the same sx I have, down to the very last one; he told me he also was going crazy with anxiety over possible terrible diseases, he then found out it was all caused by his cervical spondylosis, which I know I have from some x-rays I had done last year. I didnt think it could affect me so much and in such a wide range of sx. In a few days I'll get the Mri which should confirm this, and then I'll start to work on it so I can get out of this situation. I just hope it really is this, so I can finally put my mind at ease