Scared that I have ALS

[Jakesmom]

The past few months I have been having crazy symptoms and I'm really concerned. I have anxiety and my doctor has chalked it up to that. I have muscle spasms, mostly in my shoulders and neck. Terrible headaches, that I have contributed to stress. My muscles feel weak and just don't feel like they work correctly and for the past week my muscles have been twitching. The twitching is everywhere, not confined to one limb and it is not constant. My eyes are even twitching and my jaw muscles feel sore. I feel like I'm fumbling for words and I mis say words. I am completely scared and don't know what to do.

Thanks

 

[ShiftKicker]

I am wondering what sort of treatment your doctor has prescribed with regards to your stated stress. Even if you are worried about having a terminal disease, it sounds like a wise decision would be to start treating your stress and anxiety first. Once you get a handle on what sounds like overwhelming anxiety, it might be easier for your doctor to tell if any symptoms you have are something of medical concern. Anxiety and stress can be so overwhelming and can absolutely cause physical distress.

Nothing you have written here jumps out as a Motor Neuron Disease. This is in no way a dismissal of your physical symptoms, but I don't think you belong here.

Best wishes

 

[Jakesmom]

She has addressed my anxiety in the past, I have been on medicine for almost a year now. Everytime I go to her with something she blames it on anxiety. Thank you for your response!

 

[starente15]

If you feel like your doctor is dismissing you, have you thought about seeing someone different? Do you feel that your anxiety medication is working? If not, might be a sign to follow up with that doctor as well. Agree that I don't see anything that resembles ALS.

 

[Twitcherama]

The headaches don't seem related, but muscle twitching and speech problems COULD be a sign. It's not DEFINITELY a sign, though. There is something called Benign Fasciculation Syndrome that has similar symptoms – lots of muscle twitching – without the subsequent progression. My initial neurologist thought that's what I had, but he did refer me to another neurologist specializing in ALS. Definitely treat your anxiety (I'm on lots of drugs for it!), but if you want to go deeper, see a neurologist. They'll tell you whether you really need to be concerned or not. If you do see a neurologist, they may want to conduct an EMG test. It's not the most fun of tests as they poke you up and down the body with needles reading the electrical energy in your muscles. It's not an instant result; I had three of them over 6 months before being finally diagnosed.

Good luck, and I hope it is not ALS.

 

[Jakesmom]

I went to a neurologist and he ran a clinical exam and didn't feel it was ALS or MS. In fact he didn't say he thought it was anything. Can a clinical neurological exam rule out ALS?

 

[Jakesmom]

Still having symptoms and they seem to be getting worse. I still twitch, it's not constant but it is everywhere, my tongue even sometimes twitch. My muscles hurt and feel exhausted, and cramping a little. My doctor agreed to an EMG, but I'm just so scared. Any insight is helpful.

 

[Nuts]

I hope against hope that the EMG comes back normal. I'd rather have you seeking answers than having this one.

In the meantime, there is absolutely no point in worrying about ALS. I know is sounds ridiculous, but either you have it or you don't. Looking back, my husband had signs several years before he became alarmed and sought an answer. I'm ever so grateful that we didn't know three years earlier what he was facing. It would have ruined several good years for us.

Certainly I'd look for reasons for your symptoms. Do that. Just try to enjoy life as you do it. Seriously. You can do NOTHING until you have an answer, and if the answer is benign, you'll have wasted time you'll never get back. If the answer is ALS, you'll have wasted time you'll never get back.

You have the test set up. This is all I can offer in the meantime. There really isn't any other insight to offer. You are letting your doctor do her job--which is the right answer. The only other thing I can advise is that you be persistent about your symptoms, but resist the urge to offer diagnosis. That's your doctor's job.

Best wishes,
Becky

 

[skipper66]

I suffer from anxiety. None of these symptoms that this poster has described in anyway shape or form resemble anything that would lead one to even remotely in my opinion even come close to thinking it is ALS. Everything they described I have personally experienced. It is all stress and anxiety related and I wasted thousands and thousand of $'s going to doctors thinking it wasn't. I personally think it is wrong since we aren't Dr's to continue to make any suggestions to this poster then for them to follow up with their own personal physician and to get a counselor to help them deal with their stress and anxiety. They might have some minor health issues on tops of it. But, there is no ALS in this picture. Zero. Absolutely without a doubt zero. I'm not a expert on ALS but I know anxiety when I see it and all the symptoms. Stress and anxiety can do almost anything to one's body. This person is a example of just that scenario. Being on here is causing them way more harm then good and they should sign off. I'm sorry they are having issues but this in not the place for them to be.

 

[preacherman]

But, there is no ALS in this picture. Zero. Absolutely without a doubt zero. I'm not a expert on ALS but I know anxiety when I see it and all the symptoms.

You state that there is no ALS in the picture... 'Absolutely without a doubt'.

Then you proceed with 'I am not an expert on ALS'...

Please, this is not a personal attack; I just get so weary of seeing these types of statements.

I do not personally believe that ALS could be involved in this case, but to say 'absolutely without a doubt'.....

The first Neurologist I went to did a complete neurological exam and finished with a cause: 'Abulia'; If anyone does not know what that means... google it.
He prescribed fluoxetine (Prozac).

I had been referred to this Neuro by my GP... he had had a CT scan performed because of my unexplained lightheadedness and a mild aphasia. His concern had been mild stroke.

I did have a tremor so the first Neuro referred me to a second (but mainly for the tremor).

The second neuro, thought the neuro exam was not overly concerning except for balance issues and a lack of reflexes in certain places.
Her thought... neuropathy.

Based on that, she scheduled an EMG.... it was only after the EMG was there even any thought about ALS at all. (at least for the doctors... between the time of the exams and having the EMG, I had noticed that the thumb muscle on the heel of my left hand had a twitch... about every 10 or 15 seconds... all the time; I had also noticed the tongue fasciculation).

If I had come to this forum and mentioned my symptoms before the EMG I would, no doubt, have received the same feedback.
Lightheadedness, weakness and fatigue with some tasks, tiring muscles, mild aphasia, mild difficulty with swallowing at times, trouble concentrating and an inability to focus on tasks at hand.
Fast forward a year (though I believe in carma about making certain statements so I try not to do so)..... I can still walk, I can still use all of my limbs and digits, I can still do whatever I could do 5 years ago... though with much, much more difficulty.

While I do not believe there is any cause to fear ALS in this person's situation, and I believe that anxiety is a large cause of many of the symptoms listed, I would never be so bold as to say there is no chance whatever of this being ALS.