Concerned

[Milloman]

Hi to all , I am a 53 year old male who has always been very active ,had a physical job supporting young Autistic people and lived life to the full , on Christmas day 2016 I woke up with a dull ache in my back and thought nothing of it but as the days went past I didn't feel right so much so that by end of first week of January I went to my local hospital , they done the basic tests and told me most probably Musco skeletal , I wasn't convinced and was back there again a couple of weeks later where I had a CT scan which showed a bit of arthritis ,In Feb I had an Endoscopy which showed a small Hiatel Hernia and Gastritis ,however it did not explain why I was feeling so jaded ,tired ,not much energy , as time has gone on I have had numerous and quite varied symptoms ,have had bad headaches, tinnitus, buzzing in ears, constipation,diarrhea,all that seem to come and go ,numerous trips to GP and back to Hospital ,had MRI of head which was clear , in last couple of months hands and fingers shaking , head feels like it has got compresser in it at times , back and stomach pain which is constant especially in back ,breathless , nervous (scared to drive) , and have lost 40lbs in weight additionally I have twitching in my left calf and stomach ,I have relayed my fears to both GP and at Hospital and all they say is I am suffering from stress and Depression !!!!Thoughts and advice please -Thank you

 

[Firefighter58]

I assume you asking if it sounds like ALS, the answer is no. I have not experienced any of your ailments.
Al

 

[Milloman]

Thank you for your reply , my first symptom was a dull ache in back and I know from what I have read pain is normally not an initial symptom , worried about the weight loss but again is that a symptom , I am eating ok and maintain an appetite ,thank you again for any advice

 

[Clearwater AL]

Milloman, you have written that a doctor and the hospital have said you are suffering from stress and depression. The folks at the hospital are doctors too. So that's more than one.

As Al posted above your symptoms are clearly unrelated to ALS. Weight loss could very well come from your issues of constipation and diarrhea or many factors unrelated to ALS.

Pause for a moment with relief it's not ALS. Work with your GP and others but delete ALS from your concerns. Next year or several months from now if anything changes... check back.

Hope your health concerns eventually get resolved.

 

[Milloman]

I don't accept the stress and depression diagnosis ,that's what they say but they cannot give me a reason for the back and stomach pain/weight loss/Fatigue/twitching which is worrying -I accept that ALS doesn't usually start with pain but symptoms seem to have got worse in past couple of months -am just concerned the GP /Hospital are missing something as I don't feel right,

 

[lgelb]

If you do not have confidence in your GP, you are within your rights to find another. I should think also that if you have lost 40 lb unintentionally that your GP would have referred you to a gastroenterologist. Do persist so that can happen.

Best,
Laurie

 

[ShiftKicker]

While you may be absolutely right about it not being stress and depression, there is no way the folks here can help you either way. You need to go to a specialist in such things.

My experience with this type of issue is the following: I was diagnosed with "depression" because of my symptoms. I was placed on a waiting list for a psychiatrist who specialized in somatoform disorders (ie: people who may have a brain glitch causing physical issues). I went to him because I did not want to be considered uncompliant or a difficult patient, and I was also willing to accept my symptoms were being caused by stress- and I wanted to move on and get better more than I wanted to be right. My goal was to improve or find appropriate treatment for my symptoms and I was willing to try anything. I was not willing to deny myself the opportunity of even partial relief because I didn't want to accept what the doctors were telling me. By the time I ended up at my first appointment, I was showing very obvious neurological symptoms and the psychiatrist informed me regretfully that it was not "all in my head" after a few sessions. I wish I had a somatoform disorder.

Anyhow, while you may be reluctant to accept the idea that depression and anxiety are causing your symptoms, the ONLY way you are going to know for sure is to go to someone who can help weed out physical vs mood. If you outright deny this component of your health, it means you are not ready to explore all your options- only the ones you THINK you need to explore. You will very likely come across as someone not willing to actually receive treatment because you are fixated on ALS- which will usually cause a doctor to stop listening. It may not be right, or terribly professional, but doctors are also human. If a doctor is presented with a person who appears to be in denial, they'll stop trying hard to work things out for you and start dismissing you as you dismiss them.

Keep working at pursuing the cause for your symptoms, but also pursue help for your anxiety over your symptoms. Ask yourself if you are more focused on proving you have something terminal, or actively pursuing every option for wellness available to you. You won't regret seeing a psychiatrist. I never have. The UK has long waiting lists for referrals. Get on a list now. Then you can wait and see how your symptoms develop between now and then- it will also help with diagnosis.

 

[Clearwater AL]

Milloman, I've got to quote what you wrote yourself...

("I have had numerous and quite varied symptoms ,have had bad headaches, tinnitus, buzzing in ears, constipation,diarrhea,all that seem to come and go ,numerous trips to GP and back to Hospital ,had MRI of head which was clear , in last couple of months hands and fingers shaking , head feels like it has got compresser in it at times , back and stomach pain which is constant especially in back ,breathless , nervous.")

Not one of those symptoms are an indication of ALS and most MNDs. Re-read that.

Your twitches, with all you have written, are anxiety related manifested by the diagnosis of stress and depression by highly trained physicians... your GP and the hospital doctors you've seen on more than one occasion.

The more you focus on a disease you have no symptoms of... only delays treatment of your real health issues.

Like Laurie suggested... find another GP and go to a different hospital if you don't trust that hospital either. Hope you find a path to good health but... again, delete ALS from your worries.

 

[Milloman]

Just an update to my post , I had an appointment with a Neurologist today who gave me a thorough examination and tested my reflexes , responses etc and had me walking backwards and forwards ,sideways , on heels, tiptoes etc and said she is totally convinced that I do not have ALS or any neurological condition , she said to put my mind at rest she will get me to have an EMG -just felt I should let you know after kindly responding to my initial post -Fingers crossed now for my EMG