A punch in the stomach

[Jessenia]

I’m starting to believe I may have ALS. I don’t want to claim it, but reading some of these threads is making me wonder. My anxiety is through the roof right now , any feedback would be appreciated

About 8 months ago my friends dad passed away from ALS. At that time I didn’t really know much about ALS. Once I started to hear all about it I panicked. Some of the symptoms rang close to home. In 2015 I started to notice that I would lose control in my hands. I worked in an office and when reaching a pen for a client sometimes I would drop it or it would fly off. I didn’t think much of it just maybe me being tired. Then I learned that having a hoarse voice or losing your voice can be a problem. I was having that problem at the time and it got worse, but now it comes and goes. When walking I sometimes lose control of my right foot and it drags. I didn’t know any of these could be symptoms! My left knee has been hurting and my husband noticed my left leg is visibly longer than my right. I didn’t have this problem before. I’m now wondering if it’s atrophy. About a year ago I was in the hospital because I couldn’t move my right arm. It hurt so bad and I couldn’t really use my arm. This has since gone away. My hands and arms hurt very easily though. I can’t use them for long and that would happen before. I realize anxiety can get the best from anyone, but I feel there’s too many things here to ignore. My speech, my dragging foot, my left leg being longer than my right, my hands and arms getting tired sooooo fast. Please advice.

My prayers and blessings for all of you

 

[Jessenia]

They wouldn’t happen*** before ...

I’m a female and I just turned 30 years old

 

[lgelb]

The slow, intermittent onset you describe does not correspond with ALS, Jessenia. It seems more likely that your panic about your friend's dad has driven some of the symptoms or feelings that you report, or that something else is wrong. Most people have hoarseness or feel draggy from time to time.

What did the doctors at the hospital say about your arm? If they thought it could be ALS, they would have tested for it. Whatever your problem, you're in the wrong place, and that's actually a good thing.

Best,
Laurie

 

[Jessenia]

Thank you Laurie for taking the time to message me. I appreciate it more than you know! My joints have just been in a lot of pain lately and I couldn’t take it anymore and had to ask. I suffer from headaches almost everyday and have read here a lot of people do because of the lack of oxygen. Regarding my arm they just told me that I most likely dislocated it. Hopefully I’m just over thinking and the anxiety is getting the best of me.

 

[KarenNWendyn]

It sounds more musculoskeletal to me. If you are taking NSAIDs (antiinflammatories) frequently, that can lead to GE reflux which might account for the hoarse voice. Your symptoms don’t suggest ALS. ALS doesn’t come and go like you’ve described. Keep working with you doctor to get to the root of your symptoms.

 

[affected]

Hon honestly you are totally not experiencing ALS, not even close. You are trying to have every kind of onset all at once, but without the symptoms of any kind of onset.

I'm sure your doctors can help get to the bottom of things if you just work with them and don't try to diagnose yourself with the least possible and rare diseases.

I truly wish you all the best.

 

[KimT]

Some things that come to mind are acid reflux (common condition that makes you hoarse) which can be helped with diet (get the book, "Dropping Acid."), fibromyalgia (widespread hurting, comes and goes), anxiety can cause headaches, make pain worse, and make acid reflux worse.

Sometimes shoulders/limbs can be "frozen" from damage to spine. There are tons of things that might be causing your symptoms BUT ALS is not one of them. Nothing you posted sounds like ALS.

If I were you I'd go to my MD and tell her/him your symptoms. He might want to do blood work. Meanwhile, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, avoid caffeine and things that contain it.

You don't need to be here and I'm glad!