Gep93
New member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2018
- Messages
- 2
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- Slo
- State
- Slovenia
- City
- Kranj
First of all I would like to thank anyone who will take their time to read my post and maybe provide some information about my symptoms. I have read the sticky post "read before posting" but I still had to post. I know it's long - I just realized it now that I posted a preview. I also hope I wrote it clearly.
Here is a little information about myself and my family. I am 25 year old male who is physically active - I go to the gym 4 times a week. Used to go more frequently but my change of program has led me to train only 4 times a week. We didn't have any ALS or any other neurological disease in the family or so everyone I asked thinks. Both my grandpa from my fathers side who died 11th of August this month and my grandma from my mothers side who died a few years ago died from cancer after 80 years of age.
In general I am prone to stress and tend to stress a lot about things. For example, I am very stressed during the exam periods (my last exam period was in February this year since I just finished my masters and we only had lectures for one semester in my second year). I was also very stressed about my hair loss - not even bad but I was stressing a lot none the less. I almost had a mental breakdown somewhere in the end of July/beginning of August. It's stupid I know. I still can't believe anxiety/stress would cause these symptoms. I also had very good days during the summer since I went on vacation and got a girlfriend who I really like as I haven't liked and girl/woman before - I love how she looks, acts but most importantly I love her character and her ambitions. Along with other things I had some worries about my heart palpitations which have been occurring for a few years now but had some weird situations this summer - I am finally getting cycle ergometry done in November since I asked my doctor to give me a referral to finally get to a conclusion if my heart if fine or not.
My symptoms started somewhere in February, maybe even January. I wasn't really paying attention to them as the weren't giving me discomfort. This is how it happened:
1. January/February: my upper left ab started twitching along with right calf muscle. I don't remember but I think it was only one muscle in the calf and not the whole calf. This would continue for a while when I was seating for example. Then, calf muscle stopped twitching (not really sure when but I think it wasn't twitching for a long time, maybe 2 weeks to a month). I can't say my left upper ab really stopped but it didn't increase in severity and I didn't really pay attention to it because it wasn't happening often/it wasn't bothering me.
2. 12th July: I just came to another country with a bus of people. We were all going to a 3 day festival. When I was walking from the bus station to the hostel me and my friends were supposed to stay in a muscle in left quad started to have twitches. Usually when I would raise my leg. I would say that it wasn't really happening often and most usually when I was walking. It wasn't bothering me and I didn't really pay attention to it because it wasn't happening often or at least so I think. Calf muscle still hasn't twitched not even once since winter/spring.
3. 15th or 16th August: I am not really sure if it as after my grandfathers funeral or before but both my calves started twitching and I dare to say that my quads too. Calves were twitching harder though - individual muscles and not big chunks. Also, the left upper ab was aggravated along with several other muscles twitching in my stomach region.
The next day after the funeral we went to our weekend house because there was a lot of work to do since my grandfather was getting progressively worse and we didn't take time to go there and do anything. While we were there I was already a bit worried about my symptoms. When I went to one of our gardens and started getting potatoes out of the ground a muscle at the back of my right shoulder started twitching every time I relaxed my right arm. It kept twitching that day like crazy maybe even faster than a twitch/second. It only stopped when I was mowing grass our land is on a very steep hill. While mowing the quad muscle the one which was one of my first symptoms from the festival activated again. I didn't feel weak or anything like that but I am afraid from what I read that twitcing although not very common? can be beginning of ALS even though strength is still there. When I went to sleep that night I soon woke up from pain in my right foot. That didn't happen again.
Next day (Sunday) my right shoulder didn't have that twitch any more and I didn't have it since then. Maybe only small ones which I barely feel.
On Monday I went to the doctor and she had my blood checked: magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, thyroid. All came back fine (I got results on Friday, August 24th). She also checked my reflexes. Apparently everything was fine. She only mentioned I have quite responsive legs and smiled when she said that but didn't mention hyperreflexia. Not to me and not in the report. I was a bit worried about my jumpy legs because I know brisk reflexes can be symptom of neurological disease and I remember or at least I think I remember not having these kind of reflexes when I was having them checked as a child as part of yearly check-ups (I know I am not a doctor). The reflexes were symmetrical in both legs though - a good sign I guess. She also checked for atrophy and apparently I didn't have any.
From Monday until I got my results I twitched in my eyes, yaw, temples, both arms (basically all parts - biceps, forearms, palms), shoulders, back, feet, neck, chest and of course the other parts of my body where everything started: legs and stomach. I am twitching 24/7 from the onset in my legs, especially when I relax my muscles. My calves would sometimes feel like I had worms in them they were twitching in so many places so often. I can sleep because for now I didn't have any big twitches that would wake me up yet.
Naturally when blood results came back fine and I was twitching more I got worried. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my doctor for today morning. She wasn't my original doctor because my original doctor is absent this week. I told her everything like I told you here and that I really worry I have ALS or something similar and she said something in terms of "Nooo, muscle twitching is common and shouldn't really be something to worry about". She also asked me if we had any neurological diseases in the family and if I had double vision which I really think I don't have. That should be apparent to me. She gave a referral for neurologist but under urgency it says "normal" and not "urgent" which means I will have to wait several months to get checked up.
I think SOME of my twitches also got a little different in the past two days. Maybe a little stronger (not painful) and sometimes it twitches several times really fast before a twitch somewhere else in that part or in other part of the body. The occurrence in calves might be a bit lower than before but I don't want to say that with certainty.
The one that really worries me at the moment is the one that I have in my left quad which was one of my first twitches - the one from the first day of the festival. Since up until now twitching mostly went away during exercise (I know this may be related to bfs) or for example calf twitches mostly went away when walking except when I relax my calf muscle when lifting the leg off the ground. This twitch is different though. It may happen anytime - when I'm resting, when I'm walking.. and it doesn't stop if I flex or extend my muscle. Sometimes it twitches fast a few times, other times it wants to pull the muscle together. I don't know what aggravated it.
Other things I noticed. Something like pins and needles (very rare in the certain parts of the body) or something like shivers in certain parts of my body (I know ALS is usually not sensory). What I also noticed is that my feet sometimes have a feeling like something popped when I walk but it didn't happen many times. This sensation might also happen around my shins.
Each time I go to the gym I am afraid I will not be able to lift certain weight. I've googled for upcoming cures, natural ALS reversals etc etc. I am scared.
So what I want to know is how do these symptoms relate to ALS?
Here is a little information about myself and my family. I am 25 year old male who is physically active - I go to the gym 4 times a week. Used to go more frequently but my change of program has led me to train only 4 times a week. We didn't have any ALS or any other neurological disease in the family or so everyone I asked thinks. Both my grandpa from my fathers side who died 11th of August this month and my grandma from my mothers side who died a few years ago died from cancer after 80 years of age.
In general I am prone to stress and tend to stress a lot about things. For example, I am very stressed during the exam periods (my last exam period was in February this year since I just finished my masters and we only had lectures for one semester in my second year). I was also very stressed about my hair loss - not even bad but I was stressing a lot none the less. I almost had a mental breakdown somewhere in the end of July/beginning of August. It's stupid I know. I still can't believe anxiety/stress would cause these symptoms. I also had very good days during the summer since I went on vacation and got a girlfriend who I really like as I haven't liked and girl/woman before - I love how she looks, acts but most importantly I love her character and her ambitions. Along with other things I had some worries about my heart palpitations which have been occurring for a few years now but had some weird situations this summer - I am finally getting cycle ergometry done in November since I asked my doctor to give me a referral to finally get to a conclusion if my heart if fine or not.
My symptoms started somewhere in February, maybe even January. I wasn't really paying attention to them as the weren't giving me discomfort. This is how it happened:
1. January/February: my upper left ab started twitching along with right calf muscle. I don't remember but I think it was only one muscle in the calf and not the whole calf. This would continue for a while when I was seating for example. Then, calf muscle stopped twitching (not really sure when but I think it wasn't twitching for a long time, maybe 2 weeks to a month). I can't say my left upper ab really stopped but it didn't increase in severity and I didn't really pay attention to it because it wasn't happening often/it wasn't bothering me.
2. 12th July: I just came to another country with a bus of people. We were all going to a 3 day festival. When I was walking from the bus station to the hostel me and my friends were supposed to stay in a muscle in left quad started to have twitches. Usually when I would raise my leg. I would say that it wasn't really happening often and most usually when I was walking. It wasn't bothering me and I didn't really pay attention to it because it wasn't happening often or at least so I think. Calf muscle still hasn't twitched not even once since winter/spring.
3. 15th or 16th August: I am not really sure if it as after my grandfathers funeral or before but both my calves started twitching and I dare to say that my quads too. Calves were twitching harder though - individual muscles and not big chunks. Also, the left upper ab was aggravated along with several other muscles twitching in my stomach region.
The next day after the funeral we went to our weekend house because there was a lot of work to do since my grandfather was getting progressively worse and we didn't take time to go there and do anything. While we were there I was already a bit worried about my symptoms. When I went to one of our gardens and started getting potatoes out of the ground a muscle at the back of my right shoulder started twitching every time I relaxed my right arm. It kept twitching that day like crazy maybe even faster than a twitch/second. It only stopped when I was mowing grass our land is on a very steep hill. While mowing the quad muscle the one which was one of my first symptoms from the festival activated again. I didn't feel weak or anything like that but I am afraid from what I read that twitcing although not very common? can be beginning of ALS even though strength is still there. When I went to sleep that night I soon woke up from pain in my right foot. That didn't happen again.
Next day (Sunday) my right shoulder didn't have that twitch any more and I didn't have it since then. Maybe only small ones which I barely feel.
On Monday I went to the doctor and she had my blood checked: magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, thyroid. All came back fine (I got results on Friday, August 24th). She also checked my reflexes. Apparently everything was fine. She only mentioned I have quite responsive legs and smiled when she said that but didn't mention hyperreflexia. Not to me and not in the report. I was a bit worried about my jumpy legs because I know brisk reflexes can be symptom of neurological disease and I remember or at least I think I remember not having these kind of reflexes when I was having them checked as a child as part of yearly check-ups (I know I am not a doctor). The reflexes were symmetrical in both legs though - a good sign I guess. She also checked for atrophy and apparently I didn't have any.
From Monday until I got my results I twitched in my eyes, yaw, temples, both arms (basically all parts - biceps, forearms, palms), shoulders, back, feet, neck, chest and of course the other parts of my body where everything started: legs and stomach. I am twitching 24/7 from the onset in my legs, especially when I relax my muscles. My calves would sometimes feel like I had worms in them they were twitching in so many places so often. I can sleep because for now I didn't have any big twitches that would wake me up yet.
Naturally when blood results came back fine and I was twitching more I got worried. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my doctor for today morning. She wasn't my original doctor because my original doctor is absent this week. I told her everything like I told you here and that I really worry I have ALS or something similar and she said something in terms of "Nooo, muscle twitching is common and shouldn't really be something to worry about". She also asked me if we had any neurological diseases in the family and if I had double vision which I really think I don't have. That should be apparent to me. She gave a referral for neurologist but under urgency it says "normal" and not "urgent" which means I will have to wait several months to get checked up.
I think SOME of my twitches also got a little different in the past two days. Maybe a little stronger (not painful) and sometimes it twitches several times really fast before a twitch somewhere else in that part or in other part of the body. The occurrence in calves might be a bit lower than before but I don't want to say that with certainty.
The one that really worries me at the moment is the one that I have in my left quad which was one of my first twitches - the one from the first day of the festival. Since up until now twitching mostly went away during exercise (I know this may be related to bfs) or for example calf twitches mostly went away when walking except when I relax my calf muscle when lifting the leg off the ground. This twitch is different though. It may happen anytime - when I'm resting, when I'm walking.. and it doesn't stop if I flex or extend my muscle. Sometimes it twitches fast a few times, other times it wants to pull the muscle together. I don't know what aggravated it.
Other things I noticed. Something like pins and needles (very rare in the certain parts of the body) or something like shivers in certain parts of my body (I know ALS is usually not sensory). What I also noticed is that my feet sometimes have a feeling like something popped when I walk but it didn't happen many times. This sensation might also happen around my shins.
Each time I go to the gym I am afraid I will not be able to lift certain weight. I've googled for upcoming cures, natural ALS reversals etc etc. I am scared.
So what I want to know is how do these symptoms relate to ALS?
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