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Gorbos

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Milan
Hello everyone. I'm new on this forum, and I decided to ask some questions after months spent being worried. I'm 29, almost 30 years old.
I had bad feelings of weakness to my left Side of the body and fasciculations all over my body for months. I had a neurological exam yesterday, everything was fine with my arms and legs.
I told the neurologist that some days ago I found a new symptom: a strange feeling to the tongue, like if I am speaking well with just half of it, and when i pronunce the "R" (i'm italian, and we use a "vibrating" R in Italy) i saw my tongue going up (which is ok) but deviating to the left side of the palate.
He made an examination of the tongue making me Pull it out, looking at it (in search of fasciculations, which i don't have) and testing the strength making me push my tongue against my cheek.
Everything was fine. He told me that I almost surely don't have ALS, because clinical examination was ok.
But... I still have a strange feeling. Looking carefully at the mirror, i saw today that my tongue, INSIDE the mouth, tends to go to the left when i move it and when i speak. Also, it's more "up" to the right and more "down" at its left Side. I didn't notice this on wednesday! I noticed the "R" problem, i told the neuro but he didn't say much about it, because the clinical examination was fine.

When i put my tongue out, it looks fine and regular, And also symmetrical.

Now, I'm really very much concerned about this. Is it possibile that one Side of the tongue has become weak in two-three days? And is it possible, in your opinion, that this is a sign of ALS even with:
- symmetrical tongue when i put it out of my mouth;
- negative clinical examination of tongue strength;
- negative clinical examination of arms and legs

?

I'm sorry if my message was so long, but i'm really scared. I was so happy when the neurological exam was fine, And today i see these things which put me down again, like i've been for months.

Thank you for your patience.
 
The neurologist said not to worry, so we will tell you the same thing.

And no, one side of the tongue will not become weak over 2-3 days.

You do not describe ALS.

Feeling weak and having strange sensations is not the same as clinical weakness detected by a neurologist. Nor is it the same as “failure “, which you have not described.

Please read this link for more information.
https://www.alsforums.com/forum/do-...-common-concerns-about-possible-symptoms.html
 
(quoting removed)

Thank you, Karen. You're very kind and helpful, thanks a lot. I Read that link and it was very helpful too, but I still have some doubts...
To be real, I have to say that I feel some kind of "failure": sometimes it happens that I try to say something and some letters come out "strange". Maybe it's because i'm an anxious guy and i tend to speak fast. But really i have some strange feeling with my tongue. When i speak, it goes to one Side, it's not completely "centered" in The mouth (it's not just a feeling: i can see that clearly), and this is scaring me a lot, because I Read some posts of people diagnosed with "bulbar onset" Who began this way.
This is literally making me shake.

Neuro told that i can do an EMG, but staying much calm and just to "confirm" what he already
Saw with the clinical examination.
He wrote "EMG to the 4 limbs", but if it's something "bulbar" I read that it could be missed to a normal 4-limbs EMG. What should I do? Tell the neurophysiologist that will do the EMG to test also my chin? Will he do that??
I'm so terribly scared. I know that maybe my behaviour is being "irrational", but i'm very anxious and i know that my anxiety is maybe making me be irrational.

So, i hope people here will forgive me, but really i am scared and i can't control my fear very well, at this moment.

Thanks again
 
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What you're describing is NOT failure. People who have bulbar onset have slurred speech that is noticed by others, along with other symptoms. I won't outline those here as that won't be helpful to you, but honestly, Neuros can identify failure, even bulbar, and yes an EMG of the limbs will pick up on bulbar symptoms. Treat your anxiety as there is no reason to worry about ALS.
Best,
Tracy
 
Gorbos... three key things you have written...

"He told me that I almost surely don't have ALS, because clinical examination was ok."

"Neuro told that i can do an EMG, but staying much calm and just to "confirm" what he already saw with the clinical examination."

"I know that maybe my behaviour is being "irrational", but i'm very anxious and i know that my anxiety is maybe making me be irrational."

He is a Neurologist... we have members who are extremely knowledgeable but are
not Neurologists. Your highly trained highly educated Neurologist does not believe
you have ALS. You're getting an EMG because there is money involved... EMG's
are not free and they are profitable... and because of you.

There is no need to post any further until you have the EMG.

The only health threat you have at this time is... anxiety. Address that now.
 
Thank you everyone, your words are really helpful to me. I will try to overcome the problem with my anxiety, so thank you for this suggestion too.

One more question: i know I shouldn't have Done that, but I put myself in front of the mirror, i put out my tongue and i saw that its tip clearly points to the left.

I mean... I had a neurological examination on thursday, and the doctor didn't see anything wrong. If this "deviation" of the tongue were something serious, i guess that he would have noticed that.
So, in your opinion am I right when i tell myself that maybe this "deviation" that I clearly see (and that is clearly present) is not something with a pathological meaning?
I guess that it's almost impossibile that in just one or two days my tongue suddenly took a different "behaviour" from the one it had when neuro saw it...
 
Gorbos, your last sentence...

"I guess that it's almost impossibile that in just one or two days my tongue suddenly took a different "behaviour" from the one it had when neuro saw it..."

Key words... "almost impossibile" as you spelled it. Your guess is right on.

There is no reason/sense/need to post any further symptoms or questions until
you have the EMG. This is not an anxiety forum.

Your last sentence 2nd post...

"So, i hope people here will forgive me..."

One more post before the EMG and that may expire.
 
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I clearly understand that and you're absolutely right. i just looked at my tongue and i have the impression that its deviation is worsening, but I have to convince myself that it must be just my impression, because I can see that anxiety is making me quite irrational.

Thank you all for everything, i'll just try to calm down.

If I can ask you something else, particularly two things. The first is: could a "slight" deviation of the tongue still be normal, when protruded? I read that in ALS, being it bilateral, the tongue would have other issues, not deviation (because I Read that deviation is found in unilateral lesions, like stroke, for example).

Second question: an information about EMG: doing it at the limbs would it still show - if present - any sign of bulbar onset?

Thank you for your patience. Your suggestions are really precious and what you told me before is really helping me to be rational.
Thanks again for everything.
 
Gorbos, these are now questions that should be asked of your neurologist about your symptoms in particular based on their professional observations. You are repeating questions that have already been answered here and/or by your doctor and it is becoming clear your anxiety about a disease you do not have is causing you to be unable to be reassured despite people's efforts no matter how informative or direct their answers are.

Please do not continue posting the same questions- ask your doctor as you are in their care and can explain to you why they have zero concern about your tongue and other reported sensations.

No more posting till after your EMG please- this forum is only feeding your concern about ALS.
 
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