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JBSRI

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I believe I posted this question in the wrong forum. So I am posting it here. Much thanks for considering my questions:


I am a 42 m who in 2003 had weakness in legs and arms. I also had fasciculations on different parts of my body, including tongue. I freaked out and went to academic med center who admitted me for tests to initially see if I had MS. I had MRI w scan, nerve conduction study and total bloodwork. Got a clean bill of health.
Feeling and anxiety continued, and I insisted on seeing academic ALS specialist for eval. He worked me up and did EMG (extremely painful) of hands feet arms and legs and found nothing. He told me to go home and live my life.

In 2007, I had injured myself during workout broke L4/l5 disk into spinal area and had total pain in both legs and drop foot in left foot. Neuro did surgery after rehab failed and took out disk. Strengh came back and I continued on.

During surgery, discovered I have Hashimot's subclin hypothyroid and I was given Synthroid to take 1 time per day.

Fast foward to this past June, where I started getting cramps in my calf and insert of right foot, along with fasciculations. Cramps have gotten so bad in right leg that it is hard to walk wout feeling incredible cramp pullaway pain on that side.

To complicate matters, I am getting cramps in fingers and hands on both sides--although more right than left, and the left foot and calf are also bugging me. You can see the fasciculations in my inside right foot by arch and up and down the calf. Now you can see them in my cramped right hand. My fingers ache at night and wake me up, as do the calf cramps.

I also get these giddy feeling spasms in my stomach at night, as though spasms are occrring there as well. Very odd.

All of this in less than 2 months. From nowhere. However, NO muscle weakness that I perceive whatsoever. I can do heel toe walks all day long and constantly test the muscles. However, when I am done, I often cramp up for a moment until it passes.

I had bloodwork done from here to there, electrolytes, magnesium, calcium, cbc liver thyroid muscle enzyme mono Sed rate. ALL CLEAN. Which adds to my frustration.

Questions for the experts:

1. Does what I discribe present as ALS in your collective opinion?

2. While I complained of similar issues in 2003--weakness then, no weakness now--and had the ALS workup, what are the chances of it not showing then and it NOW showing?

3. I think that the fasciculations I see might be from my surgery and perhaps I've injured the L4L5 again, but how does this explain my sudden and painful hand cramps and spasms. Fingers in middle of right hand hurt at base.

4. Should I go back to ALS specialist and show him new symptoms and ask for another EMG? What are the odds after 4 years? I don't want to cycle down on this, but I am not functioning and want to approach this logically.

Thanks.

JB
 
Don't worry about posting on the wrong forum. Most members read all new posts. In fact, I think there are a lot of good suggestions under the other post you put up earlier. Click on the "New Posts" tab at the top of this screen to find them. Good luck! Cindy
 
Thanks, and my apologies. I'd love to get some more feedback from some of the people on this board--if that is possible. :-D
 
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