Als?

[Trishia]

Hello All,

I realise you've read an incredible amount of posts on ALS fears, so I'm throwing in mine

In June I realised that one of my legs was acting up (no pain, but stiff). I couldn't balance on left heel, had to lift foot. That's gone, can now balance on heels and toes. Later same month I started having cramps around both eyes with muscle stiffness around them (no impaired vision). Could suddenly become weak in both arms and legs.
Sometimes my voice goes hoarse and I lose ability to speak (haven't worked out if it's the tongue or vocal chords that don't work). Muscle areas feel tight/stiff, but not permanently (barring the left leg which is not OK). Feel vibrations in my body most of the time, but no jolting or jerking, and I have severe pain in upper back /spine. Have noticed onset of weakness thumb/index finger, but it is not permanent, can function well a lot of the time. Sometimes experience weakness in jaws. Doc gave me antibiotics for Lyme disease, but I kept coming back with worsened symptoms, so I was remitted to neuro, who says most patients are psychosomatic...
I am scheduled for EMG next week.
Beginning to wonder if I should have a lung X-ray in case it's Lou gehrig's. The "purring" in my muscles is unpleasant. Can still walk in fast pace to work (20 min walk).
Do any or some of these symptoms echo ALS?

[GlenBrittle]

Until the neuro says its ALS , you dont have it.

The weakness that comes and goes is definitely not ALS. Once weak , always weak.

Glen

[BethU]

Trishia ... none of the individual symptoms sound anything like things one gets with Lou Gehrig's Disease, except maybe the "purring," which some PALS experience. Put them all together, however, and there is even less resemblance. ... you just don't get a grabbag of symptoms all over the body.

The EMG should give you a good idea of where you stand. A lung X-ray is not informative with ALS, because our lungs are fine. ALS affects the muscles, so our breathing problems are due to the weakening of the muscles that pump the lungs in and out, like the diaphragm. Unlike the heart, the lungs are not muscles, and can not function on their own.

Sounds like something's going on with you, just not ALS. Hope it's nothing serious, and you get the answer and a treatment soon.

[Zaphoon]

The ocular onset along with the coming and going weakness could be indicative of myasthenia gravis. At any rate, it sure doesn't sound like ALS to me, either.

As Glen stated, unless and until the doc says you have ALS, you don't and even then, a second opinion may say you don't when the first says you do.

Zaphoon

[Trishia]

Thank you for taking the time to give me a reply. Having gone from exercising aerobics three times a week to not being able to do more than walk to work is getting me worried. I'll just wait and see. I'm 53 yrs old and I suppose any host of diseases can set in.
The lung x-ray was just to rule out LEMS.

My thoughts are with you all.

Trishia