Status
Not open for further replies.

intuition

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2009
Messages
16
Reason
Learn about ALS
Country
US
State
DC
City
Washington
I posted last week under "Very alarming symptoms" and I had blood work done by the doctor and they found low vitamin D and elevated liver enzymes... but I am starting to get more worried because the sharp tingling sensations have mostly gone away, but I am now having more muscle cramps and very brief muscle spasms. These muscle spasms are all over my body, my legs, back, arms. I also think that my hands are getting weaker. My general practitioner who originally saw me is out on vacation so his partner just put me on a strong dosage of vitamin D pills, but I didn't yet have the opportunity to relay to the Dr that I am now having muscle spasms and weakness. But I think I am going to start calling some neurologists today and try to set up an appointment. Does anyone have any insite on this: whether this could be ALS or not? and if not then what could it possibly be? I feel like things are only getting worse and regardless of what I have I need to figure out what it is so I can take the next steps in prevention or curing it. :(

Thank you,
Ollie

Original thread from last week posted below:
Very alarming symptoms

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Almost exactly two weeks ago I felt a very sharp pain in my left knee while I was sleeping, like a nerve was being pinched. My knees have had minor problems before but nothing like this, especially while at rest. Two days later I noticed the pain in both my knees while standing- this sharp pain that I have never felt, followed by pains both below, above and behind my knees and sharp pains in both of my ankles. Two days later I felt tingling all throughout both of my legs and started to think something more serious might be wrong. Three nights later I felt a sharp pain in my left hand, almost like my hand had fallen asleep, but I was still awake and it was not in an akward position. I also then noticed that I had a charlie horse type feeling in both my inner and outer forearm in seperate places, almost like a very bad bruise, but no bruise to show for it. I have recently had that charlie horse type feeling further up on my left arm and I have started to feel tingling in both my spine and my neck! My knees and ankles will tingle from time to time and I am getting this tingling sensation in other random parts of my body. I noticed the tingling in my right hand earlier today along with tighness (charlie horse feeling) in my upper right arm. Even as I write this I am noticing a stiff neck and a somewhat sore muscle around my collar bone. I haven't noticed any pulsating of the musles yet, but all this stiffness and tingling at once is very scary. I have an appointment scheduled with my Doctor next week, but my mind is racing as to what could be causing this, and whatever it is it's getting worse fast. Is there any possibility this could be ALS? I've also read things related to lyme disease, thyroid troubles, dyabites, MS, etc... But the more I am reading of other people's accounts of tingling and cramping this is really starting to worry me. Any information provided is very much appreciated.

Thank you,
Ollie
 
Also, my:
Magnesium
Vitamin B12
Thyhroid
CBC (Complete Blood Count)
Kidneys

all came back normal
 
Intuition,

You can use the search feature of this forum to find many past posts on subjects you are concerned about. Please remember that this forum is not composed of doctors, but rather people with als and their caregivers. So, its a support forum, rather than professional advise. (That's what your doctor is for).

It is very much appreciated if those who are newly concerned about their symptoms to take the initiate to search and try to get some answers to their questions. Many PALS have limited use of their hands for typing, and all CALS have limited use of their time!

The short answer to your question is that none of what you describe sounds like ALS to me.

Good luck, I hope your doctor is able to get some insight, and recommend effective treatment.

take care :)
 
Any advice is very much appreciated... I don't want to be one of those people who laments on their own symptoms all day and acts like they need pitty when there are many out there much more sick than I am... I am probably acting like one of those people though. This forum is my last resort and somethow makes me feel better- as I have researched countless hours about different things on the internet and talked to my aunt who was a nurse for many years. My doctor who originally saw me listened to me, but he sort of acted like he didn't believe me or that what I was telling him wasn't that serious. I am the only one who can feel what's going on and I know that things have gotten worse day by day... I just really wish there was some sort of absolute test, I wish I had never heard of ALS or that if something is gonna get me that it just hit me one day like a heart attack and that be it.

Please please please anyone else who has any further insite or input please tell me what your thoughts are, I know many of you are very busy but it would help me out a lot.

Thank you
 
I know how you love to tell people how they are so irrational, but I have done my research and logically have come to this conclusion:

1) Muscle twitching is an initial sign of als, Yes
2) Muscle aches and weakness as an initial sign of als, Yes
3) Must occur in more than one limp, Yes
4) Feeling of weakness, Yes

I am being told none of ths points to als but not as to why it doesn't... This just makes me confused and doesn't resolve anything at all for me. What is the point of this category of forumn if you can't ask a question?

I have been told to search the forumns, which I have done before many times, and even found that nerve pain was sighted in some cases... this even further supports my argument.

So you can't tell me to research things and then tell me that none of my symptoms describe ALS when all of my research has said it does.
Both nurses I spoke to said the vitamin D deficiency was very common and have never heard of muscle twitching from it
My liver enzymes were only mildly elevated and said this was nothing of concern.
 
Your symptoms coming-on in such a quick fashion coupled with such a global onset (basically your entire body), points away from ALS. ALS is an insidious disease that sneaks-up on you and the story you have told is just the opposite of that.

You say that this forum is your last resort? NO, you're not even close to your last resort. Stop trying to self-diagnose yourself and let your physicians who can actually evaluate you, do the evaluating . . . not the internet.

I wish you well.
 
Ollie - I read your post for a second time and still can't figure out how you ended up on ALS.

Wright is right. Calm down and don't let yourself go toward ALS. It sounds like something is happening and you need help, but at this point there are many many things it could be and it most likely is not even muscular.

You'll be OK - sometimes these things take time to sort out.
 
Vitamin D effects a lot of thing and liver enzymes (depending on which ones) can be anything from medications, , (including OTC) to a gallstone or 1,000,000 other things. you need to continue following up with your doctor(s) - and get off of the internet! It can be harmful then good. The liver filters the blood - can be a ton of things!

Also, low potassium levels cause muscle cramping & twinges. It is normally run in routine blood exams. Talk to you doctor!
 
I know how you love to tell people how they are so irrational, but I have done my research and logically have come to this conclusion:

1) Muscle twitching is an initial sign of als, Yes
2) Muscle aches and weakness as an initial sign of als, Yes
3) Must occur in more than one limp, Yes
4) Feeling of weakness, Yes

I am being told none of ths points to als but not as to why it doesn't... This just makes me confused and doesn't resolve anything at all for me. What is the point of this category of forumn if you can't ask a question?

What's the point in us answering your questions when you're going to believe your slapdash and incomplete Internet research over our knowledge and actual experience with the disease? If you want a resolution to your problem, you should be taking your questions to your doctors, not a group of strangers on the Internet.

The symptoms you cite point to literally dozens of metabolic or neurological disorders. Focusing your obsession on ALS at this point is explicit evidence of irrationality and illogical behavior. If you had done the research you've claimed to have done, you would know that and you wouldn't be making a fool of yourself with your peevishness.

I have been told to search the forumns, which I have done before many times, and even found that nerve pain was sighted in some cases... this even further supports my argument.

What percentage of ALS patients on this forum presented with nerve pain as an initial symptom, knowledgeable one? And how many of those same patients might have other conditions that might be responsible for the nerve pain, such as diabetes-induced neuropathies? Did you even bother to look at that? Is it possible that your nerve pain could be caused by something like that and your other symptoms could be caused by other things? Very likely.

Once again, obsessing on something before you have all the evidence is not the hallmark of a rational mind. Why should we treat you like you're rational when you're not acting that way?

So you can't tell me to research things and then tell me that none of my symptoms describe ALS when all of my research has said it does.

Your research and your medical education is incomplete. Your symptoms can be attributed to literally dozens of individual and combined disorders. The best thing you can do is continue to allow your doctors to work out what your real problem is and stop trying to second-guess them. If you really knew as much as they do about your condition, you'd see how silly your behavior here is.

Both nurses I spoke to said the vitamin D deficiency was very common and have never heard of muscle twitching from it
My liver enzymes were only mildly elevated and said this was nothing of concern.

As I said before, you may have more than one medical problem causing your symptoms. Your insistence on coming up with one single cause for your problems actually hampers your doctors' efforts to find out what wrong with you, mainly because you start filtering your descriptions of your condition through your preconceived notions. By doing that, you make their job much more difficult and delay the resolution of your problems while they sort through the misleading information you're giving them. Once again, that's not rational behavior.

All that having been said, most of the undiagnosed folks that Dr. Google sends this way act like you have, so you'll pardon us for not getting too excited by your tales. The best thing you can do for yourself right now is to simply go away from here until you're referred to an ALS specialist. You don't really want this disease, trust me, and your obsession with it at this point is truly morbid.

Enjoy your life -- it's too short to waste obsessing over a rare disease on the Internet.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top