Do other drugs accentuate ?

[Bad Balance]

I'm taking Percocet for pain following surgery. This is a bit over kill, but I had this perscription from the first surgery to mend my broken ankle. This was outpatient to remove my pins. they told me to use this medication over the weekend.

What was a dropped foot before I broke my ankle seems now to be a dropped foot and leg. I hope that with some exercise that this will improve, but my intuition tells me that "improvement" is not a part of this disease.

Anyone have a similar deal with pain medications?

 

[Bad Balance]

Now feeling it creeping into my shoulders and hinting my bicepts....this over the past week or so. Does is stay on a steady pace or accelerate?

Geeze this is an awful thing

 

[abbas child]

Bad Balance, I'm not a nurse or anything, but I'd quit taking the Percocet and try something a lot less powerful; see if you can handle the pain. The only reason I would think your shoulders and biceps are affected is due to using crutches or using your arms as a replacement for moving by legs. In other words, I'm guessing your upper body is having to do too much to compensate, rather than reacting from ALS.

This is a much debated area, but if only your one drop foot and leg are affected by ALS, then do keep working your other leg and arms only until slight fatigue. If you're already using the other leg, however, to compensate-- and the leg is tired by evening, don't add exercise to the mix. I hope this makes sense. And, it's hard to tell if your leg which is now affected will remain in this state. Stress, fatigue, injury all create the environment for increased symptoms, but it is (for me) more like a preview of what may be quite a bit in the future. A time of improvement is possible--depends on how damaged the area is from ALS already.

Hope you feel lots better tomorrow!
Ann

 

[Bad Balance]

Thanks Ann;

I was hoping that we might exchange some conversation. I grew up on the Western Shore in Maryland and noticed your address.

Yes; I am quite fatigued since last Friday when I received my diagnosis. That has taken a toll. I am finally sleeping a bit better and have worked on releasing as much of the guilt and worry from my past working life as possible. I have noticed that some of these symptoms are affected by my emotions and by how tired I am.

Thanks for writing back.

 

[abbas child]

You must still be reeling from the diagnosis. I know that telling you not to be stressed is crazy--but as you already know, it's time to re-learn how to deal with a lot of things for the sake of your health. Incidentally, I began with drop foot also. It really isn't something in my experience which accelerated from area to area. It begins slowly, usually during the stress or fatigue, then goes away for a while, with the episodes becoming closer together--for me. We're all different in pattern and also rate of progression. I find that makes it easier to anticipate and mentally prepare for what's around the corner.

You grew up on the fast side of the state! It's becoming more densely populated here, but nothing of course like the Western Shore. I certainly do appreciate Johns Hopkins over on "your side". I hope you find Emory? as good. Lots of folks here go to Emory.

I have to commend you for being up to posting this quickly. I just read the forums for quite a while, not wanting to know very much in detail. Best wishes with your pins and the pain--I hope you get through this and then really find things slow down and level out for a while.

 

[Bad Balance]

Thanks Ann.