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bhedges1987

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Hi all. I am 27 male, relatively healthy. About 4 weeks ago, I developed an eye twitch, that progressivly got worse, anytime I touch my eye now it spasms. Then my whole body started spasming, and has continued. They come for like 2-3 spasms and go away. But my right shoulder has been doing it quite often.

My arms get tired pretty easy now and feel "shaky" though they are not really shaking, they just feel week, so I force my self to lift weights. Though my hands are kind of unsteady like if I move the mouse on my computer to the X to close out the window, I kind of miss it from time to time. Feels like my arms are low on blood sugar. Well thats the feeling, but I am not low. But they are both getting very tired pretty easy. I am still able to do a small workout ect, lift my hands, screw lids on bottles ect.

I saw a doctor, he didn't even look at my spams or anything he just said it's anxiety.

Does this sound like something more? And how does muscle weakness start out? Like my symptoms?

Thanks
 
And how does muscle weakness start out? Like my symptoms?

Thanks
Muscle weakness starts out as - suddenly you CANNOT do something.

Twitching may not even be present, and twitching is not a good indication of any major disease, but it is such a common indicator of stress.
 
Also would like to mention I am on sertraline for about a week now, the muscle "weakness" seems to have started a little after that. Wondering if that could be a possibility.
 
Muscle weakness starts out as - suddenly you CANNOT do something.

Twitching may not even be present, and twitching is not a good indication of any major disease, but it is such a common indicator of stress.

Tillie

Hi, thanks for the response. So the weakness just starts? It doesn't start slight like tired arms and progress? I'm just trying to figure out if these are early warning signs. I have read the stickies but it doesn't really answer that wuestion. Any answers would be greatly appreciated as my mind has it set that I for sure have ALS or ms...
 
Bhedges, the "weakness" in ALS comes AFTER the nerves in the brain are shot, NOT as if you're fatigued. You just one day can't physically lift your hand up, for instance. It isn't tiredness, it's inability.

I don't think sertraline would be a suspect, either. But it could be the depression/paranoia/anxiety that the sertraline is meant to treat.

I have often had twitches and spasms as you describe. It was always stress-related. Good luck.
 
>I saw a doctor, he didn't even look at my spams or anything he just said it's anxiety.


see another doctor
 
Thanks for the responses. I do have a neuro appointment coming up in a week or two, so I get to wait a few weeks while being nervous. Could it be a good sign that a lot of my twitches have slowly died down? I still get them, but not nearly as much. Only problem now is my muscle fatigue, even my forearms while typing are getting tired. Again, I have read the stickies, but also read the "newly diagnosed" threads, that kind of can contradict the stickies. Sorry, just looking for any kind of encouragement while waiting for my neuro appointment in two weeks. Even though my doctor said it's anxiety, he didn't even look at me, just said " he's been doing this 25 years, and just knows"
 
Anxiety can cause all your symptoms that you listed. Please try to do something relaxing while waiting for your appointments. The more you stress out the worst you are going to be. Don't google stuff on here or it will just make you more nervous. Keep a good list for your doctors on when things happen and when they are better. Now go log out and get some fresh air. Best of luck to you. I have a strong feeling you are going to be just fine. Kim
 
ditto everything Kim said plus go out and find a support group with real people where you can explain your situation and hear their at situations.
 
Thanks for the replies. My twitching has died down a lot since I was put on anxiety meds. Though whenever I rub my eye it spasms for like 10 seconds. I read in a sticky here that ALS twitches are more common in muscle contractions? Does my current situation fit this category. Aside from the eye spasms and muscle unsteadiness / fatigue, I am starting to feel a bit better while waiting for my appointment.
 
I also have read that twitches come after the muscles have died. Therefore I'm hoping I have nothing to worry about?
 
There's a few things I would say here.

Fasciculations in ALS are caused by the nerves misfiring - not the muscle being dead. Once the muscle is dead the fasciculations stop. So for a PALS, fasciculations often mean they are still have some use of the muscle and that's good news.

ALS is an incurable, untreatable, fatal condition. Your real choices are how are you going to get the most enjoyment from what life you have left. (that's the same real choice I have in life, and I do not have ALS) SO - if you spend the time now worrying yourself continually you are wasting so much of that precious time and have no enjoyment.

It took a long time for my husband to be diagnosed - I'm so glad now because during that time we just enjoyed life, whilst being annoyed by the symptoms he had. Once diagnosed we had to face the hardest thing I've ever had to face - no hope of stopping this monster.

Many of us here have to wait months between new appointments to move along the diagnosis path, you only have a couple of weeks. MAKE THE MOST OF THAT TIME. If you don't have ALS then you are enjoying life, if you do, then you enjoyed that time and finding out sooner than later won't do a single thing, there isn't any cure or effective treatment, so finding out early only gives you longer to learn to live with the finality of the disease.

Finally to answer you about how weakness starts v tiredness. Yes my husband discovered that his arms became more tired more easily. BUT that was after he found he couldn't pick up a pillow, open a jar, pull his pants up and many other normally simple tasks. So he had CLINICAL weakness first. For a long time there he could still work outside harder and longer than I could as I would tire, and I'm still going along very healthy, he is dead.
 
bhedges1987, you wrote, ("Sorry, just looking for any kind of encouragement while waiting for my neuro appointment in two weeks. Even though my doctor said it's anxiety, he didn't even look at me, just said " he's been doing this 25 years, and just knows")

Your doctor was about the best encouragement you could get. Your doctor saw you in person, we haven't. He's a doctor... we aren't. And, he has 25 years of experience... most of the members are just a few years here. I see by the green dot below your bio info you're still on site. It's Saturday night and you are 27 years old... turn off the computer and get into "Saturday Night!" If I was 27 years old again...

Whatever... let go, be calm and go with the tremendous odds in your favor that you do NOT have ALS.

PS. Two weeks is nothing... many people wait 2 months for their 1st Neuro appointment.
 
> after he found he couldn't pick up a pillow, open a jar, pull his pants up and many other normally simple tasks

Pulling my pants up… That is the biggest pisser!
 
Sorry, this is my last question. I am coming to the conclusion that this may all be anxiety related as I wait for my neuro appointment. I don't see anywhere in stickies that show muscle twitching can be caused by use? For instance my only real bad twitch now is in my eye and ONLY when I rub it. It contracts in and out. Does this sound like something similar? I'm sorry to keep asking questions. Dr google has severely screwed me up :(
 
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