Symptoms possible ALS?

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Sunny25

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Learn about ALS
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Hi,

I want to thank you all for taking the time to read my post and offer your advice/opinions.

I am a 32 year old female and I delivered a baby 8 weeks ago. 6 weeks ago I started having pain in the very top of my posterior thigh and groin area on the left side. Over the next few days I started having muscle aches and feeling of tightness in my left thigh and left calf all the way down to my left foot. I also had several episodes of muscle twitching in my left thigh, left calf and left foot. Over the past 6 weeks the muscles in my left leg ache and burn after I’ve been up moving/walking. It feels like the muscles in my left leg get tired or worked out more than my right side.

I have also been having occasional muscle twitches all over my body from my eyelids, arms, hands, legs and feet. I saw my primary care doctor 2 weeks after this started and she tested my strength, reflexes etc and said everything was normal. She drew a CK level which was normal. Vitamin D level was low. She started me on vitamin D high dose for 8 weeks and said this was most likely causing my symptoms. I’ve been on it for 5 weeks now with no improvement.

This week I’ve started feeling like the muscles in my left arm are now aching and burning and tiring out faster than my right arm. The muscle twitches have become more frequent all over this week as well. The twitches start and stop but some have lasted a day or 2 in one area before stopping.

With your knowledge and experience, do these symptoms sound concerning or consistent with early signs of ALS?
 
Congratulations on your new baby.

The symptoms do not sound like ALS. A lot of aches and pains can come on in the postpartum period. Generally, these resolve over time. Has your doctor checked your thyroid? Thyroid problems (hyper or hypo) are common in women your age and can cause many of the symptoms you describe. Plus, it’s treatable.

The good news is your strength is normal. If you can still do activities you could previously (such as standing on heels or toes), then ALS is not a concern. Twitching is common, nonspecific, and meaningless in the absence of muscle function failure.

Stay with the vitamin D — it can sometimes take a few months to kick in.
 
Congratulations on your new baby.

Thank you!

I appreciate your response. I am trying not to worry. At times I feel like it’s harder to use my left leg than my right leg but I can still walk, do steps etc. I also feel like my left thumb is slower and more stiff than my right but again I can still use it.

Is this concerning at all?
 
Not concerning for ALS. Mention it to your doctor as it might indicate other issues.

Thank you. With ALS Is it common for muscle twitching to start first and then progress to muscle weakness?
 
No. In ALS, weakness usually precedes twitching, and the first symptom is typically failure to perform a muscle function as a result of weakness.

Please read this if you have not already done so. I think it will answer most of your questions.


Again, your post does not suggest ALS. Aches and pains point away from ALS and you have not described muscle function failure.
 
No. In ALS, weakness usually precedes twitching, and the first symptom is typically failure to perform a muscle function as a result of weakness.

Please read this if you have not already done so. I think it will answer most of your questions.


Again, your post does not suggest ALS. Aches and pains point away from ALS and you have not described muscle function failure.

Thank you so much for your quick reply and for sharing your knowledge with me. I really appreciate it and you have made me feel more at ease. You are a blessing to everyone you are helping here. God bless you.
 
No. In ALS, weakness usually precedes twitching, and the first symptom is typically failure to perform a muscle function as a result of weakness.

Please read this if you have not already done so. I think it will answer most of your questions.


Again, your post does not suggest ALS. Aches and pains point away from ALS and you have not described muscle function failure.

I was reading another member’s post and didn’t want to jump onto their thread so I thought it was best to ask my question here. Is quick muscle fatigue in one area different than muscle weakness? For example, I’m left handed and have had the aching/burning muscles in my left arm. when I dry my hair with my blow dryer, my left hand and forearm cramp up fairly quickly, the muscles burn and feel tired. Is this concerning or is this different than the weakness you see with ALS?
 
I have no aching or burning. Things just become more impossible. It is hard to explain but there are things I can not do like stsnd tip toe that happened suddenly and I have never been able to do. Things that use lots of muscles where some don’t work I can do for a while but then can’t ( like walking). I don’t think that is a good explanation but best I can do. Although I might say I can’t do this when I am tired I don’t mean I feel tired or fatigued - I don’t I feel normal. It is just my muscles work less well with over use ( overuse is relative as what is too much for me now would have been less than nothing before(
 
I have one more question I would like your all’a opinion on. I noticed today that when I contract my thumb muscle, I see fine fasciculations just under the skin. It only does it on the left thumb, not the right. Is this concerning for ALS?
 
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