Recent content by sironside

The only thing I can tell you about the reason they don't hurry up and treat everyone with these drugs is because they either have mixed results (some studies say they work others say they don't), they don't work at all for ALS, or they just don't have enough data to make a conclusion about...

If it's due to edema (fluid retention), which it sounds like it is if the doc is saying to wear tighter socs, diuretics will help. However, I'm not sure if they are recommended for ALS patients, so check with his doctor. Also, try elevating his feet. This should help the fluid from his feet move...

I am confused. The John's Hopkins website attempted to differentiate between the symptoms found in PLS compared to ALS. They said that it mainly affects the legs and you get leg cramps. It said one of the main differences between the two is that PLS does not have twitching as a symptom. So now I...

Well, I talked to the pro bono psychological associates and they turned me away. They said to go through my insurance and find a psychiatrist. I told her that the insurance only pays for about 6 visits. I guess that didn't matter. I also went to the walk-in clinic today with no success. There...

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Apperantly I misread the walk in clinic's information. The doctor is there 3 times per week and only sees one patient each day on a first come, first served basis. I missed the time he was there today because of work, so I will try tomorrow at the time listed...

thanks for the help everyone. I found a walk in mental health clinic which uses a sliding scale and has a psychiatrist there. I went in today but the psychiatrist is only there Monday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. So I will try again tomorrow and if it doesn't work out I will call some of the...

I called around for therapy but no one can see me until 2 weeks from now. I don't understand, they asked me if I'm suicidal now, I said yes, then they said the soonest they can see me is in 2 weeks.

This is an old tune that I'm tired of playing. My swallowing and speech are getting worse and my hands are shaky every day. Bottom line is that I can't cope. No one knows what's wrong, all I can do is hope I will get better. I'm scared out of my mind and really depressed. I just want to drink...

I get a lot of exposure from college. Anatomy classes typically use preserved cats for dissection and the smell of formaldehyde is very intense. Also, I'm not sure if this is true or not, but aspartame is supposedly converted to formaldehyde in the body. Kind of scary to think about it...

You guys, how can I get help when my own mother, a psychiatrist, is telling me my symptoms are in my head and that if I don't get it together, she won't talk to me? My whole family is against me. I am talking to a counselor, and I feel better for about an hour after talking to her, then I just...

I'm at home today, school tomorrow. One of my nursing instructors told me I'm too young for serious diseases and the other, after telling her I had an MRI but I still had my symptoms, told me I may need psych meds. Stress seems to be what they think I'm having and they are not sympathetic. My...

Well, I told my husband about my feelings and he said "go ahead, if you want to commit suicide, stop manipulating me" and went back to work.

No one's around to ask for help. I called my family and they think I'm exaggerating. I still can't breathe right and I'm so weak from not eating all week. I'm so dizzy. I feel like I should go to the ER again but I've already been there 3 times within the last month and they send me away without...

It's so hard waiting for the tests and not knowing what's wrong with me. I get the EMG friday and I have mixed feelings about it. I'm scared to know the results and yet I feel that friday is so far away. I feel like one night I'm just going to stop breathing before they figure out what's going...

Thanks Irma. The only reason I think it is ALS is that I read that some people can start the disease with breathing problems. I also have been having the twictching for over a month and I thought I saw atrophy in my arm and I have weakness, but because I am so thin and have a small frame it is...