19 Year old Terrified of als

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msinsrs

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Learn about ALS
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US
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OK
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Edmond
I’ll do my best to keep this brief as I know you guys probably get a lot of this on this forum and your time is precious, you all are much stronger than I will ever be. A month ago or two ago I began experiencing mild pain in my left forearm which I didn’t think much about. Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago and the pain has progressed to numbness, pins and needles, and perceived loss of muscle. I have a hard time holding my phone up or putting on a necklace without extreme burning and fatigue of all the muscles in my left arm, including my hand. I’ve been having violent twitching all over my body but mostly in my left arm and my left leg, which is showing signs of rapid muscle deterioration, all throughout the day at sporadic intervals. The muscles in my shoulder, neck, and forearm, along with the joints in my left hand often feel extremely tense and in excruciating pain, and it feels like the numbness and weakness in my left arm is beginning to spread to my left leg. I’ve been having sporadic episodes of crying for no apparent reason. Most days I wake up and the left side of my body feels almost as if it had fallen asleep like a leg that I’ve been sitting on too long. I went to the doctor and am awaiting blood test results and have an EMG scheduled for after the holiday but the anxiety of the possibility that all these cumulative symptoms could be ALS is eating me alive and making life near unlivable. I know advice on a forum is never a replacement for a diagnosis, but some input would be greatly appreciated. I hope to god this is all just anxiety. God bless you all :)
 
I don't see any reason to worry about ALS. There are many possible diagnoses to explore, from a virus to an injury to stress. There are some pretty mild muscular disorders that can arise at your age.

Remember, "perceived loss of muscle," for example, is not a clinical issue until a specialist agrees with you, but even then, there are many more treatable causes than cases of ALS. Radiating pain, numbness, pins and needles are not part of ALS onset.

You're doing the right thing by going through the process with your doc. Enjoy the holidays doing something you enjoy, and I very much believe you can feel significantly better in the near future.

Best,
Laurie
 
Thank you for the reply Laurie, I appreciate it a ton! I have noticed that there is a marked difference in not only strength but it appears that my left hand muscles have all gone completely soft and it is becoming increasingly difficult to move it as the days pass. I know I’m no doctor and I don’t really have a trained eye but the muscle loss in my arm, leg, and hand are all progressing rapidly to the point where it is glaringly obvious to me and friends and family. I’ve noticed I’m dropping things with my left hand extremely frequently, I’m having difficulty with fine movements like screwing things in and buttoning my shirt, and I’ve begun to stumble and run into walls on several occasions a day. I’m really scared. I hope you have a great Christmas, and again, thank you so much for the response! :)
 
As Laurie said, what you are describing is not ALS like. ALS does not happen all over your body as you are saying your symptoms are. Please, it's Christmas, there's no need for you to be here worrying about a disease you do not show signs of.

Good luck to you and stay safe
 
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