27yo Female, I Have clinical weakness in both legs; terrified of EMG

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Ashen324

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Learn about ALS
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I have twitching, incredibly stiffness in my right leg that makes it impossible to sit still for even a couple of minutes and legs just feel so weak and soft when I walk like they are about to give out. When the Neuro did the weakness testing by pressing on my legs the thighs fell very easily and he says I have weakness in my feet too. I’m so afraid I cannot stop crying. All the symptoms happened so fast in less than 3 weeks. What can I expect
 
Sorry along with stiffness there is constant cramping. I can find nothing else that is like what I’m experiencing and all my blood work has come back normal
 
What did the neuro suggest as next steps?
 
Next is to do the emg which I just know will be bad. I can’t cope
 
This must be very frightening, but if it helps any I can say that bi lateral weakness appearing in both legs and both feet would be a very unusual first symptom of ALS. It virtually always begins on one side, usually the dominant side in ALS limb onset.

There are a lot of possibilities, the majority not ALS. Are you having an EMG soon? The workup of EMG, bloodwork, scans, will answer many questions.

Hang in there.
 
I'm very surprised he didn't order an MRI of your lumbar spine. Coming on that fast and bi-laterally would lead me to believe it's something else.

Let us know.
 
Ashen, you wrote...

"Next is to do the emg which I just know will be bad. I can’t cope"

It is impossible to learn when you think you already know.

You will learn from the EMG. Learning is accepting.
 
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For some reason my post has doubled. I've tried to cut it, back space it completely out and
I keep getting "Ooops... we're having problems".

Whatever.... :)

Edit: Now it's fixed. I think. :)
 
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I will sound like a mess because I am right now, I have weakness in both my thighs and both arms that make me feel like I just want to be collapsed and lying down on the ground , I fail the doctors weakness test and I can feel weak myself. It almost feels like my thighs and arms are missing. This all happened in a span of three weeks

The tech thatt did the emg said he was only qualified to do my lower legs but not my thighs and that someone else would have to do my thighs

The first electric part with the shocks made my legs shake and twitch and he said that it showed

Peronial nerve drop in amplitude in both legs

What does that mean I don’t know I just know that it’s not normal. The needle part in the lower legs he said was normal but I am too afraid to go back to do my thighs and arms as that’s where the weakness is and failing the needle part I guess means that you most likely have ALS

My bloodwork is normal and I canceled my appointment to finish the emg because psychologically I am horror stricken and don’t know how to be brave enough to face whatever is ahead of me. I am only 27 and I’ve cried every night for the past week.
 
Mod note: moved post to original thread. Ashen, please keep posting on your open thread to keep everything together.

Ashen, there's not much strangers on the internet can do for you with regards to providing more information if you are unwilling to complete a test that will rule out ALS. While it is frightening, the emg provides the most definitive answers to what may be wrong. It really helps the people here provide feedback if you include the actual report you got from the test.

If the anxiety is such that you can not pursue diagnosis, you must address that as well- you could be preventing yourself from getting a diagnosis and medical attention for something that is treatable.
 
Symptoms coming on so rapidly are most assuredly NOT ALS. It’s possible you could have a viral infection, an autoimmune condition, or a thyroid problem, to name a few possibilities. Let the doctors finish their assessment, and the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor that this is something treatable.
 
Like others said, ALS does not come on that fast, and it's rarely bilateral like that. Also the NCV test- the one where they "shocked" you- is usually normal in ALS, whereas yours was abnormal. It is very highly unlikely that you have ALS.

Why would you cancel the rest of the emg? We can't help you if you refuse to do the testing. There's no more to say.
 
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