Meg1, We have checked back in our family on both Mom and Dad's side for several generations and no one had ALS or anything like it. Most all of them lived to be 70 to 90 years old. Dad had 10 brothers or sisters and Mom had 5. Several of them had several kids. Mom sister had 15, so you see I have several cousins on both sides of the family. I'm 68 and there is probably about 70 some 1st cousins some a little older and some a little younger then I am. That not counting the Hundreds of 2nd and 3rd cousins. There hasn't been anyone of them have any signs of having ALS. My sister is 67 and she is ok, just the three of us brothers. Hereditary or not I don't know, but I don't think in our case that it is. I know that you don't like supplements but that is the only thing that has slowed my progress down. In 2004 I was progressing so fast that I could feel my body changing every day. I started on supplements and change my diet . I started to feel better after 2-3 months. I'm stronger now then I was then. I don't trip or get dizzy like I was then and I haven't lost any weight in over 2 1/2 years. The muscle spasm are only about 10% of what they were in 2004. My right hand, arm, neck and shoulder have Atrophy, but I can still use them. The Atrophy hasn't gotten any worse since 2004. The fatigue is 90% less then it was in 2004. I still work part time and farm a 165 acre farm. I thank God for every day I can still walk, because I told my wife in 2004 that if I didn't do something that I would be in a wheel chair in 6 months or less. I was getting so weak that I had trouble walking 300 feet. I now walk about 1/4 mile down hill to feed my goats and back up with out any trouble. I built a 18x24 foot addition on to one of my barns 3 months ago and nailed the roof on my self. In 2004 I couldn't climb a ladder with out getting dizzy. What I have done may not help anyone else but it sure helped me. May God bless all. Howdy