ALS Scare #2
- Status
Boo Boo 621
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2008
- Messages
- 41
- Country
- US
- State
- VA
- City
- Manassas
Hi BethU or anyone!
I'm panicking..I have some twitching in my calf when I flex it in friont me. or stretch it. I can feel the twitching big time when I stand but dont put any pressure on it. I can feel the crawling or random pulsating. I dont have any weakness but noticed this calf muscle is a little less defined than my other one. My hands feel very tense too. Not that I dont have enough anxiety for an army about this. Please reply. I posted eralier too. I'm a 35 year old woman.
I'm panicking..I have some twitching in my calf when I flex it in friont me. or stretch it. I can feel the twitching big time when I stand but dont put any pressure on it. I can feel the crawling or random pulsating. I dont have any weakness but noticed this calf muscle is a little less defined than my other one. My hands feel very tense too. Not that I dont have enough anxiety for an army about this. Please reply. I posted eralier too. I'm a 35 year old woman.
BethU
Extremely helpful member
- Joined
- May 11, 2008
- Messages
- 2,646
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 05/2008
- Country
- US
- State
- California
- City
- Los Angeles
Hey, Boo ...
That doesn't sound at all like ALS ... first of all, you can completely ignore the fact that one leg is slightly different from the other. Our bodies are never identical on each side. You just have probably never looked this hard and compared your legs before, but this is not a symptom of anything.
About the twitching. This does NOT sound like ALS twitching, in my experience. (But I'm talking only about my own experience ... ) ALS twitching is very subtle ... I cannot feel most of the twitching in my left arm and hand, which is where most of my weakness is so far (besides bulbar). And I even have to stare pretty hard to see it.
The rule to remember about ALS is that weakness comes first. If you have a powerful twitching in your leg, but no weakness, then it is not ALS. The way you will detect weakness is if you can't do something normal that you have always been able to do, like pick up a bucket of water, or turn the ignition key.
Also, ALS twitches don't stop or start when you change position.
Please check out the Benign Fasciculation Syndrome forum. BFS twitches are very disturbing, and they are much stronger, generally, than ALS. All "benign" means is that this condition is not going to kill you, only drive you crazy. It doesn't mean BFS twitches aren't real ... they are VERY real.
Talk online with BFS sufferers, and I bet you'll get a lot of reassurance that you're not alone. And you'll also get some tips on how to cope with BFS.
Good luck.
That doesn't sound at all like ALS ... first of all, you can completely ignore the fact that one leg is slightly different from the other. Our bodies are never identical on each side. You just have probably never looked this hard and compared your legs before, but this is not a symptom of anything.
About the twitching. This does NOT sound like ALS twitching, in my experience. (But I'm talking only about my own experience ... ) ALS twitching is very subtle ... I cannot feel most of the twitching in my left arm and hand, which is where most of my weakness is so far (besides bulbar). And I even have to stare pretty hard to see it.
The rule to remember about ALS is that weakness comes first. If you have a powerful twitching in your leg, but no weakness, then it is not ALS. The way you will detect weakness is if you can't do something normal that you have always been able to do, like pick up a bucket of water, or turn the ignition key.
Also, ALS twitches don't stop or start when you change position.
Please check out the Benign Fasciculation Syndrome forum. BFS twitches are very disturbing, and they are much stronger, generally, than ALS. All "benign" means is that this condition is not going to kill you, only drive you crazy. It doesn't mean BFS twitches aren't real ... they are VERY real.
Talk online with BFS sufferers, and I bet you'll get a lot of reassurance that you're not alone. And you'll also get some tips on how to cope with BFS.
Good luck.
Boo Boo 621
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2008
- Messages
- 41
- Country
- US
- State
- VA
- City
- Manassas
Thanks for the reassuring words BethU. So even if my right side is my dominant side, it doesn't really matter so much that my calf muscle on that side has its share of twitches and a less defined muscle that doens't nicely ball up like the other one? There is definitely weakness that comes on as I've haven't had any of that. My hands feel arthritic at times and not as flexible as they used to be, but they've been that way for a few years now. Especially after I had my baby 6 months ago, they felt like I had carpel tunnel with some tingling and numbness too. I sometimes see the twitches in my calf - like right now as I am seated but maybe other times I don't and they feel rather slight. I'm going to the neuro Tuesday. I don't mean to ask all of these questions like this, but I have not been able to stop focusing on this the past week.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Boo Boo 621
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2008
- Messages
- 41
- Country
- US
- State
- VA
- City
- Manassas
I meant to ASK that..so there is definitely weakness that comes on first? As I haven't had any that I am aware of. Still able to exercise like I used to - when my 6 month old baby allows it, that is!
wright
Very helpful member
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2008
- Messages
- 1,160
- Country
- US
- State
- xx
- City
- xxxx
Boo Boo
Weakness precedes atrophy with ALS. If you got to the point of having atrophy and it was due to ALS, you would have definitive . . . and more than likely . . . profound weakness.
As Beth said, the body is typically asymmetric and there are very few people in the general population with a completely symmetrical body.
Bottom line: what you have described does not merit worry about ALS and I'm confident that your neuro will tell you the same thing. What you must do is listen and believe him/her when they tell do.
Take care.
Weakness precedes atrophy with ALS. If you got to the point of having atrophy and it was due to ALS, you would have definitive . . . and more than likely . . . profound weakness.
As Beth said, the body is typically asymmetric and there are very few people in the general population with a completely symmetrical body.
Bottom line: what you have described does not merit worry about ALS and I'm confident that your neuro will tell you the same thing. What you must do is listen and believe him/her when they tell do.
Take care.
Boo Boo 621
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2008
- Messages
- 41
- Country
- US
- State
- VA
- City
- Manassas
Thank you for the more reassuring words, wright.
sh18
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2008
- Messages
- 40
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- NY
- City
- New York
I thought I am over this hump, but... I got stressed lately and I think I have another symptom. Wondering whether it is a symptom of ALS of course.
Sides of my tongue were always a little 'bitten' and even my cheeks...coz of my teeth, so I kinda wonder whether they are more bitten now..now it almost feels like my tongue is 'in the way' sometimes... like yesterday i went to sleep and it was just like in the way of teeth...
Could that be a symptom? Also whenever I chew food sometimes it feels like my tongue is in the way: no slurring or problems swallowing though... Any opinions or experiences? Could that be a symptom before slurring?...
Another thing I noticed: you know sometimes if you have cold whenever you want to say something and you go from low note to high pitched and sometimes you lose voice on high pitched one? I noticed that happens to me sometimes: maybe I am being silly I don't know...
Sides of my tongue were always a little 'bitten' and even my cheeks...coz of my teeth, so I kinda wonder whether they are more bitten now..now it almost feels like my tongue is 'in the way' sometimes... like yesterday i went to sleep and it was just like in the way of teeth...
Could that be a symptom? Also whenever I chew food sometimes it feels like my tongue is in the way: no slurring or problems swallowing though... Any opinions or experiences? Could that be a symptom before slurring?...
Another thing I noticed: you know sometimes if you have cold whenever you want to say something and you go from low note to high pitched and sometimes you lose voice on high pitched one? I noticed that happens to me sometimes: maybe I am being silly I don't know...
planningguy
Senior member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2008
- Messages
- 556
- Country
- US
- State
- Wyoming
- City
- Sheridan
Hi Sh18,
You've just had good news, don't let the anxiety cycle start again.
If it were ALS were the cause of the tongue biting would be due to weakening of the tongue resulting in decreased strength and dexterity. Although one of our PALS may correct me, I'm pretty darn sure this would also impact speech as well.
Take care,
Robert
You've just had good news, don't let the anxiety cycle start again.
If it were ALS were the cause of the tongue biting would be due to weakening of the tongue resulting in decreased strength and dexterity. Although one of our PALS may correct me, I'm pretty darn sure this would also impact speech as well.
Take care,
Robert
BethU
Extremely helpful member
- Joined
- May 11, 2008
- Messages
- 2,646
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 05/2008
- Country
- US
- State
- California
- City
- Los Angeles
Sh18 ... Now you are getting silly. You're trying too hard to conjure up ALS. If you don't have a problem with slurred speech or swallowing difficulties ... just feel that your tongue is "in the way" (in the way of what?) ... I don't think you have anything to worry about. Maybe the economy. That's what I worry about at 4 a.m. when I have to worry about something ...
sh18
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2008
- Messages
- 40
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- NY
- City
- New York
Thanks for encouragement. In the way of my teeth. Like I went to bed and I was like trying to sleep and kept feeling that my tongue was being bitten by my teeth whenever i laid on a side...I don't know maybe I always done it and just chose to focus on it now, coz as long as i remembered my tongue and insides of cheeks had teeth marks on them.Thanks!
awieleba
Very helpful member
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2008
- Messages
- 1,023
- Country
- US
- State
- michigan
- City
- oakland twp
I have the teeth marks on the sides of my tongue as well. I looked and they do match up with my teeth. I am not sure if I always had this, I dont think that I did. My tongue feels like it is pressing up against my teeth all the time. ***I think that when you have tongue weakness that it does not press up and it feels smaller? Help me out pals (beth u). I am not sure.'
I am not sure if it is sx or not....
I am not sure if it is sx or not....
BethU
Extremely helpful member
- Joined
- May 11, 2008
- Messages
- 2,646
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 05/2008
- Country
- US
- State
- California
- City
- Los Angeles
Hi, April ... well, we know it's not a symptom of ALS, since you've been given the "all clear" on that.
Maybe your tongue IS pressing against your teeth all the time. Unless it's causing dental problems, I wouldn't worry about it. People have all kinds of little nervous habits, like grinding their teeth in their sleep ... that can really cause problems with your teeth and is something to be concerned with. Sometimes people will suck on a tooth, etc.
I've never had any feeling that my tongue is too small or too large ... I just started slurring my words and having trouble swallowing.
If you can speak clearly, and chew and swallow with no problems, I don't know why you'd be worried about bulbar-onset ALS. But to answer your question again: imprints on the side of your tongue are not a symptom of ALS.
Take care. (Love your new avatar ... beautiful kids!)
Maybe your tongue IS pressing against your teeth all the time. Unless it's causing dental problems, I wouldn't worry about it. People have all kinds of little nervous habits, like grinding their teeth in their sleep ... that can really cause problems with your teeth and is something to be concerned with. Sometimes people will suck on a tooth, etc.
I've never had any feeling that my tongue is too small or too large ... I just started slurring my words and having trouble swallowing.
If you can speak clearly, and chew and swallow with no problems, I don't know why you'd be worried about bulbar-onset ALS. But to answer your question again: imprints on the side of your tongue are not a symptom of ALS.
Take care.
(Love your new avatar ... beautiful kids!)
Al
Moderator emeritus
- Joined
- May 25, 2004
- Messages
- 8,083
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 10/2003
- Country
- CA
- State
- On
- City
- NW of Toronto
Hey guys. SH18 got a clean bill of health this week and is back here with a goofy (no offense meant) new symptom. Obviously he is going to be one of those paranoid individuals that won't take NO ALS for an answer and when his pee looks like eggnog he'll think that's ALS too. PLEASE DO NOT tell him you have anything that even remotely sounds like a symptom he describes. It's not ALS when you bite your tongue or cheeks. Trust me I've met lots of people with bulbar ALS at the clinic and they didn't say that was a symptom they noticed first. Later when your muscles are screwed , maybe it'll happen but not at first. I thought you were going to enjoy Christmas sh18. Get some anxiety meds and have some fun. You're not sick. Not with ALS anyway.
AL.
AL.
- Status
