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melbellred

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Oct 25, 2014
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Learn about ALS
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US
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oregon
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portland
Hi... I’ve had years of slowly progressing symptoms (too slow to get dx), 2 muscle biopsies with some borderline als characteristics, fasiculations for many years in legs and feet (and off and on all over)..finally got dx of foot drop in right foot a year ago... but my left foot has weakened in a different way. I can’t push up with front of foot to toe, or when I’m walking. Now it just sits and won’t even lift off ground. I’ve read this is from a fallen arch. I’ll be going back to neuro soon but I wondered if this was one of the typicle symptoms of als. I always hear about foot drop but not necessarily fallen arch.
Thanks
 
Whatever you have, you've had it for at least four years based on your posts, and I don't know why you'd be disappointed at its being "too slow to get dx" (sic). Foot drop is a symptom of more than one disease, so it doesn't mean anything in and of itself. As for your weak L foot, it would be part of the picture that the neuro would look at toward any provisional diagnosis, but since we can't see it from our computers, I don't know if you have a fallen arch or which muscles are weak.

I would be surprised if muscle bx were being used to support ALS in the absence of positive EMG findings that I don't see in your posts.

Since you are seeing the neuro soon, I would ask what if any dx are still on the table, and if a trial of PT is indicated for either of your feet.

Best,
Laurie
 
Thank you so much for your response Laurie!... yes , this has been going on since I had work injury. That’s why I just need closure about it. One neuro told me the biopsies would be considered for als dx if I had weakness also, which at that time she felt I didn’t. Other docs disagreed.Everything else has allready been eliminated. I have thenar flattening and right hand atrophy of intrinsics. They’ve said so far there’s no explanation for what’s happening. I have seen muscles of feel sinking in where fasics are. I just wondered if a fallen arch happens sometimes with als. are.
 
Work injuries don't cause ALS.

Biopsies don't prove it.

Clean EMGs point away from it.

If you have docs who don't know the causes of thenar atrophy, find new ones. But you still don't have ALS.
 
We’ll see what happens. Neuro said if it gets worse she will give me the dx. I had severe chest trauma and following chest infection fro the work injury. It started within weeks of this and has continued since then. There’s been new research about athletes and football players especially,getting als. I think the injury triggered something in my nervous system. I’m a lot less stressed about it than I used to be. I finally got a good neuro etc.
 
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