Concerned

[Bamb]

I appreciate you all taking the time to answer our questions. This disease is absolutely the devil!

My name is Brandon. I'm a 34 year old male from Hermitage, TN, happily married with two children. A few weeks ago, I noticed tingling, pain and numbness that came from the inside of my elbow and radiated through my ring and pinky finger. I went to the doctor and was told it was, "Golfers Elbow." I was prescribed medication and sent to a therapist. On Monday I had my first session. It was the usual: massage, some strengthen exercises, then ice. I was sent home with some exercises to do and told to come back. Around Wednesday of this week, I started noticing my thumb on that side becoming stiff. Twitching in that limb soon followed. The thumb felt weak and almost useless. Since then, the twitching has spread to my pinky and right foot. I've also noticed fatigue in my shoulders and I'm starting to fatigue easily when walking up stairs. I know you all aren't doctors, but a little guidance would help a lot.

God Bless

 

[lgelb]

I would go back to the PT who has a baseline to look at relative to strength in your thumb. "Feeling weak" is not the same as becoming weak. But the pain you describe sounds like a local problem, as is pretty common in that area. Golf might not be the culprit, but the speedy shoulder-to-foot onset you describe doesn't sound like ALS.

You might also see your primary doc again, who can do some labs to rule out systemic disease, and assess your shoulders and fatigue.

Best,
Laurie

 

[Bamb]

I would go back to the PT who has a baseline to look at relative to strength in your thumb. "Feeling weak" is not the same as becoming weak. But the pain you describe sounds like a local problem, as is pretty common in that area. Golf might not be the culprit, but the speedy shoulder-to-foot onset you describe doesn't sound like ALS.

You might also see your primary doc again, who can do some labs to rule out systemic disease, and assess your shoulders and fatigue.

Best,
Laurie

I appreciate your response. Can you explain what you mean by, "But the pain you describe sounds like a local problem, as is pretty common in that area."
I apologize for not understanding. Could anxiety and worrying cause symptoms like this? I'm truly freaking out for some reason.

 

[KarenNWendyn]

What she means is that the pain and numbness going from the elbow into the fingers very likely comes from an injury to one branch of one peripheral nerve. This is different than a motor neuron disease such as ALS where the abnormalities are widespread and come from damage to neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

You may make a point that the twitching in your feet and fatigue in your shoulders and legs suggests a widespread problem, but not necessarily. ALS does not present with sensory symptoms such as numbness, pain, aching, tired muscles, or feeling week. The hallmark of ALS is muscle function failure, or inability to do something because the signal does not get from the nerve to the muscle. There is no muscle fatigue, pain, numbness, or feeling weak. The muscle simply doesn’t contract when the brain tells it to.

Please read this if you have not already done so:

Important - READ BEFORE POSTING! Answers to common concerns about possible symptoms

We will try to answer reasonable questions. We are not here to argue with you. If you announce that you ”know” you have ALS when the doctors say otherwise, or you have not bothered to see a doctor, your thread will be closed. It is not our place to try to convince you you are wrong. Neither...

www.alsforums.com

 

[Bamb]

What she means is that the pain and numbness going from the elbow into the fingers very likely comes from an injury to one branch of one peripheral nerve. This is different than a motor neuron disease such as ALS where the abnormalities are widespread and come from damage to neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

You may make a point that the twitching in your feet and fatigue in your shoulders and legs suggests a widespread problem, but not necessarily. ALS does not present with sensory symptoms such as numbness, pain, aching, tired muscles, or feeling week. The hallmark of ALS is muscle function failure, or inability to do something because the signal does not get from the nerve to the muscle. There is no muscle fatigue, pain, numbness, or feeling weak. The muscle simply doesn’t contract when the brain tells it to.

Please read this if you have not already done so:

Important - READ BEFORE POSTING! Answers to common concerns about possible symptoms

We will try to answer reasonable questions. We are not here to argue with you. If you announce that you ”know” you have ALS when the doctors say otherwise, or you have not bothered to see a doctor, your thread will be closed. It is not our place to try to convince you you are wrong. Neither...

www.alsforums.com

That makes sense. Can't believe i didn't know what she meant.... I've had body wide twitching since 2015, which is why I'm not as concerned about the twitching part of it.. I'm sorry for bothering you all. I just don't know what else to think.

 

[Bamb]

Update:
Went to the physical therapist about my hand. Last week, she measured a 124 on my left and 124 on my right hand for grip strength. This weak my left hand measured a 148 and my right was still at a 124. So it seems that my affected left hand has gotten stronger. You all have been wonderful in addressing concerns. So I have one last question.

It seems that my right hand has becoming problematic, with a feeling of weakness. My leg on that same side has also started to get the weak feeling. When I walk, it seems that my leg will gove out. Does this sound like ALS to move so quickly from left to right?

 

[KarenNWendyn]

Does this sound like ALS to move so quickly from left to right?

No it does not.
Again, “feeling weak” is not the same as true clinical weakness. If you can still grip and still walk, you’re ok.

 

[Bamb]

I apologize for all my questions. I went to see my primary care doctor about my issues. She was very patient and answered all my questions. She did a decent examination of my body. When it came to the reflex of the knee tendon, she was having a difficult time finding a reflex. I've read that no reflex is also a sign of motor neuron disease. Is this the case?

 

[KarenNWendyn]

I've read that no reflex is also a sign of motor neuron disease. Is this the case?

That is not the case. No reflexes can be a normal variant, or due to your being tense. With absent knee reflexes, being tense is commonly the reason. Occasionally there can be a pinched nerve in the spine, but then there would be other symptoms.

 

[Bamb]

I appreciate your response. I know I'm being irritating. I'm sorry.

 

[Bamb]

This will be my last post, as I have out stayed my welcome. In regards to my leg. When I walk on the right leg, it gets a dull ache, weak feeling. Same when I drive. It feels sore, like after a workout. And of course it's twitching. This has to be ALS, right?

 

[KarenNWendyn]

Wrong.

Please reread the “read before posting” sticky. Aching is a sensory symptom. “Weak feeling” is not the same as true clinical weakness — people with ALS don’t “feel” weak even if they are completely paralyzed. Twitching means nothing.

No more to say here. I’m closing your thread. Please don’t start another.