Concerning Symptoms

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jshrews1

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Hi Everyone,

Happy holidays. I've been doing my best to keep my spirits up but lately I've been feeling some symptoms the past few months which have made me feel very anxious. I am very grateful for this wonderful community and people who spend valuable time reading these posts. Hopefully this won't be too long.

I am 30M.

In October I started having dizziness like a loss of balance and that continued until November until I had trouble sleeping. That's when the twitching started pretty much all over but mostly in my thighs and calfs. This is 24/7. This is still the case today besides I have noticed more twitching on my left cheek, nose, and some on my tongue.

In november then started to notice more cramping which made things like running and exercise difficult. I still have frequent cramps to this day. Some are very painful but only last a few seconds. I also felt like my forearm was feeling sore and couldn't use my right arm to play guitar or do puzzles for very long and I will pay for it later.

In December my right arm pain continues and has gone up into my shoulder. If I use my arm to do anything physical it hurts very badly for hours after. This makes me sad because I'm not able to do the physical activities I normally do.

I've also noticed the past month or so that my throat is making clenching noises when I eat food and gurgling noises when I drink water. I also notice I cough more and have more frequent indigestion in my throat and hiccuping/burping. My voice also sounds growly.

I've had a couple of Neuro exams in early and mid November and the clinical exam didn't show anything. This was toward the beginning of the arm pain and twitching. I had some blood tests taken and had B12 around 200. The second Neurologist thinks the dizziness and twitches come from this but the first Neuro is unconvinced. I am also unconvinced since I've been taking b12 supplements since and the symptoms are worsening.

My sleep continues to suffer as I'll either wake up every couple of hours due to a choking noise in my throat or my hands will be completely numb.

I have an EMG coming up on January 10th but I'm having a really hard time keeping a positive attitude. I haven't many posts with arm pain and throat issues so wanted to get some rational thoughts as I have been rather convinced that some serious is going on here. I'm also worried that whatever is happening in my arm will throw a false positive on the EMG.

I have no issues walking or tripping or doing most things with my hands and arms. It just is really painful if I push my right arm too much.
I also don't have issues swallowing I just notice the noises and more frequent throat clearing, sneezing, and coughing.

Thanks.

Hi just hoping to get some thoughts on this. Does it sound like als? Do the throat issues and arm pain sound like early signs of weakness? I'm somewhat confused on bulbar vs. Limb onset. Do they normally happen around the same time? Sorry to bother you all.
 
Not sure why you think arm problems would cause a "false positive" on EMG. If sensory or motor nerves are having problems, they will show up -- that is what the NCS/EMG tests do. If you meant "false negative," the comment stands.

To answer your question, no, it does not sound like ALS. Pain is not an early sign of ALS-type weakness. As you will have read, the "early signs" are simply being unable to do certain things that you could do before. You will want to be in touch with your internist, and make sure s/he has ruled out things like allergies and GERD, and perhaps sleep apnea and sleep disorders. Nutrition and hydration are always worth considering.

Best,
Laurie
 
Great news is that not a single thing you report sounds anything like ALS, not even a tiny bit.
The waking at night would also make me think of GERD or a sleep disorder or maybe both.
Go back and have a good talk with your doctor about your concerns.
 
Thanks for the reassuring comments. I've never experienced anything like this before so I will try to be patient and hope things get better soon. The twitching has gotten better after a few weeks of magnesium glycinate but throat issues still persist even after a few weeks of PPI medication. I've always kept hydrated and am a pretty healthy eater. I had recently become vegetarian since 2019 so that is where I think the B12 deficiency comes from. The arm pain is still there but I'm trying not to use my arm too much. I will update after the appointment.
 
PPIs have their down sides. Rather than stay on them long-term possibly to your detriment, you can consult with a gastroenterologist. Dietary changes aided by a food diary can be a big help, for example.

Lots of vegans, seniors, and people who eat limited animal products, supplement with B-12 for the reason you cited.
 
Just giving an update on my EMG. The neuro say everything looks "beautiful" and that I shouldn't be worried about anything serious. I immediately cried tears of joy.

I'm going to look at other things now like a sleep test and seeing a gastro about the throat issues.

I can't understate how thankful I am to everyone on this forum for replying and making me feel at ease. Hopefully others who have similar symptoms can feel better about their situation.

I'd also like to donate so any links for donation would also be appreciated. Thank you so much!!!
 
Great news, donation link is at the top of this site.
 
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