NickP3
New member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2024
- Messages
- 6
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- NY
- City
- Syracuse
Hello,
My heart goes out to everybody affected by this disease.
I am a 29 year old male experiencing symptoms that I fear could be ALS. Here is a rough timeline:
12/2023 - I was an avid weight lifter. I began to feel tingling and weakness in my entire left arm, one night after leaving the gym. I was still able to move it, but it had a numb feeling and the grip strength felt weak. About 48 hours later, similar symptoms appear in my right hand/ arm. There’s also been some pain in my neck, upper back, and various spots in my arms and hands.
Roughly a week to 10 days after that, my legs went from having calf pain, to wobbly, to numbness/tingling, to some minor twitching. People I know are saying my walking hasn’t changed, but it feels imbalanced. However, I’m yet to fall, even catching myself as normal when I slip on black ice outside. There’s some minor twitching occurring in my arms also. These symptoms have persisted, and my hands aren’t working like they were before. However, I’m still able to walk/run and grab things, it just seems to be fine motor movements in hands that give me trouble. I also wake up every morning with numb/cold upper extremities.
I sought medical care in the ER. Had MRI/CT scans of my brain and spine, came back normal. Blood work was normal. I saw my PCP as I began to suspect ALS or I had an injury, they said I may have something called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and the PT I was prescribed to agreed. Blood pressure was tested in various positions of arm, BP dropped when arm was raised. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is not common and is not well understood, but my PT firmly believes I have it, and she said to me directly once “you don’t have ALS”. However, PT doesn’t seem to be improving the symptoms (at least not to me). Worth noting my PCP said ALS was “not on his radar”.
1/2024 - I had an EMG Of both upper and lower extremities, done at an outpatient spine clinic. Both studies came back normal, and the Dr there said I had no evidence of Nueromuscular disease. She discussed with me the rarity of ALS, and that a 29 year old does not “fit the profile”.
I have an appointment with a vascular surgeon in March and with a neurologist on Feb 19. I don’t know what to expect at the neuro appointment.
Question is, does this sound anything like onset of ALS? I have been wondering this for weeks, but nobody I have seen so far seems to think so, despite these symptoms. Also worth noting I am being treated for anxiety as well. Currently taking SSRI.
Thank you very much!
-Nick
My heart goes out to everybody affected by this disease.
I am a 29 year old male experiencing symptoms that I fear could be ALS. Here is a rough timeline:
12/2023 - I was an avid weight lifter. I began to feel tingling and weakness in my entire left arm, one night after leaving the gym. I was still able to move it, but it had a numb feeling and the grip strength felt weak. About 48 hours later, similar symptoms appear in my right hand/ arm. There’s also been some pain in my neck, upper back, and various spots in my arms and hands.
Roughly a week to 10 days after that, my legs went from having calf pain, to wobbly, to numbness/tingling, to some minor twitching. People I know are saying my walking hasn’t changed, but it feels imbalanced. However, I’m yet to fall, even catching myself as normal when I slip on black ice outside. There’s some minor twitching occurring in my arms also. These symptoms have persisted, and my hands aren’t working like they were before. However, I’m still able to walk/run and grab things, it just seems to be fine motor movements in hands that give me trouble. I also wake up every morning with numb/cold upper extremities.
I sought medical care in the ER. Had MRI/CT scans of my brain and spine, came back normal. Blood work was normal. I saw my PCP as I began to suspect ALS or I had an injury, they said I may have something called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and the PT I was prescribed to agreed. Blood pressure was tested in various positions of arm, BP dropped when arm was raised. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is not common and is not well understood, but my PT firmly believes I have it, and she said to me directly once “you don’t have ALS”. However, PT doesn’t seem to be improving the symptoms (at least not to me). Worth noting my PCP said ALS was “not on his radar”.
1/2024 - I had an EMG Of both upper and lower extremities, done at an outpatient spine clinic. Both studies came back normal, and the Dr there said I had no evidence of Nueromuscular disease. She discussed with me the rarity of ALS, and that a 29 year old does not “fit the profile”.
I have an appointment with a vascular surgeon in March and with a neurologist on Feb 19. I don’t know what to expect at the neuro appointment.
Question is, does this sound anything like onset of ALS? I have been wondering this for weeks, but nobody I have seen so far seems to think so, despite these symptoms. Also worth noting I am being treated for anxiety as well. Currently taking SSRI.
Thank you very much!
-Nick
