Could this be ALS?

[Franci]

Hello everyone,
I'm a 46 mom, just had my 2nd baby 2.5 months ago so I m still in the post partum period. Approx 1 month ago I started having some very scary symtomps and I m now totally terrified they could be ALS onset:
- end of July start having for some day weird feeling on my skin, a sort of slight itch (similar having a spider web or a hair on the skin) in multiple parts of my body, especially limbs and face around nose and lips. Just for note, a couple of weeks before I start feeling very tired, head aches, mental fog, sweating but I just discharged this for the post partum condition and the very hot climate
- in the incoming few days other weird symtomps added, like some occasional burning / heat feeling and pain in fingers/joints (very very slight indeed) and a general feeling not being well (tired/mental fog). Also I started with some very light and ovcasional twitching in my body (I can notice at night), and weakness feeling in my left leg
- After approx a week (Aug 5) I start gradually having some symptomps in my throat area: weird feeling of my tongue (as it was thicker and slightly itching), lot of phlegm leading me to clear my throat very often and feeling stuff nose. I developed some difficulty in speaking, as it was difficulty for my words to come out especially with long sentences (It is an effort to me!).
- speaking difficulties worsened over the days, the tone of my voice has becoming weaker and I struggle speaking loudly and singing as before (this started Aug 11 after an acute episode of throat stinging / scratching lasted a couple of minutes), also I feel often like I'm speaking through my nose (so I have to clear often my throat and swallow mucus). To be reported that no one noted changes in my voice but I feel this graspy feeling in my vocal cords every time I try to speak louder. I do not have significant slurring but sometimes happened to loose some labial sounds like l, p, b
- approx Aug 20 the weakness feeling of my left leg spread also to my left arm. I actually do not have lost ability to do things but I feel like left leg/arm are weaker, heavy and are loosing strenght (it fluctuates a bit over the days and the hours), I sometimes feel this weird condition even without using them.
I'm going to see a neuro next week but I'm petrified this could be ALS, I' ve 2 daughters of 6 and 3 months and I can't guess to leave them.
I'm just wondering if it can happen so many symptoms in a so short time frame, as I developed problems in my left leg, left arm and speech and voice issues in less than 1 month and this is frighten me so much, I'm wondering if it seems possibile to you.
Just a short view of my past health condition, I suffered of muscle twitching and weakness when I was younger for at least 3 years (from 2004 to 2007), at that time I did medical tests and no significant issues were reported. I suffered also of head aches, brain fog and fatigue fluctuating over the years, but not in recent years. Maybe last pregnancy has changed something...
I thanks in advance for your opinion, you are a so wonderful supporting people and my prayers are with you and people struggling with this orribile disease.
Sorry for language mistakes (I m from Italy).

 

[ShiftKicker]

Hello there-

Please have a read here: Read Before Posting

Fluctuating symptoms, sensory issues like itching, stinging, scratching, numbness, heat, tingling, etc, are not part of the spectrum of symptoms that are associated with ALS. Nor is sweating, head aches and general malaise. It sounds like you do need to work with your doctors to track down the cause of your symptoms if they are affecting your daily function, but ALS does not present like this.

Take care

 

[affected]

I'm sorry for what you are experiencing but huge congratulations on becoming a mum!
Lots of women in late pregnancy and post partum experience weird things with their bodies that make them fear something terminal will strike them down.
It really doesn't happen this way in our experience, so please do see your doctor again with your concenrns.

 

[affected]

I'm sorry for what you are experiencing but huge congratulations on becoming a mum!
Lots of women in late pregnancy and post partum experience weird things with their bodies that make them fear something terminal will strike them down.
It really doesn't happen this way in our experience, so please do see your doctor again with your concenrns.

 

[lgelb]

Best wishes to you and the new baby. Pregnancy often depletes iron and B vitamins, which can cause many issues. Loss of sleep, stress, and a stop/go diet can contribute as well. I don't think you have a neurological problem, so I would expect that visit to be reassuring, but I would certainly work with your primary physician on the issues above. If you do not take a multivitamin with iron and have no medical reason not to, that might be a first step.

 

[Franci]

Many thanks for your kind replies! What is of most concerne to me is the difficulty in speaking and the voice / throat changes, they came up so suddenly and I think they are related to the other systemic symtomps....
I m going to see the doctor next week and I ll keep you updated!

 

[KimT]

I would add get Vitamin D check.

 

[affected]

None of us here are doctors, so please do go back to your doctor for a thorough check up and let them figure what might be going on.