Hi everyone, I'm becca. I acknowledge peoples ignorance of knowledge that surrounds this life changing illness however am concerned with my symptoms and would appreciate honest feedback. Background information: I'm 19 years old, female, I do not exercise and spend most of my time at home or out with my friends in their cars. I also have extreme health anxiety and am on medication for that problem since 8 days ago and have lost around a stone and a half in 2 months from my anxiety. I work 12 hours a week and my job involves heavy lifting and standing at tills. I also was a heavy user of marijuana for 2 years and have on about 4 occasions tried mdma and cocaine. Due to my marijuana habit I would only eat when 'stoned' and would not eat all day until about 11pm. I then quit weed as my problem began and have been eating around 0-300 calories a day for around 2 months and have lost about a stone an a half. so here's how it began..
9 weeks ago to the day, I was out partying with my friends. Aroud 4am we returned to my friends house and carried on partying. That entire night I felt fine untill I had to run outside and throw up (haha) after i returned inside I proped my legs up on a stool and felt an almost 'pressure' in my right knee. (I had done a lot of overtime that week in comparison to my usual 12 hours) It concerned me however did not take it into any thought. There was no pain just a a feeling of instability. As the week progressed my knee continued to feel like it was going back on itself and progressively weak and my ankle felt like it would roll out when walking. I visited my doctor and she assured me it was purely posture due to the way I stand at work (with my right knee locked and left relaxed and also due to the way I lift heavy items with both my knees locked bent at the waist) she gave me some exercises and me being a typical teenager blew it off and didn't do them, instead I continued to google my symptoms and the one thing that was come up, in big bold letters 'ALS'. I was frantic and couldn't stop worrying, I would then apply pressure to the other knee to see if there was a difference, I was doing this about 20 times a day pushing them both back. A few weeks later.. My leftg knee began to feel weak.. I returned to the doctor and she told me I was nursing the other knee by over compensating on the left, thus damaging both. I was still not convinced and was spending every waking moment googling these symptoms. From this I then developed widespread fasiculations, (6 weeks on from initial weakness) On my legs, my bum, my groin, arms shoulders etc. I returned to the doctor and she tested my reflexes, leg strength and my fasiculations. She said they were 5/5 perfect however I don't have a lot of muscles surrounding my knees. She then put me on anti depressants and didn't seem concerned and am having a follow up with her on Tuesday to talk about my medication and said my twitches were anxiety related. I now feel the weakness has spread my to shoulders, my arms and I now feel my speech is becoming tied and actually felt a twitch in my tongue today or so I think. This is all in the space of 2 months and 1 week. I occasionally suffer with cramp and some feeling of weakness all over my right leg. Also when straightening my right leg my knee clicks aswell as my ankle. I slightly sprained my ankle in the summer aswell. I've been bed ridden for 3 weeks due to my depression and whenever I stand I feel shakey like my hips can't support me. My initial problem leg feels weak and is harder to use when walking up stairs and it feel like my walking is completely off. My shoulders feel loose and sore and my little toe on my right leg clicks and can stretch really far. Not sure if this all makes a lot of sense but this is everything I've suffered in the past 9 weeks and am continuing to feel terrified. My right lower leg muscle feels smaller aswell. Sorry for this long ridiculous statement but id love to hear some opinions.
9 weeks ago to the day, I was out partying with my friends. Aroud 4am we returned to my friends house and carried on partying. That entire night I felt fine untill I had to run outside and throw up (haha) after i returned inside I proped my legs up on a stool and felt an almost 'pressure' in my right knee. (I had done a lot of overtime that week in comparison to my usual 12 hours) It concerned me however did not take it into any thought. There was no pain just a a feeling of instability. As the week progressed my knee continued to feel like it was going back on itself and progressively weak and my ankle felt like it would roll out when walking. I visited my doctor and she assured me it was purely posture due to the way I stand at work (with my right knee locked and left relaxed and also due to the way I lift heavy items with both my knees locked bent at the waist) she gave me some exercises and me being a typical teenager blew it off and didn't do them, instead I continued to google my symptoms and the one thing that was come up, in big bold letters 'ALS'. I was frantic and couldn't stop worrying, I would then apply pressure to the other knee to see if there was a difference, I was doing this about 20 times a day pushing them both back. A few weeks later.. My leftg knee began to feel weak.. I returned to the doctor and she told me I was nursing the other knee by over compensating on the left, thus damaging both. I was still not convinced and was spending every waking moment googling these symptoms. From this I then developed widespread fasiculations, (6 weeks on from initial weakness) On my legs, my bum, my groin, arms shoulders etc. I returned to the doctor and she tested my reflexes, leg strength and my fasiculations. She said they were 5/5 perfect however I don't have a lot of muscles surrounding my knees. She then put me on anti depressants and didn't seem concerned and am having a follow up with her on Tuesday to talk about my medication and said my twitches were anxiety related. I now feel the weakness has spread my to shoulders, my arms and I now feel my speech is becoming tied and actually felt a twitch in my tongue today or so I think. This is all in the space of 2 months and 1 week. I occasionally suffer with cramp and some feeling of weakness all over my right leg. Also when straightening my right leg my knee clicks aswell as my ankle. I slightly sprained my ankle in the summer aswell. I've been bed ridden for 3 weeks due to my depression and whenever I stand I feel shakey like my hips can't support me. My initial problem leg feels weak and is harder to use when walking up stairs and it feel like my walking is completely off. My shoulders feel loose and sore and my little toe on my right leg clicks and can stretch really far. Not sure if this all makes a lot of sense but this is everything I've suffered in the past 9 weeks and am continuing to feel terrified. My right lower leg muscle feels smaller aswell. Sorry for this long ridiculous statement but id love to hear some opinions.