EMG Update & Health Anxiety

[cactus]

I just wanted to post my EMG results for those who chatted with me in the past and also write about health anxiety. If you are having fears about ALS please see a doctor and refrain from using Google to self diagnose. Like many of you on here I was having "weird" feelings in my left arm and hand. My whole left arm felt off. From numbness and tingling, weakness, twitching, slight pain in my shoulder, and self-diagnosed atrophy. After months of researching I was convinced I had ALS even though I was not experiencing failing and I was also mainly having sensory feelings including twitching. I eventually got a physical exam done by a neurologist and she said no issues. Maybe some ulnar nerve compression/pinching at the elbow. After about 3 months I was back on here and Google. I found myself booking an EMG and received the below results exactly one year ago. What a surprise, pretty much pristine. They even stuck the needle in between my index finger and thumb where I swear I could see "major" atrophy and where I felt most of the weakness. I had been so sure I was showing signs of split-hand! How could this be?

TLDR: I don't have ALS even though I still twitch everywhere daily and sometimes my left arm still feels "off" and weak. It's probably not surprising since I am right-handed and use my left hand for very little other than typing. Not to mention I rest my left elbow on my desk everyday for hours which I was told to stop and need to work on correcting. Work with your doctors and believe them, stop chasing this disease and talk with someone if you're feeling anxious. It has been truly the best thing for me. I just happened to get an alsforums update email in my inbox the other day and I thought this post may help others like myself.

 

[KarenNWendyn]

Thank you for the update. And good for you for accepting the doctor’s conclusions and putting this behind you. Many people here have a lot of trouble with that.