Kiterunner1987
New member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2018
- Messages
- 5
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- North Carolina
- City
- Chapel Hill
First, I want to thank everyone that takes time out of their day to help people in this forum. After doing a lot of research and reading on this forum I have decided to post a thread, seeking help.
The truth is that in the past few weeks all I can think about is ALS. As time goes on the more convinced I am that I have it. Please listen to the symtoms that I have and tell me what you think.
I am a 31 year old male, BTW. About 18 months ago, I started feeling this pin and needles sensation throughout my body. It usually would start and would go on non stop for a few days almost a week. Then , I would no longer have symtoms for a week or 2, just for it to come back for another week and so on. It would feel as if someone was pinching me through head to toes. After a few cycles of going through that, it completely went away. But shortly after, I started feeling muscle twitches throughout my body and they haven't stopped ever since. They go on constantly and are most noticeable when i am sitting down or laying in bed.
I went to the Doctor to see if he could help and he decided to do some lab work. The potassium was a little bit under the limit, so he told me to come back in a week after eating potassium rich foods. Which, I did , as the tests came back normal he completely dismissed my issue.
So , I had been dealing with these muscle twitches ever since, non-stop. They occur mostly on my thighs, legs and feet. But they also occur in my arms, buttocks, abdomen etc.
A few months ago, I started trying to work out once again after taking sometime off the gym. After being on the elliptical machine I would notice that my pinky toe on my left foot would feel different as I was landing on it. I wasn't sure at the time if it was numbness, loss off sensitivity or what could be going on. But, it would go away shortly after so I didn't think anything of it. I would also notice that during the 30-40 minutes on the elliptical , my knee would buckle once or twice. Which, I found odd because this had never happened to me before and I wasn't sure of this was a sign of muscle weakness that I read about when researching ALS.
As time went on , I learned to ignore those symtoms as well. Until one day about a month ago. I started feeling, the same thing with my little toe, but while I was walking at work. One day it felt like it does when I work out, the next day I felt tingling in that same toe, day after it was my whole foot ,the day after that it was my whole leg and lastly it went up to my arm on the last day of my symtoms. I visited the doctor about 2 days after my last symtoms and all she did was tell me to take vitamins, took a blood sample (came back normal), and I took the opportunity to mention the muscle twitches throughout my body, which she completely dismissed. She actually told me to take vitamins for that as well.
Around that time , I had a lot going on, so I took off the gym for a few days. But, on some days I would still get the same annoying tingling through that foot and sometimes it would travel all the way through my leg and sometimes arm. It would come and go, so I was trying my best to ignore it. Then , I went to the Gym about 2 weeks ago and after 20 minutes I couldn't take it anymore. Most of the toes on that same foot went completely numb this time. I stopped and decided to take off sometime off and not put any stress on that foot to see if it could help. The issue is that it has been exactly 2 weeks and the tingling and numbness has not gone away. At the beggining a lot of my toes we're going numb , specially when sitting, for at least a whole week after that last gym day. Even now 2 weeks later, even though, I feel tingling during the day when I am standing or sitting. But, at night it is almost unbearable. As soon as a lay down and i start going to sleep my foot keeps tingling and it goes up my leg as well. It's making it hard to get good rest at night. Even the days that I just feel a very subtle tingle between my toes, I keep thinking to myself that would be the last day. But , it only takes me laying down in bed for it to come back as strong as ever. Every morning that I wake up , at least the foot is showing signs of numbness or tingling.
I also did this experiment on my foot and something it's off with it. When I try to spread out my toes without touching them, I notice that the foot I am having issues with doesn't spread out as much as the other one. The distance from the big Toe to the next to is not as wide and the pinky toe from the other foot comes out latterally, while the one on the foot that I am having issues with doesn't seperate as much and kind of drops a little. I'll try to include some pictures. (Is this what they mean what they say that ALS starts on one limb?)
I told my doctor about all these symtoms and she has referred me to a Orthopedic. But in reality I have been battling all these symtoms that seem connected for a while now. So I made an appointment with a neurologist without a referral, to see if I can finally get some answers.
I have been worried about ALS for a while now, but I have tried my best to keep my mind off of it. But , the more I research it the more convinced I am that I have this terrible disease. I havent been able to get much sleep lately and it is consuming every second of my day. The more I research it the more convinced I am that I have it.
I obviously see articles about how non stop twitching is never a good sign. I also see how muscle weakness is the first sign and it worries me. I don't do a lot of manual labor,but I remember 2 years ago changing the bumper off my car and afterwards my hands feeling numb. I also had a typical feeling after putting together a bookshelf for my daughter and when shoveling snow. In all cases my hands came back to normal by the next day, but I don't remember feeling this before. Is this the first signs of muscle weaknesses that the articles tell you to look out for? I also have had weird symtoms show up this year that make me think of my muscles weakening, I had this terrible Charlie horse cramp on my leg while I was in bed. It was the most painful one that I have ever had and I also pulled a muscle in my shoulder while I was in bed and it was also some of the most itense pain that I have ever felt. It all seems too odd all of a sudden to not be connected.
I keep reading articles and it is truly frightening. I see that there is supposed to be no tingling or numbness with ALS, but then find anecdotes online about how some people one day just stopped feeling their toes, then the leg and before you know it they were diagnosed with ALS. I just see too many dots connecting for all off it not being related. All I think about is my daughters and my family and not being able to see them grow.
I still have 6 more weeks , before I can see my neurologist and this is already in my mind 24/7. Even though I feel helpless and with little hope, I just hope it's anything but ALS. But the more I look into my symtoms online the more ALS comes up.
Sorry for such a long post, this has been something very difficult for me and maybe I am overeating. Maybe the non stop twitching, or the foot that tingles for 2 weeks non stop or this other muscle symtoms I am all of a sudden having is nothing. But God, to me these symtoms seem very connected, very real and frightening.
Thanks
The truth is that in the past few weeks all I can think about is ALS. As time goes on the more convinced I am that I have it. Please listen to the symtoms that I have and tell me what you think.
I am a 31 year old male, BTW. About 18 months ago, I started feeling this pin and needles sensation throughout my body. It usually would start and would go on non stop for a few days almost a week. Then , I would no longer have symtoms for a week or 2, just for it to come back for another week and so on. It would feel as if someone was pinching me through head to toes. After a few cycles of going through that, it completely went away. But shortly after, I started feeling muscle twitches throughout my body and they haven't stopped ever since. They go on constantly and are most noticeable when i am sitting down or laying in bed.
I went to the Doctor to see if he could help and he decided to do some lab work. The potassium was a little bit under the limit, so he told me to come back in a week after eating potassium rich foods. Which, I did , as the tests came back normal he completely dismissed my issue.
So , I had been dealing with these muscle twitches ever since, non-stop. They occur mostly on my thighs, legs and feet. But they also occur in my arms, buttocks, abdomen etc.
A few months ago, I started trying to work out once again after taking sometime off the gym. After being on the elliptical machine I would notice that my pinky toe on my left foot would feel different as I was landing on it. I wasn't sure at the time if it was numbness, loss off sensitivity or what could be going on. But, it would go away shortly after so I didn't think anything of it. I would also notice that during the 30-40 minutes on the elliptical , my knee would buckle once or twice. Which, I found odd because this had never happened to me before and I wasn't sure of this was a sign of muscle weakness that I read about when researching ALS.
As time went on , I learned to ignore those symtoms as well. Until one day about a month ago. I started feeling, the same thing with my little toe, but while I was walking at work. One day it felt like it does when I work out, the next day I felt tingling in that same toe, day after it was my whole foot ,the day after that it was my whole leg and lastly it went up to my arm on the last day of my symtoms. I visited the doctor about 2 days after my last symtoms and all she did was tell me to take vitamins, took a blood sample (came back normal), and I took the opportunity to mention the muscle twitches throughout my body, which she completely dismissed. She actually told me to take vitamins for that as well.
Around that time , I had a lot going on, so I took off the gym for a few days. But, on some days I would still get the same annoying tingling through that foot and sometimes it would travel all the way through my leg and sometimes arm. It would come and go, so I was trying my best to ignore it. Then , I went to the Gym about 2 weeks ago and after 20 minutes I couldn't take it anymore. Most of the toes on that same foot went completely numb this time. I stopped and decided to take off sometime off and not put any stress on that foot to see if it could help. The issue is that it has been exactly 2 weeks and the tingling and numbness has not gone away. At the beggining a lot of my toes we're going numb , specially when sitting, for at least a whole week after that last gym day. Even now 2 weeks later, even though, I feel tingling during the day when I am standing or sitting. But, at night it is almost unbearable. As soon as a lay down and i start going to sleep my foot keeps tingling and it goes up my leg as well. It's making it hard to get good rest at night. Even the days that I just feel a very subtle tingle between my toes, I keep thinking to myself that would be the last day. But , it only takes me laying down in bed for it to come back as strong as ever. Every morning that I wake up , at least the foot is showing signs of numbness or tingling.
I also did this experiment on my foot and something it's off with it. When I try to spread out my toes without touching them, I notice that the foot I am having issues with doesn't spread out as much as the other one. The distance from the big Toe to the next to is not as wide and the pinky toe from the other foot comes out latterally, while the one on the foot that I am having issues with doesn't seperate as much and kind of drops a little. I'll try to include some pictures. (Is this what they mean what they say that ALS starts on one limb?)
I told my doctor about all these symtoms and she has referred me to a Orthopedic. But in reality I have been battling all these symtoms that seem connected for a while now. So I made an appointment with a neurologist without a referral, to see if I can finally get some answers.
I have been worried about ALS for a while now, but I have tried my best to keep my mind off of it. But , the more I research it the more convinced I am that I have this terrible disease. I havent been able to get much sleep lately and it is consuming every second of my day. The more I research it the more convinced I am that I have it.
I obviously see articles about how non stop twitching is never a good sign. I also see how muscle weakness is the first sign and it worries me. I don't do a lot of manual labor,but I remember 2 years ago changing the bumper off my car and afterwards my hands feeling numb. I also had a typical feeling after putting together a bookshelf for my daughter and when shoveling snow. In all cases my hands came back to normal by the next day, but I don't remember feeling this before. Is this the first signs of muscle weaknesses that the articles tell you to look out for? I also have had weird symtoms show up this year that make me think of my muscles weakening, I had this terrible Charlie horse cramp on my leg while I was in bed. It was the most painful one that I have ever had and I also pulled a muscle in my shoulder while I was in bed and it was also some of the most itense pain that I have ever felt. It all seems too odd all of a sudden to not be connected.
I keep reading articles and it is truly frightening. I see that there is supposed to be no tingling or numbness with ALS, but then find anecdotes online about how some people one day just stopped feeling their toes, then the leg and before you know it they were diagnosed with ALS. I just see too many dots connecting for all off it not being related. All I think about is my daughters and my family and not being able to see them grow.
I still have 6 more weeks , before I can see my neurologist and this is already in my mind 24/7. Even though I feel helpless and with little hope, I just hope it's anything but ALS. But the more I look into my symtoms online the more ALS comes up.
Sorry for such a long post, this has been something very difficult for me and maybe I am overeating. Maybe the non stop twitching, or the foot that tingles for 2 weeks non stop or this other muscle symtoms I am all of a sudden having is nothing. But God, to me these symtoms seem very connected, very real and frightening.
Thanks
