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price2001

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Learn about ALS
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cincinnati
I am a 41 year old male. I started to have weird things happen to me and then went online to investigate. Some of it led me to believe I have ALS, so here I am. I'll keep my story as short as possible.
I am having, what I guess is called, "perceived weakness" in all of my limbs. It's the worst in my right arm, not bad at all in my left arm, and my legs feel heavy and fatigue fairly easily. All of this happened in just a few, short weeks. I can still walk fine and I can still button my shirt fine etc. Some days my legs feel a little better. My right arm has stayed the same. All of my symptoms seemed to have stabilized (but it's only been a month or so). Up until about a month ago, I was perfectly healthy and didn't have ONE symptom. On top of all of this, I have fasciculations (that seems to be a symptom of ALS) in a couple of spots on both legs and arms and sometimes in my chest and back. I have gotten them pretty bad in my right bicep and shoulder, but those bad fasciculations went away. Now they are more annoying than anything. My feet tend to get tingly too and I've woken-up with a couple of my toes being asleep. It doesn't take them long to get to normal, though. I've noticed that I have lost size in my limbs (especially my right arm) but I haven't worked-out in over a month, so that might be normal for me (I don't know). I've lost about 10 pounds too (I used to weight about 190 pounds and now I weigh about 180 pounds). That could certainly be due to me not eating very well and not sleeping, because I'm so worried. I am kind of high-strung and I can't stop thinking about this.
I was lucky enough to have gotten in to see a neurologist last week and she gave me the EMG test on my right arm because that's where I was having the most problems (my goodness that was uncomfortable). I didn't present with any outward weakness and my NCV showed a local neuropathy in my right hand and my EMG was "normal" as she put it. She didn't mention ALS, but I don't know how experienced she is with ALS.
Does anyone have any idea if this sounds like ALS?
 
price,

Sorry you are having these problems. What did she say about the NCV showing local neuropathy.
Did she do the NVC on the other limbs after she found that?
What is her next step?

This might ease your mind usually the NVC is normal in ALS , it's the EMG that is abnormal.
 
Thank you for the reply, Crystal

All she said is that the local neuropathy is probably due to me leaning on my wrist when I type. That's all. She did refer me to get some physical therapy. I just want to know what this is and how it could have happened so quickly. I just HATE feeling like this. I felt half my age just a month ago and now I feel twice my age. I know I shouldn't complain considering this might not be serious, but to me right now, it is very serious.
 
Fascics

What did she say about these ? Did she check other arm ? What did she mean by "local" ? Is the NCV fine in your bicep, shoulder ?
 
To Tall John

She didn't check the other arm, I believe because my right arm was the one giving me the most problems (the left arm isn't bad at all). I think "local" meant that it was relegated to one nerve . . . the sensory median nerve (it's located on the outside of wrist, where you would rest your hand if you were typing) that innervates the pinky and ring finger (motor median nerve was fine). Bicep was fine as was the shoulder, which I don't get. I'm also having some pain along my entire inner, upper, right arm . . . kind of where the biceps meets the triceps.
I've seen some of your posts, Tall John . . . you seem to be fairly experienced. What do you think is wrong with me? This all happened incredibly fast and in all four limbs. As I said in my first post, the weakness is mild and not debilitating at all. It just has me very worried. What else could this be?
 
Can't say what's wrong with you

Too early and may be nothing. My first NCV (I had slight weakness in left hand) clearly showed I had some nerve issue starting in my shoulder or above.

My neuro thought that ALS was out of the question - thought I was too young and in too good a shape. Too bad she was wrong...
 
To TallJohn again

Was it your NCV or EMG that showed "something." You said you had slight weakness in your hand: how did that present itself and is that why you went to the neurologist? After it started in your hand, how did it progress?
 
Ncv

EMG didn't seem bad (to her). EMG's somewhat depend on who's doing them - some are better and know what to look for.

Couldn't really carry a milkcarton from the top.

Hand and arm got worse, went to right hand eventually....see other posts also
 
Fascics

You never said what she said about these ?
 
TallJohn

I didn't have fasics that day . . . of course! I did tell her I had them and it didn't seem to concern her. The only thing she said specifically about the NCV/EMG test is that there wasn't any sign of denervation.
So your symptoms went from your left hand to up your left arm? How long did that take? Did it present itself in your right hand after it went up your left arm? What did your neurologist mean by "it didn't seem bad"? Were there abnormalities?
 
Response

It went up my left, then showed up in right much later. Progression for me has been slow.

When I went to the ALS clinic at UCSF, they felt that if they could get the same EMG results as my first neuro, that I probably did not have ALS. When they did it properly, the result was more ominous.

If you don't have denervation, you're probably ok. At UCSF I definitely did.
 
Sorry to keep bothering you TallJohn

Would denervation show-up so quickly? My symptoms in my arm started on December 8 and I got my EMG on January 4. Is it the denervation of the muscle that causes it to be weak? My arm was the same size the day I first noticed weakness. It has gotten smaller now, but I've lost weight (not eating well and not sleeping well) and haven't been to the gym. I think that my arm would have gotten smaller (it is smaller by about 0.5 inches) with that weight loss and lack of lifting weights, though. I have to work very hard to keep muscle on my body (I'm naturally thin).
 
Androgle1970,
Hey you! Hang in there stress will eat you up and spit you out worse that some of the other stuff. Take to the doc about the stress so you can eat a little better, sleep a little better, if it something else besides ALS you need to keep you body and ming stronge!
and in the remote chance it is ALS be strong so you can take that battle on strongly!
Sart each day saying I am not to bad today, I am going to do (something good for you),
Find some thing that makes you smile.
And I am going to say a prayer for you just because your a good guy!
Laurie
 
Sart each day saying I am not to bad today, I am going to do (something good for you),
Find some thing that makes you smile.

What a great attitude, Laurie! Thanks for sharing! :)
 
I will add my prayers also.
 
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