I tried to ignore my symptoms....

[ineedsomeadvice]

Hi Everybody,

I'm hoping I can get some advice. I have some symptoms that I've been trying to ignore and would like to know if it sounds like ALS. I do not have insurance so it will be difficult to get a diagnosis.

About 6 months ago, after riding my bike, my left arm began to shake/tremor. It didn't last long but was alarming. i thought it was a pinched nerve. A few days later, i forgot about my arm and got a terrible sinus infection which lasted about 20 days. I let it ride out and after it ended, i had pressure behind my left eye (which felt like i was looking out of a lens on glasses in one eye), vertigo, lightheaded, sensitivity to light, and what felt like hypoglycemia. I also began to have a left jaw, neck, and arm tremor. The left arm that was shaking after my bike ride has a tremor even when sleeping, but it is intermittent. I thought maybe I had a brain tumor but the symptoms weren't consistent every day.

About a month ago I also started to get shaking when standing or walking, and muscle twitching everywhere. I'm only 39 and the difficulty walking is intermittent. My concern about ALS is that my left arm is weak, even though I can lift heavy objects. But, there is definitely shaking that accompanies it. The twitching is all over but mostly in the left arm. I was originally thinking parkinsons but these twitches are making me concerned that it is ALS. Can someone give me some advice or opinions about my symptoms? I know weakness and twitching together can't be good :roll:

Thank you

 

[Ms. Pie]

This doesn't sound anything like ALS so put that out of your head. You should go to the doctor to find out what it is though. Sounds like something that you'll be able to fix it with a Dr.s care. Can you go to a free clinic?

 

[Luke]

Tremors aren't an ALS symptom, and if you can lift heavy objects your arm is not weak. You will want to read the stickies as they address all your questions more thoroughly than I can, but it doesn't sound like ALS is anything you need to worry about.

 

[ineedsomeadvice]

Thanks for responding so quickly, Luke. I did read the stickies and I understand that a lot of my symptoms do not sound like ALS. But, I was confused about some of the posts that i've read on "weakness." I do feel weak, but i also believe that I am weak. When i hold a plate or lift something my left arm shakes all over the place. I literally am shaking, not only the feeling. I would think by my tremor that i have parkinsons, but the muscle twitching doesn't match the symptoms of parkinsons.

As far as the difficulty walking...i literally have to think and plan how i'm going to get from one room to another, as my legs are so shaky and feel so light. The twitches are everywhere....

 

[ineedsomeadvice]

I forgot to add that i also have awoken with a stiff knee, and i often have very tight sore calve muscles. I don't know if this matters.

 

[fitzroy]

There are few reasons to be asking these questions of an internet forum. We are a bunch of idiots. Talk to your GP. He or she might be an idiot as well, but they've paid a lot of money and studied ridiculous hours to become a practicing idiot.

Please go see your GP and discuss things. There is nothing more valuable to your future health than to have a GP you trust and knows you over time.

 

[Tokahfang]

Go to your doc, let him or her sort it out. It doesn't sound anything like ALS, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to get it fixed. There is a very large spectrum between pinched nerves and terminal diseases! Have you already done this and just didn't mention it for some reason?

 

[ineedsomeadvice]

Thanks for your responses...i did note in my post that i have no insurance. I came here not believing that i have als, only that its a possibility. Im trying to sort my symptoms and get advice before seeing random doctors. Unfortunately, i cant afford to.

 

[Tokahfang]

I lived for years without insurance myself, so that's a situation I know well. (I did miss it in your original post, sorry.) I used a local sliding scale clinic, which didn't diagnose me, but did help me with symptom maintenance. As a self payer, it is worth seeing someone for at least a "should I worry, is it possible this is something treatable" check, something we can't give you from across the country. A clinic like that will also keep basic records on your blood sugar and general health, very helpful for when you get coverage and want to give a neurologist some medical history to work off of.

Shaking when you pick up something heavy is a perfectly understandable meaning of the world "weakness" in english, but in medical jargon that isn't what weak means. In medical terms, if you can lift it up, even if just once, you're strong. Your muscles are all there and are getting the nerve signal they need, which is what we're talking about in neurological strength land. This doesn't guarantee you'd be much help with a friend's move or the guy to call for help in rearranging furniture, or even very good as a dishwasher in a restaraunt. It doesn't mean that you don't fatigue quickly. It is a much more specific term than you'd imagine when first reading it. Twitching without weakness isn't a sign of ALS, so unless you start losing strength I wouldn't worry on that score.

I personally find tremors that continue while you are asleep (I'm assuming your family told you?) concerning, as well as the fact that all the symptoms you discussed are left sided. I realize you can't just hop off to a neurologist, but please do visit a sliding scale or urgent care clinic at least once, and get a professional opinon. Most treatable neuro conditions benefit from being caught early.

 

[asantiago]

What you described sounds nothing like ALS so rest easy on that front.

 

[ineedsomeadvice]

thank you all for taking the time to answer my post. It really helps, and I think for now I'll put ALS out of my mind unless I show true symptoms that you all describe. In the meantime, i will pray for a cure for this awful disease!

 

[skipper66]

I don't know a whole lot about ALS but from the little I do know it doesn't sound like you need to worry about having it at all. But, I do feel you definitely need to be checked out by a doctor soon. Do you have any free clinics or any services that would help you with medical bills. I was wondering if maybe something is going on with your heart since your problems seem to be related to the left side. Don't panic though because I'm not a doctor but that is the first thing that popped into my head. Wishing you the best of luck in finding out what is going on Take care, Skipper