I'm really worried about ALS

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Happyeggsalad

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I'm a 28 year old male. These last few weeks I've been really worried about ALS. I felt tingling in my leg and my arm. My leg was also experiencing a burning sensation. I've had some twitches in my fingers, particularly at rest. Yesterday, I went to the ER because my chest felt heavy and tight and I was having some trouble breathing. The doctor did bloodwork, X-ray, urine test, and a CT scan and they didn't find any problems. As of today, my chest doesn't feel that tightness anymore. Today, for some reason I don't have much of an appetite. Yesterday, before bed, I ate one bowl of pasta, after not eating much all day and I felt full. I read that ALS can cause people to have delayed gastric problems. I don't know if all of these problems are related or what, but I'm worried. I also feel soreness and achy all around my body.
 
Hello-

Please read here: Read Before Posting. It explains why sensory issues, symptoms that come and go and feeling full on one day point towards something else.
 
Just as an example, not a diagnosis, everything you describe can relate to constipation, a virus, and more. But nothing you have described sounds like ALS at all.

I would hydrate up, do some gentle exercise, and return to the doc if any issues arise that keep you from daily activities as normal.
 
I saw a doctor yesterday and he did a lot of physical tests on my body to check for weakness. He even did this tongue test where I put my tongue on both sides of my jaw. However, I’m still worried because the doctor said I’m fine but he didn’t do any tests using medical technology. I feel like when I lift my tongue it goes slightly to one side. How fast is your tongue supposed to move?


I also told him that my eyebrows felt heavy when I lifted them, but he didn’t find that concerning. Sometimes lifting my eyebrows gives me a tension headache. I’m tired constantly looking up symptoms related to this disease, but if something serious is going on, I want to know. Thanks for everyone’s replies.
 
Hello-

It sounds like you are struggling to believe your doctor and the very experienced person who answered you before. Your doctor saw zero reason to move on to expensive testing as you did not exhibit any neurological concerns. Eyebrows feeling heavy and a tongue that is slightly to one side does not mean ALS- this seems like hypervigilance on your part and likely indicates a serious case of health anxiety.

Please take lgelb's advice and maybe look for some tools to reduce stress as well. Going from heavy eyebrows and feeling full after one meal to being worried about a terminal illness is quite a leap. Please also review here: Read Before Posting

Take care
 
One more thing. Lately, sometimes I feel like there’s something in my throat when I swallow. So far it looks like food and drink is making its way down but I still feel a weird sensation sometimes in my throat. The doctor I saw didn’t think this was concerning. He looked at the front of my throat but they didn’t do any scans or anything like that.

Also, it feels like my neck is not as stable as before. I felt tension in my neck and shoulders and it felt more difficult to keep my head up. I’m able to keep my head up but something feels off. I’m going to take a nap and see if something changes when I wake up, but I’ve read that ALS can cause something called dropped head syndrome. I’m wondering if that’s happening to me.

I made an appointment with a neurologist for Thursday. I’m really anxious and worried right now, but I’m hoping things will turn out good.
 
Your doctor saw no cause for concern. If you look up the term "globus", I think you will find it describes the sensation you describe.

Please do not post again til after your neuro appointment.
 
I saw a neurologist and he did some physical tests on my legs and feet and then he said “you don’t have ALS.” That’s good to hear, but I still don’t have peace of mind because he didn’t do any scans or electronic tests. I’m going to try and make another appointment so hopefully I can get a more thorough check up.

I think my eyes are watery right now. I had a tear run down my eye and I’m worried that this is a bulbar symptom. This morning it seemed like my stomach and ribs were tight and it felt harder to breathe. The doctor did x-rays and said everything came back normal. I feel like there are some words that I can’t say quickly. I don’t think my speech is slurred but I feel like some words are tripping me up.

Is crying an ALS thing? It seems like my eye keeps dripping. I do have Covid, but I don’t know if that’s related. I feel like I can’t hit some high notes anymore when I’m singing either. I still have so many questions.
 
No. This is not ALS. Watery eyes is not a sign of ALS. Please re-read the above link if you wish to reassure yourself about that. Your neuro said you don't have ALS, so it really seems like your anxiety about the disease is pretty debilitating. You also know that you have Covid right now, which has a variety of symptoms.

If you have further questions about what might be causing your issues, please discuss with your doctor.

Take care
 
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