is this all anxiety?

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JohnNixon

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Learn about ALS
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Hey guys, I'm new here as these symptoms only really started last week, I'm looking for tips relating to anxiety over ALS symptoms and maybe someone has had the same experience as me, etc, I know this is highly unlikely to be this disease mostly due to my age (19) , but I guess that's the trap of Health Anxiety, the 'what if's' and all that.

So last week I woke up one day with my legs feeling very heavy, as if I was dragging sandbags, no real 'muscle weakness', like loss of movement etc, just a very fatigued feeling, as if I'd run a marathon, this fatigue then 'spread' to my left arm. And so the googling begano_O.

I saw a doctor who ran a quick physical examination and did not find anything obviously wrong with my upper limbs, he has sent me for blood tests and I am awaiting results. I also saw a physiotherapist who suggested I may have a bulging disc causing a weakness feeling in my legs and checked for hyperreflexia, which was all good.

I also contacted a neurologist who suggests that it is all anxiety (no physical tests were done) .

Anyways yesterday I began a workout and noticed that my dominant right arm could not complete the same amount of lifting reps as my left, which is odd, that's when me going down the rabbit whole really started, and the twitching all around the body started:rolleyes:.

I saw that exercise intolerance is an early sign of this disease which of course freaked me out to no end.
So today I realised that my right bicep is very slightly sore/tender and my shoulder aches a little and feels fatigued if I am to hold it out or perform tasks with it, which I am assuming is common if there is a slight nerve problem or strain of the upper arm. please correct me if I'm wrong.

My hands also feel a bit 'slow', my arms appear hard to hold up and everything is shaky/ jerky but I am convinced this has to be my brain playing tricks on itself due to the anxiousness I have been experiencing.

I haven't been eating well the past week , my adrenaline and heart-rate has been through the roof. Any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated as the 'what-if's are consuming my life. I am wondering if all these apparent symptoms are due to or being compounded by anxiety or if there is something more to them such as a real condition. It's mainly my right arm which I am concerned about.
Thanks for reading.
 
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I understand you are anxious, but you have consulted appropriate professionals who have said there is no reason to be frightened of ALS. I would agree with that from what you've said. The feelings that you describe don't jibe with ALS onset. As per your negative exam findings, soreness and tenderness are much more commonly a musculoskeletal problem (strained muscle, tendon, or ligament, for example) than a neurological one. It can relate to positioning when keyboarding, gaming, working, driving, lifting, sleeping, etc.

The brain is indeed good at playing tricks. When I read that both of your arms have had problems at different times and so on, I jump to general fatigue, overuse, maybe too much/too fast lifting or jerking, some kind of sleep problem or stress....

Not ALS. So I would find a GP that you like and talk some of this through, stay in touch, get your labs back and reassess. The GP might suggest counseling, physio, diet changes, and so forth. I often suggest you video your sleep to see if anything looks amiss. The excellent news is, this is not a place you need to be.

Best,
Laurie
 
Thanks for the reply Laurie, I knew it had to be odd that symptoms seem to be jumping around. I feel a dull ache in certain positions in my 'weak' shoulder, so I guess it has to be a musculoskeletal problem. Probably doesn't help I am trying to 'test' myself every 6 hours to see if something's changed 😂. I do truly believe since I've started stressing the symptoms have got worse but as I said, the brain is a tricky little thing having a hard time convincing it, anyways mate, all the best(y)
 
Sorry you have worked yourself up like this John.
Please read this really carefully, a couple of reads is good as there is a lot in there.

You truly should go back and discuss this anxiety with your doctor as you can get help, it is more common than you might suspect and very treatable. I hope you can find treatment and relief soon.
 
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