Hi everyone,
I'm in my late 20's and I've been hit with several physical problems staring in early December of '06. I've never done drugs, I don't drink, I don't smoke and I've never been on any type of medication for anything but the common cold or the flu. I've had a poor diet most of the time, drinking soft drinks and eating unhealthy food. I also played video games extensively (I was actually payed to play professionally but since this has happened I no longer play). Prior to this onset of physical symptoms I began to experience strange feelings during extended playing sessions. I would sit back after playing and the arms felt like they weighed 100lbs and they moved very slowly. Following the arm problems a more serious problem occured a few days later: I fell over to my left hand side and my vision was blured to the point that I couldn't percieve anything for about what seemed like 1 - 2 seconds (I was playing the game when this occured). I came back and I didn't have any lingering problems at the time.
Prior to the new physical problems that I have, I've had one noticable issue for the past 4 years. The back muscles spasm, in the same rhythm as my heart beat, sometimes it was so bad that the headboard on my bed would chirp, and I'd have to roll over onto my side to sleep. Fortunately it isn't something that occurs every night (usually once or twice a week).
What I have now is interference with my arms and legs. I don't have speech, swallowing, cognitive / emotional control problems, twitching in the hands, arms, legs or feet.
- What I do get now (ocassionally) is a very high speed vibration in my left leg. It's deep in the leg and it's not visible if I look at the leg. The vibration feels as fast as a cell phone or a guitar string vibrating (It'll last for 2 - 3 seconds).
- The arms move akwardly when I try to rub my eye or move my hair. They're not weaker but the coordination has definitely been affected.
- The arm and leg muscles cramp up and or fatigue faster than before. At first it felt like I didn't know how to control them (my arms - even just to lift them up), it almost feels like I need to relearn how to use them. A recent problem occured (today) with sensing my legs; one leg felt shorter than the other for about 5 minutes and it made walking down stairs difficult. This sensatin occured after standing with most of my weight on one leg for about 30 seconds while talking on the phone.
- There's also less variable muscle contraction, they're more like full power or no power at times. If I hold my cell phone the bicep is fully flexed and the arm gets tired in a few minutes.
- Sometimes the right hand or left hand will feel cramped, or my left or right foot. Although this is rare and it has yet to occur in more than one hand or foot at a time.
- I get a pins and needles feeling in my arms very easily (lying on my side to sleep will cause it in a minute or two - both arms). Although one weird thing that I think is associated with this is the fact that my arm pits feel puffy and they're irritated. Also, typing is more difficult as is hand writing (I have to go back and fix a lot of typos).
- The hamstrings felt very tight and I've been doing stretching exercises which have helped.
- The top part of the calves and behind the knee are definitely tight and some days are better than others. At times they're ok while at other times they're cramped up simply walking to my car after work. This also affects my ability to extend my shin because the knee area stiffens up to the point that I need to consiciously push the lower part of my leg forward to walk.
- My balance hasn't been the same and sometimes walking in a straight direction is akward.
- Prior to the arm and leg problems I noticed that my neck was stiffer (about 1 week prior to the arm and leg stuff). I also had and have continued to have an increased inclination to clench my jaw and grind my teeth. The left side of my neck will contract and my lips and toungue will go numb as well, which affects my ability to move my jaw.
- I also experienced significant vision loss in my right eye for 24 hours (about 2 weeks before the muscle problems) and now I've lost sensitivity in a couple fingers and my thumbs (over the past 2 weeks).
At this time I've had blood work done, an MRI of my brain and cervical spine and I had a basic physical evaluation by my neurologist; he said he doesn't think I have MS or "something like it". Strength has been lost in my thumbs (the ability to push them out) but strength everywhere else doesn't seem to have been affected (but my body does fatigue noticeably sooner than before). The next test I'm scheduled for is an EMG. I don't know if I had a TIA (a micro stroke which usually lasts for 24hrs and that's what caused the vision loss?) but the docotrs can't explain it. I also had had flu like symptoms in early august and significant joint pain. My doctor figured it could be lyme (I also played golf on a regular basis) so I took Doxycycline for 20 days and it went away ( I wasn't tested for Lyme until about 3 weeks ago and it cam back negative).
Thanks to anyone that reads this and has anything that you'd like to say about it in regards to ALS or any other related illness you might feel that it is.
I'm in my late 20's and I've been hit with several physical problems staring in early December of '06. I've never done drugs, I don't drink, I don't smoke and I've never been on any type of medication for anything but the common cold or the flu. I've had a poor diet most of the time, drinking soft drinks and eating unhealthy food. I also played video games extensively (I was actually payed to play professionally but since this has happened I no longer play). Prior to this onset of physical symptoms I began to experience strange feelings during extended playing sessions. I would sit back after playing and the arms felt like they weighed 100lbs and they moved very slowly. Following the arm problems a more serious problem occured a few days later: I fell over to my left hand side and my vision was blured to the point that I couldn't percieve anything for about what seemed like 1 - 2 seconds (I was playing the game when this occured). I came back and I didn't have any lingering problems at the time.
Prior to the new physical problems that I have, I've had one noticable issue for the past 4 years. The back muscles spasm, in the same rhythm as my heart beat, sometimes it was so bad that the headboard on my bed would chirp, and I'd have to roll over onto my side to sleep. Fortunately it isn't something that occurs every night (usually once or twice a week).
What I have now is interference with my arms and legs. I don't have speech, swallowing, cognitive / emotional control problems, twitching in the hands, arms, legs or feet.
- What I do get now (ocassionally) is a very high speed vibration in my left leg. It's deep in the leg and it's not visible if I look at the leg. The vibration feels as fast as a cell phone or a guitar string vibrating (It'll last for 2 - 3 seconds).
- The arms move akwardly when I try to rub my eye or move my hair. They're not weaker but the coordination has definitely been affected.
- The arm and leg muscles cramp up and or fatigue faster than before. At first it felt like I didn't know how to control them (my arms - even just to lift them up), it almost feels like I need to relearn how to use them. A recent problem occured (today) with sensing my legs; one leg felt shorter than the other for about 5 minutes and it made walking down stairs difficult. This sensatin occured after standing with most of my weight on one leg for about 30 seconds while talking on the phone.
- There's also less variable muscle contraction, they're more like full power or no power at times. If I hold my cell phone the bicep is fully flexed and the arm gets tired in a few minutes.
- Sometimes the right hand or left hand will feel cramped, or my left or right foot. Although this is rare and it has yet to occur in more than one hand or foot at a time.
- I get a pins and needles feeling in my arms very easily (lying on my side to sleep will cause it in a minute or two - both arms). Although one weird thing that I think is associated with this is the fact that my arm pits feel puffy and they're irritated. Also, typing is more difficult as is hand writing (I have to go back and fix a lot of typos).
- The hamstrings felt very tight and I've been doing stretching exercises which have helped.
- The top part of the calves and behind the knee are definitely tight and some days are better than others. At times they're ok while at other times they're cramped up simply walking to my car after work. This also affects my ability to extend my shin because the knee area stiffens up to the point that I need to consiciously push the lower part of my leg forward to walk.
- My balance hasn't been the same and sometimes walking in a straight direction is akward.
- Prior to the arm and leg problems I noticed that my neck was stiffer (about 1 week prior to the arm and leg stuff). I also had and have continued to have an increased inclination to clench my jaw and grind my teeth. The left side of my neck will contract and my lips and toungue will go numb as well, which affects my ability to move my jaw.
- I also experienced significant vision loss in my right eye for 24 hours (about 2 weeks before the muscle problems) and now I've lost sensitivity in a couple fingers and my thumbs (over the past 2 weeks).
At this time I've had blood work done, an MRI of my brain and cervical spine and I had a basic physical evaluation by my neurologist; he said he doesn't think I have MS or "something like it". Strength has been lost in my thumbs (the ability to push them out) but strength everywhere else doesn't seem to have been affected (but my body does fatigue noticeably sooner than before). The next test I'm scheduled for is an EMG. I don't know if I had a TIA (a micro stroke which usually lasts for 24hrs and that's what caused the vision loss?) but the docotrs can't explain it. I also had had flu like symptoms in early august and significant joint pain. My doctor figured it could be lyme (I also played golf on a regular basis) so I took Doxycycline for 20 days and it went away ( I wasn't tested for Lyme until about 3 weeks ago and it cam back negative).
Thanks to anyone that reads this and has anything that you'd like to say about it in regards to ALS or any other related illness you might feel that it is.