Mela
New member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2018
- Messages
- 5
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- Other
- Diagnosis
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- US
- State
- PA
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- Mars
Hello everyone- Last year (2018), I had posted regarding localized fasciculations and tricep/Left 4th-5th finger weakness that had suddenly occurred. I had 2 emgs which both showed only C7 Chronic denervation. NCVs were normal. I had them test my tongue as well because I've had numbness/tingling in my tongue since March 2018. Follow-up cervical x-rays & MRIs did not show much of anything at the C7-C8-T1 levels. Brain MRI (-). Blood work (+) for low b12, high copper in the blood, low copper in the urine, and borderline zinc. Recently also showed the hashimoto markers. My neuro has repeatedly told me he has confidence in the EMGS and does not believe my symptoms last year were indicative of ALS from May of 2018 till now. He has followed up with me every three months with a neuro exam and my exam remains unchanged.. My last neuro exam with him was May 24th of 2019.
Fast forward to now- 5 days after my last neuro appt, May 29th, 2019, I literally woke up with now my 1st three fingers of my left hand suddenly feeling weak with all gripping and lifting. For the next five days, I experienced twitching of the muscle between my thumb and forefinger. My index finger kept twitching for 5 nights as well like something was attacking those muscles. After those several days, the twitching stopped, but I now feel like a residual weakness through that region of my hand. I emailed my neuro and he said he wasn't worried because he just saw me and my neuro exam has been unchanged for the past year. But last week on the 4th of July, my scariest symptoms appeared... That morning, my RIGHT thumb spasmed while I was putting on makeup like I had lost motor control. Throughout the whole day, my hand from the wrist down, felt incredibly heavy and like I had a glove on it. By the end of the day, my RIght 4th and 5th fingers cramped up repeatedly where I couldn't use a fork. My right wrist and finger extensors felt incredibly weak where writing and using a hair brush for 3 days was challenging. I also had intermittent, quick burning paresthesias through the dorsum of my hand like my nerves were inflamed or something! Again, like something was attacking my muscles.
It's been a week now, and the acute symptoms have resolved, but my Right hand now feels like a "changed hand". I can type and play the piano, but every movement of my fingers and wrist feel completely different from last week. VERY WEAK. I have no neck pain or radiating arm pain-only symptoms from the wrist to the fingers. 8 days ago, my Right hand was a perfect hand, now it has a residual weakness to it, and feels worse than the left. I actually went to the ER for the first time in my life, because I was so frightened. A neuro resident student said she didn't see any neuro deficits or weakness when she (lightly) tested by strength. My normal neuro is out of town till next week and even then he doesn't have an appt. until September. Please, those with limb onset, can you tell me if ALS symptoms resemble an acute attack of the nerves/muscles followed by a permanent, residual weakness??
Fast forward to now- 5 days after my last neuro appt, May 29th, 2019, I literally woke up with now my 1st three fingers of my left hand suddenly feeling weak with all gripping and lifting. For the next five days, I experienced twitching of the muscle between my thumb and forefinger. My index finger kept twitching for 5 nights as well like something was attacking those muscles. After those several days, the twitching stopped, but I now feel like a residual weakness through that region of my hand. I emailed my neuro and he said he wasn't worried because he just saw me and my neuro exam has been unchanged for the past year. But last week on the 4th of July, my scariest symptoms appeared... That morning, my RIGHT thumb spasmed while I was putting on makeup like I had lost motor control. Throughout the whole day, my hand from the wrist down, felt incredibly heavy and like I had a glove on it. By the end of the day, my RIght 4th and 5th fingers cramped up repeatedly where I couldn't use a fork. My right wrist and finger extensors felt incredibly weak where writing and using a hair brush for 3 days was challenging. I also had intermittent, quick burning paresthesias through the dorsum of my hand like my nerves were inflamed or something! Again, like something was attacking my muscles.
It's been a week now, and the acute symptoms have resolved, but my Right hand now feels like a "changed hand". I can type and play the piano, but every movement of my fingers and wrist feel completely different from last week. VERY WEAK. I have no neck pain or radiating arm pain-only symptoms from the wrist to the fingers. 8 days ago, my Right hand was a perfect hand, now it has a residual weakness to it, and feels worse than the left. I actually went to the ER for the first time in my life, because I was so frightened. A neuro resident student said she didn't see any neuro deficits or weakness when she (lightly) tested by strength. My normal neuro is out of town till next week and even then he doesn't have an appt. until September. Please, those with limb onset, can you tell me if ALS symptoms resemble an acute attack of the nerves/muscles followed by a permanent, residual weakness??
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