Not thinking rational, scared of ALS

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Fredzinho

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Learn about ALS
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Hi, I have this what I think is irrational fear of ALS atm. I'am now 38 years old and I have been having Health anxiety for about 10 years. I have read the stickies but I just can't shake that weird feeling that something is wrong.

Around one and a half month ago I got this "warm" feeling in my right foot one evening when I Went to bed, I couldn't shake it and I had trouble sleeping that night. The next 3 Days the foot felt like this from time to time, even a bit numb and I felt a tingeling sensation from time to time. Then it suddenly Went a way for a couple of days but i returned.

It traveled to might right hand as well, the tingeling sensation. But it wasn't present all the time and when I focused on other things it seemed to disappear. Which have led me to Believe that it mostly was in my head and the things I felt was heightened because I was thinking and "feeling" more, therefore also feeling more symptoms.

At this Point I was worried about MS rather then ALS.

This Went on for a couple of weeks, coming and going. Then about a week ago I played Indoor soccer for the first time in a long while. After that I naturally got really sore (I'm old you know ;)). But then I started getting these twitches in my right leg (and left at first). It was coming and going and I didn't care. But now it has been present for a couple of Days around my right groin and that's when my Health anxiety hits in. Because I'm sure I have read somewhere that twitches in the groin area (and between the thumb and index finger) is a sign of ALS! I have since then become much more aware of that area, constantly "feeling" if it twitches there (which might make it worse, creating more twitches?).

And sometimes feel weak in my right leg and my right hand, but I seem to be able to do all the normal things I usually can.

So here we are. I know I'm overreacting but it's just that "groin"- thing I don't seem to be able to shake...
 
I forgot to add, I have been taking Magnesium and b12 for a couple of weeks but i doesn't seem to do anything in regards to the twitching.
 
It is not a huge leap that playing soccer after a long time away could strain your groin area. Feeling the area and eliciting twitches is not a shock, either. I have no idea where you got this notion that groin twitches are more associated with ALS than other twitches, but they're not. I'm sure you also know there is an ocean between feeling weak and being weak.

I would suggest that you not feed your health anxiety with any forums, here or others, that you keep your hands doing more productive things, and that you check in with whoever helps you with health anxiety.

Best,
Laurie
 
Thank you for your reply!

Yes I know it's a bad thing for mer to search mr google and visit forums like this but when you are in going over these symptoms over and over again in your head its really hard to stay away. But you are right, I do need to talk to someone about it.

Regarding the feeling weak vs being weak, it is very logic the way you describe it but I think most of us have this idea that it gradually weakens and that the first signs are very subtle, therefore it is so scary when you suddenly feel weak (even if it just is in your head since you can do all the normal things you could before).
 
That idea is just plain wrong. PALS do not feel their weakness. They just have it. Even when it becomes disabling there isn’t a feeling of weakness. Just the opposite. Many PALS end up self testing saying I am sure I can ( stand on toes, lift a bottle of milk etc) and of course can not. Yes it starts small. But a small failure. Classic example doing up a button. Not I feel like I can’t but why won’t my hand do this all of a sudden
 
Thank you for your great explanation, I do understand now how to think about those things. Funny since I just now had a moment where I thought; "hmm, my finger feels weaker when I hold this cup of coffe, it feels heavier therefore" but that is just wrong if you think about it the way you just described.
 
Your questions were answered. Please stop posting. Get your health anxiety taken care of by a medical professional.

Nothing you posted sounds even remotely like ALS.
 
I know you probably will get angry with me now but I just had to write again. The twitching in the groin went away after I had a training session. About a week ago I got a cold (which I still have somewhat). Last night I got muscle twitching in my left calve suddenly, which still persist. I know the sticky says twitching that in different places especially isn't a sing of ALS but are there anything connected to ALS and people getting twitches in different places in a short amount of time (since the one in the groin I also had some just above my right knee for a day)?

I have been taking Magnesium now for over a month with no result.

Ps; I had a collegue who passed away due to ALS about 5 years ago. Her first sign was that she in a short amount of time became super tired when climbing the stairs in our work place, they first thought she had COPD. Is this a common first sign?
 
Happily the answer is a huge NO - twitching means nothing, no matter how many, where or how often.
I am sorry about the loss of your colleague - what you don't realise is that she will have had many clinical signs right from the first thing she noticed, so don't take things out of context and just cherry pick things you think fit you. This is why you are so scared.

Please go back to your doctor, we can not do anything more to help at all. All the very best to you.
(do you think it is polite to address dying people with "I know you will probably get angry but I just had to write again"?
 
No of course not, I'm sorry. I just felt I was being an idiot for writing again since the last post clearly said I should stop posting questions. I didn't mean to be rude. Again; I'm sorry.

But I have got the message now; just twitching and I have nothing to worry about.
 
Mod note, closing thread. Please don' open another.
 
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