Juniperguy
New member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2019
- Messages
- 3
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- PA
I'm afraid about these symptoms that have been presenting themselves lately and would greatly appreciate some insight. Some background I’ve had some tremors in my hands for the last 10 years, but more so in my left hand for the last 1 yr and a half or so. My maternal grandmother passed away from ALS In her late 50s. I’m a 31 year old male. Recently I feel the tremors have gotten worse as of the beginning of last month and as of the last week my left hand has been shaking a lot more. The hand feels stiff when I open and close it, and the tremors become more exaggerated and there’s a dull ache when the hand is in a certain position and my forearm feels a little weaker when I hold things. Obviously I’m not a doctor, but it looks like there may be some atrophy between my forefinger and thumb which may be contributing to the weak grip that I’ve had over the last few years, but also is something I’ve read that can be a telltale sign in ALS patients. Also as of last month I started experiencing these vibrations in my left scapula that made it impossible for me to sleep. The onset would be most prevalent at night right before I went to bed. My scapula felt sore and the joints in my back felt rigid and stiff.
I read the vibrations could be due to a vitamin deficiency, so I started taking Magnesium glycinate, selenium, zinc, potassium, iodine, and the vibrations for the most part have stopped, but I’m still experiencing some stiffness and rigidity in my joints when I reach for things, bend over or sit down. I still get sore or stiff in the left scapula region, seems to come on more often after exercise.
I’ve taken trazadone on and off to sleep because I’ve been an insomniac for the last couple of years. If I sleep on my left side in certain positions my hand gets numb and I have to shake it out.
I can still work out, lift weights and run pretty much to the same extent that I’ve been operating over the last year or so. Grip in my left hand is weaker than the right, but as I’ve mentioned it’s been like that for years. In 2007, I did fracture my wrist and I’m not sure it healed properly. Also when I walk up a flight of stairs and get to the top my heart starts beating faster than normal, but I don’t really feel shortness of breath. This has been a recent occurrence.
When I’m sitting down and do calf raises when I lower my feet to the ground it’s a very jerky movement and causes my legs to shake. I walk and run normally.
Admittedly, I have anxiety and my mind races to the worst case scenario, but the anxiety may be high in part to me experiencing these symptoms.
I have an appointment scheduled with a neurologist in 3 weeks, but it feels like that’s an eternity while I’m going through this.
Thanks in advance for any insight or advice, and for those with ALS I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.
I read the vibrations could be due to a vitamin deficiency, so I started taking Magnesium glycinate, selenium, zinc, potassium, iodine, and the vibrations for the most part have stopped, but I’m still experiencing some stiffness and rigidity in my joints when I reach for things, bend over or sit down. I still get sore or stiff in the left scapula region, seems to come on more often after exercise.
I’ve taken trazadone on and off to sleep because I’ve been an insomniac for the last couple of years. If I sleep on my left side in certain positions my hand gets numb and I have to shake it out.
I can still work out, lift weights and run pretty much to the same extent that I’ve been operating over the last year or so. Grip in my left hand is weaker than the right, but as I’ve mentioned it’s been like that for years. In 2007, I did fracture my wrist and I’m not sure it healed properly. Also when I walk up a flight of stairs and get to the top my heart starts beating faster than normal, but I don’t really feel shortness of breath. This has been a recent occurrence.
When I’m sitting down and do calf raises when I lower my feet to the ground it’s a very jerky movement and causes my legs to shake. I walk and run normally.
Admittedly, I have anxiety and my mind races to the worst case scenario, but the anxiety may be high in part to me experiencing these symptoms.
I have an appointment scheduled with a neurologist in 3 weeks, but it feels like that’s an eternity while I’m going through this.
Thanks in advance for any insight or advice, and for those with ALS I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.