jpsteeler99
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Messages
- 63
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 06/2012
- Country
- US
- State
- NJ
- City
- Waldwick
I was diagnosed with ALS in June of 2012. Obviously, I was hoping the doctors were wrong but I don't think they were. My onset was in the left leg with a bit of foot drop. I then started to have a little slurred speech. My biggest problem though is spasticity in the legs. I am starting to think I am predominantly UMN with some LMN mixed in. I am assuming I do not have PLS because of what I have read. PLS doesn't have fascilations and I fascilate head to toe 24/7. The symptoms in my legs seem to be more along the lines of PLS though. My hamstring, especially the left is sometimes rock hard and I have cramps in my calves every moring while laying in bed. When I get out of bed my legs stiffen up solid and I have to stand there and wait 3-5 seconds for them to come back to normal before I can start walking. This happens when I sit for an extended amount of time as well. The cold weather makes me into a tin soldier. When I get nervous or self-consience about people watching me hobble around, it gets really bad. Almost to the point where I can't move. I tend to get nervous(self concience) when people are watching me. Getting out of an elevator when people are getting out behind me, forget it, I lock up solid. I must say I am getting better with this as time goes by though. I guess eventually I will get used to being disabled. I also have spasms in my legs when I put extra weight on one or the other. The spasms do not hurt but are annoying. My balance is shot and I shuffle around like Tim Conway(from the Carol Burnette show) I am taking Baflofen and Tizanidine but they do not seem to help with any of these symptoms. I would give anything to reduce the spasticity so I could see if weakness were an issue as well. I can't tell if I have weakness because my legs are so stiff. Any help or comments would be welcomed...Thanks.