possible als?

[Candi]

I have a few questions on als. My husband is scheduled for a neurologist visit in a few weeks. I am very nervous and worried that it may be als.
His symptoms are as follows:
speech slurred for over a year and is getting progressively worse
last few months has made gulping sounds when eating
sometimes gags on food but more often when drinking water or wine
always gags whenn taking pills
has been excersizing for years and is in great shape for his age (56)
lifts weights daily
resently is too tired to excersise in the morning and evening workouts are short
see muscle twitches in legs, arms and back
a very smart man who now is making simple math mistakes and does not explain things well or understand things as they are being described to him
uses short sentences or incomplete sentences

There is something going on but we are worried what it could be.
Questions:
Does this sound like als?
Could his great physical shape and muscle mass delay the tripping etc. that ppl describe as a symptom of als?

Thank you for your feedback.

 

[Jamiet]

Candi,

Sorry you and your husband are experiencing this, but it needs to be attended to. His symptoms, are concerning, but could be a barrage of things. If i were you, i would not wait on a neuro to try to figure out whats going on, you should schedule him an appt at the nearest ALS / MDA Clinic, depending on where you are at. You can go to the MDA website and they list them, look for ALS clinics, these are the experts who see this day in and day out and can basically look at him and tell whats up. Schedule the appointment now, it takes time, if this turns out ok, then all you have to do is cancel the appt., but if you need the appt, it's already scheduled! If you speak to the receptionist at an ALS clinic and tell them your husbands symptoms, you are likely to get in quicker..

Best of luck!

 

[Al]

Hi Candi and welcome to the forum. Sorry about your husband's symptoms. While it sounds like he may have ALS there are a few other conditions that can have the same symptoms. Only testing by a Neurologist that is familiar with Motor Neuron Diseases and ALS can tell you what is really going on. You don't say where you are from so it's difficult to be more specific as to where to recommend you to. Being in good shape is a definite asset. More muscle mass usually takes longer to atrophy but if it is ALS ,continuing to work out strenuously can damage the muscle. Hope this helps. AL.