Ragnar
New member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2020
- Messages
- 6
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- CA
- State
- QC
- City
- Montreal
Hello everyone,
I am a 42 years old man from Montreal, Canada. I would greatly appreciate some advices on symptoms I've been experiencing in the past few months. I've seen my general practitioner as well as a physiatry doctor. Got 3 MRI, one for the low and middle spine, one for the cervicals and one of the brain.
I'm 6'3, 255 lbs, relatively healthy, a bit overweight because of all the Covid19 "bored" drinking, but I've been sober for the last 2 months. I suffer from asthma, but only when I run that I need to take my inhaler. I have sleep apnea and sleep with a CPAP machine since 2018. I was tested for Covid-19 last week and I don't have it.
Here are my details:
-Spine MRI was all normal
-Cervical Spine showed an herniated disc at C5-C6, on the left side.
-Cerebral MRI showed 3 small lesions in different places (I only had the report from the physiatry doctor and got sent to a Neurologist, whom I'm waiting to have an appointment with (it's super slow because of Covid...). So for now I have no information on these and what they could mean sadly.
My sister has MS and my first thought is that it might be the same thing I have. But my symptoms are way different than hers and my situation seems to deteriorate very fast in the last 4 weeks.
FYI I read both sticky post on Symptoms and Diagnosis, so I'll go as factual as I can to avoid anyone losing time over my case.
- I've been having a bit of trouble with both my hands since last June. Nothing serious at first, just some fatigue when playing guitar or when doing typing or gaming for a long time. I also woke up many times with my hands numb and tingly for no reason; but that feeling usually disappeared after moving my hands a little.
- During the summer I noticed that I got tired more easily and that I had a hard time recuperating from doing exercise... I blamed it on my new "work from home" routine and the lack of real exercise since March (because of the Covid confinement). My calves seemed to be getting very stiff/cramped and fatigued after only 10-15 minutes of brisk walking at that time. I thought I was just out of shape and tried to continue with my usual daily activities.
- In august, I had an episode where my left shoulder and trapezius muscles got super tense and stiff, I couldn't move them for a few days (this got me to get the first 2 MRIs). The doctor told me that it was due to the herniated disc and that it should get better with time. But he was a bit puzzled on why my right hand was affected and weak as well, hence why he asked for a Cerebral MRI. Got the appointment in October and the results back early November. Now I wait to see a neurologist to get an EMG and the interpretation of the MRI.
- In the beginning of this month, I went through tremendous stressful events (suicide of a friend and losing my job) and my symptoms are worsening everyday. I have generalized muscle fatigue on both my arms and legs, as well as having my neck muscle very weak. I have muscle twitches and fasciculations, a little bit during the day, but a lot when lying down at bedtime. I have a hard time texting with my phone as my hands get very weak, very fast.
-So far I have NO FAILURE on muscle movements, only a very hard time to move my fingers or to simply lift a frying pan. I can still do all the normal things but my endurance is very low. I can walk on my toes and heels for many meters without problems. I ask a physiotherapist friend to perform the Babinski reflex test and it was normal. I also have a normal Hoffmann's reflex.
-I tried to do a small training 3 days ago (3 sets of body weight squats, 3 sets of light bicep curls and 3 sets of light deltoids raises). I'm still very sore and all muscles are very stiff and fatigued, recuperation is definitely not normal.
- Now I am barely able to get out of bed, being too tired and weak. My abdominal muscles now seem to be affected and I have a hard time maintaining a good posture without considerable effort. I kinda "feel" them having a hard time most of the time, even when in bed.
- One thing I noticed was that my SpO2 levels on my pulse oximeter reported very low oxygen levels while lying flat (around 90-92%, while when I'm up and active it is at 96-99%). I have a CPAP Machine to sleep and it no longer seem to help out as well as it was before. When I fall asleep my SpO2 goes down as low as 82% and go back up for a while, then down again. It is very puzzling and I wonder if it's because my diaphragm muscle is getting weak as well :-(
So here's my rather complicated case. I'm very anxious and nervous as I'm not improving on any symptoms as days goes by... and I might see that Neurologist only months from now.
Any input would be very appreciated.
Many thanks
- Ragnar
I am a 42 years old man from Montreal, Canada. I would greatly appreciate some advices on symptoms I've been experiencing in the past few months. I've seen my general practitioner as well as a physiatry doctor. Got 3 MRI, one for the low and middle spine, one for the cervicals and one of the brain.
I'm 6'3, 255 lbs, relatively healthy, a bit overweight because of all the Covid19 "bored" drinking, but I've been sober for the last 2 months. I suffer from asthma, but only when I run that I need to take my inhaler. I have sleep apnea and sleep with a CPAP machine since 2018. I was tested for Covid-19 last week and I don't have it.
Here are my details:
-Spine MRI was all normal
-Cervical Spine showed an herniated disc at C5-C6, on the left side.
-Cerebral MRI showed 3 small lesions in different places (I only had the report from the physiatry doctor and got sent to a Neurologist, whom I'm waiting to have an appointment with (it's super slow because of Covid...). So for now I have no information on these and what they could mean sadly.
My sister has MS and my first thought is that it might be the same thing I have. But my symptoms are way different than hers and my situation seems to deteriorate very fast in the last 4 weeks.
FYI I read both sticky post on Symptoms and Diagnosis, so I'll go as factual as I can to avoid anyone losing time over my case.
- I've been having a bit of trouble with both my hands since last June. Nothing serious at first, just some fatigue when playing guitar or when doing typing or gaming for a long time. I also woke up many times with my hands numb and tingly for no reason; but that feeling usually disappeared after moving my hands a little.
- During the summer I noticed that I got tired more easily and that I had a hard time recuperating from doing exercise... I blamed it on my new "work from home" routine and the lack of real exercise since March (because of the Covid confinement). My calves seemed to be getting very stiff/cramped and fatigued after only 10-15 minutes of brisk walking at that time. I thought I was just out of shape and tried to continue with my usual daily activities.
- In august, I had an episode where my left shoulder and trapezius muscles got super tense and stiff, I couldn't move them for a few days (this got me to get the first 2 MRIs). The doctor told me that it was due to the herniated disc and that it should get better with time. But he was a bit puzzled on why my right hand was affected and weak as well, hence why he asked for a Cerebral MRI. Got the appointment in October and the results back early November. Now I wait to see a neurologist to get an EMG and the interpretation of the MRI.
- In the beginning of this month, I went through tremendous stressful events (suicide of a friend and losing my job) and my symptoms are worsening everyday. I have generalized muscle fatigue on both my arms and legs, as well as having my neck muscle very weak. I have muscle twitches and fasciculations, a little bit during the day, but a lot when lying down at bedtime. I have a hard time texting with my phone as my hands get very weak, very fast.
-So far I have NO FAILURE on muscle movements, only a very hard time to move my fingers or to simply lift a frying pan. I can still do all the normal things but my endurance is very low. I can walk on my toes and heels for many meters without problems. I ask a physiotherapist friend to perform the Babinski reflex test and it was normal. I also have a normal Hoffmann's reflex.
-I tried to do a small training 3 days ago (3 sets of body weight squats, 3 sets of light bicep curls and 3 sets of light deltoids raises). I'm still very sore and all muscles are very stiff and fatigued, recuperation is definitely not normal.
- Now I am barely able to get out of bed, being too tired and weak. My abdominal muscles now seem to be affected and I have a hard time maintaining a good posture without considerable effort. I kinda "feel" them having a hard time most of the time, even when in bed.
- One thing I noticed was that my SpO2 levels on my pulse oximeter reported very low oxygen levels while lying flat (around 90-92%, while when I'm up and active it is at 96-99%). I have a CPAP Machine to sleep and it no longer seem to help out as well as it was before. When I fall asleep my SpO2 goes down as low as 82% and go back up for a while, then down again. It is very puzzling and I wonder if it's because my diaphragm muscle is getting weak as well :-(
So here's my rather complicated case. I'm very anxious and nervous as I'm not improving on any symptoms as days goes by... and I might see that Neurologist only months from now.
Any input would be very appreciated.
Many thanks
- Ragnar