Read sticky and still very scared about ALS

[Jbean]

This may seem very silly to everyone on here but i am having some very real fears about the possibility of MND. I have a close friend whose mother died from it and another one whose father died from it.

My story starts about 6 months ago but I will first tell you I have a long history of anxiety that has mainly been treated by no medications, just by learning to work through panic attacks..

About 6 months ago I noticed myself having some difficulty swallowing raw vegetables, mainly larger ones like cauliflower and broccoli.. Almost like it would get stuck in my throat. I kind of blew it off and went to see ENT and they scoped my nose down to my throats and thought it looked fine.. a little irritated but nothing major.

Next I noticed my jaw feeling very tired when I would chew things which still continues. I wake up every morning feeling very sore everywhere. It literally takes about 1-2 hours after getting out of bed to not feel so sore. Everything on my body hurts but doctor refuses to give me any diagnosis related to autoimmune..

in 2016 I had about 4 bladder infections which are not a common thing for me and I was told that if I had one more I needed to see a urology doctor.. So in November I started with what felt like a bladder infection.. urgency.. still feeling like I had a full bladder after emptying .. etc.. Urine test was clean, no uti. But my doctor put me on a round of antibiotics that didn't really do anything..

I also asked him at this time if he could put me back on my Paxil, low dose 10mg a day just to not have me be so anxious. I work In the medical field as a Sonographer and see a lot of things that scare me which in turn contribute to my anxiety. So I started taking Paxil like 1 week before Christmas.

I woke up Dec. 27th to "twitches" I opened my eyes and laid there feeling a twitch in my calf, then my bicep, then my back, then my foot. So you get the general idea they were everywhere random.. but still I kept taking medicine thinking it was my anxiety. Those twitches continued through the holidays all the way to current day.

I stopped taking Paxil 3 weeks ago convinced maybe that it was causing my twitching. My doctor felt it was unlikely due to the fact I had only been on the medicine just short of one month and it was only 10 mg. Also I have taken Paxil in the past and never had that symptom.

So not only have the twitches continued, I have some jerking when I am laying down at night like my body parts sporadically move. Among those things I also have body tremors, I don't know if I'm describing accurately, but my whole body feels shakey sometimes..almost like I just finished 3 cups of expresso. I feel like my fingers feel week, my wrist as well when I am typing on the computer, like I am starting to do things very slowly.

I should mention I push on larger patients all day long. I stand on my feet for most of the 8 hours I work scanning. I know have a strenuous job but can't shake this feeling of something being wrong because of the tremors,jerking, and twitching.

I also have recently like in the last 4-5 months get out of breath just having conversation sometimes.. I can walk on the treadmill at a fast pace for 45 minutes but if I walk upstairs or lift things.. I am very fatigued.. I do have a history of smoking but I quit 6 months ago because I was tired of the habit and going outside because my husband doesn't smoke and I wouldn't do it around my Children.

The doctor wants me to take a potassium and magnesium supplement to see if that helps..

my twitching has become very focused in my left foot and calf.. I still feel it other places as well but mainly in those 2 places and it will go nonstop all day. My eyes are twitching frequently as well.

The only blood tests I have had were a cbc, cmp,and cholesterol . All of them were normal. I also have iron checked regularly because I have iron deficiency from very heavy menstrual cycles and take iron infusions sometimes.

Very worried mom of 3. Just hoping someone could shed some light if I should be thinking als. Having chronic pain and feeling tiredness always along with the Neuro symptoms is scaring me, it consuming my life. My family thinks I'm crazy. Any input from someone living with MND would greatly be appreciated.

Scared mom of 3

 

[Vincent]

You should be scared of ALS. It sucks in ways I cant describe. But nothing you described sounds anything like ALS. Good for you. Anxiety can cause all sorts of weird feelings. Get help with that.
Vincent

 

[Atsugi]

Hi Jbean. Thanks for all those details. Your GP medical doctor can fix that, I'm sure. There's no ALS in your post. Sometimes, finding the right combination of supplements and medications can be a lengthy process (years!) But you might find that a psychotherapist can cure all that pretty quickly. Good luck.

 

[lgelb]

Jbean, nothing you've written says ALS. But repeated abx rounds + reinstating the Paxil even at a low dose, even if you've had it before, coupled w/ quitting smoking (good for you!) could cause all sorts of things, esp. in someone fighting chronic fatigue (I'm not talking about the syndrome, just the symptom) and anxiety. And in a strenuous job. Your body appears to be telling you something.

I would consider seeing a 2nd internist for a new workup if the supplements don't help, and trying a new tack for the anxiety that makes everything worse (bodywork, mindfulness modalities, nature walks, music, art, a new job/shift, whatever helps) but you're in the wrong place, here.

Best,
Laurie