Womble55
New member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2008
- Messages
- 8
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- IA
- City
- Urbandale
Hello all,
I'm a 38 year old female, terrified that I might have ALS. In about August of 2007, my left arm/shoulder began to feel odd - sorta painful and tingly. Sometimes, I have tingling in my hand, sometimes not. I had an MRI done of the shoulder, many x-rays, all normal. Started physical therapy, which has gone well and reduced the pain to an extent, but it hasn't gone away. I did have an EMG on my left arm back in December and it was normal. The doctor ordered it because I was having odd tingling sensations sometimes that extended into my chest. Those have gone away with the physcial therapy. The EMG was normal as I said, but it was before the fasciculations started though. But then again it was several months after the pain in my arm started. They have said maybe cubital tunnel syndrome. Now, in the past few weeks, I have started to get twitches and fasciculations in my legs, plus some in my torso, shoulders, and arms. Mostly in my legs. They have been sporadic and varied locations, and mostly last for 2-3 seconds. Then, today I got one just above my left knee. It has been there for about 6 hours, on and off, not ever going away completely.
I'm scared because this bad fasciculation is on the same side as my bad arm.
I saw my doctor earlier this week because of my continued fasciculations (not the one today) and he said he really didn't suspect ALS. He did make me walk on my toes and heels, I do not have foot drop. He also checked out my muscles by making me resist him pulling on my arms, etc. He said that all my muscles were equal on both sides and there was no weakness that he could detect. I do not feel that I have weakness that I can detect, and I don't think I have any atrophy - I assume I would know if I did? I try to take the stairs two at a time and I don't feel weak in my legs. I type all day and have no trouble with that. I do not have any facial/speech symptoms. I do weights at physical therapy with the arms and no problems with that. My doctor also did a blood test for CK just to check and it was normal also (this week).
I'm still really scared with this fasciculation thing (I have read about the BFS but cannot convince myself that's all it is) and with the fact that my EMG was only on my arm and before fasciculations began. I can't seem to get past this fear.
Can anyone offer me words of wisdom? Does this sound like ALS?
CM
I'm a 38 year old female, terrified that I might have ALS. In about August of 2007, my left arm/shoulder began to feel odd - sorta painful and tingly. Sometimes, I have tingling in my hand, sometimes not. I had an MRI done of the shoulder, many x-rays, all normal. Started physical therapy, which has gone well and reduced the pain to an extent, but it hasn't gone away. I did have an EMG on my left arm back in December and it was normal. The doctor ordered it because I was having odd tingling sensations sometimes that extended into my chest. Those have gone away with the physcial therapy. The EMG was normal as I said, but it was before the fasciculations started though. But then again it was several months after the pain in my arm started. They have said maybe cubital tunnel syndrome. Now, in the past few weeks, I have started to get twitches and fasciculations in my legs, plus some in my torso, shoulders, and arms. Mostly in my legs. They have been sporadic and varied locations, and mostly last for 2-3 seconds. Then, today I got one just above my left knee. It has been there for about 6 hours, on and off, not ever going away completely.
I'm scared because this bad fasciculation is on the same side as my bad arm.
I saw my doctor earlier this week because of my continued fasciculations (not the one today) and he said he really didn't suspect ALS. He did make me walk on my toes and heels, I do not have foot drop. He also checked out my muscles by making me resist him pulling on my arms, etc. He said that all my muscles were equal on both sides and there was no weakness that he could detect. I do not feel that I have weakness that I can detect, and I don't think I have any atrophy - I assume I would know if I did? I try to take the stairs two at a time and I don't feel weak in my legs. I type all day and have no trouble with that. I do not have any facial/speech symptoms. I do weights at physical therapy with the arms and no problems with that. My doctor also did a blood test for CK just to check and it was normal also (this week).
I'm still really scared with this fasciculation thing (I have read about the BFS but cannot convince myself that's all it is) and with the fact that my EMG was only on my arm and before fasciculations began. I can't seem to get past this fear.
Can anyone offer me words of wisdom? Does this sound like ALS?
CM