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pldo

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For the past two days I have had a constant eye twitch (which is how my symptoms started) and my thumb will not stop shaking on my right hand (this started this afternoon) that arm also feels heavier than it ever felt. Is this a progession of symptoms of ALS or could it be a virus or something?
 
An eye twitch is an extremely common sign of anxiety. I once had a friend who was attending a large work conference and had to address an audience of more than 100 delegates. Her eye started twitching the day before and twitched constantly for 3 days! At the end of the event and once home, the twitch just disappeared.
 
Rule out everything else

ALS is a rare disease.
You have to rule out just about everything, things you've never heard of first to get to that point. Even having all of the symptoms of ALS means you probably have one of the other things instead.
 
ALS symptoms do not progress in a matter of 2 days. It takes a while. What you complain of sounds like anxiety.
 
Hi ironside! I don't believe you and I have ever posted each other before. I was just browsing and ran across your post! Welcome, I pray to God you will not be a Pals. Just have faith in God, and everything will be okay. Have you been to a doc yet? Take care, and God bless.

Irma
 
Thanks for the warm welcome Irma. I am currently seeing a neurologist and getting an EMG friday. Lets hope for the best! I do pray every day. I need the strength to get though my symptoms and family telling me this is all in my head.
 
How long have you been feeling these symptoms, and what are they? How old are you? Sorry for the questions. I am just not sleepy, and am going through some letters that my son used to write to me. Hope you don't mind my questions.

Irma
 
I'm 22 and I think I started feeling my symptoms in January of this year. It started with breathing. I just noticed I needed to take "extra breaths" because I felt like I wasn't breathing enough (it was happening while sitting down for a long time). The breathless episodes have gotten more frequent since then, now they occur every day throughout the day. I started twitching in one area of my left arm in the middle of having the flu at the end of february. That went away after a few days only to come back a week after it stopped. Since then, I've still had the twitching every day and it has spread to the entire left side and now the right. I've had other symptoms that don't quite fit like tingling in the left side of my face, an electric shock feeling in my spine, and headaches. But now the only symptoms I continue to have are the twitching, cramps in my calfs, pain in my hips/knees/ankles, nausea every day, weight loss, and weakness in my legs and left arm. I don't have sensory problems or anything. If I think of anything else, I'll post but I think I've listed the jest of my symptoms.
I do not mind your questions at all Irma. Thanks for inquiring. So far I've had a neuro exam and my balance is off, my brain and spinal MRI are normal, blood work is pending, lung xrays are normal.
 
I don't know about the breathing episode, nausea, and wieght loss. That does not sound like Als to me, not at all. Weight loss in Als patients occur after they have had a lot of problems with atrophy, it also occurs after the peg has been inserted, and that person can no longer eat solid foods like he/she used to. The weight loss does not start immediately, you would have to be pretty well into the disease in order to start losing that weight. Again, I do not believe you have Als, I pray to God it is not that. Als patients start having breathing problems after their breathing muscles atrophy, not right away. Good luck to you, and I will keep you in my prayers.

Irma
 
Thanks Irma. The only reason I think it is ALS is that I read that some people can start the disease with breathing problems. I also have been having the twictching for over a month and I thought I saw atrophy in my arm and I have weakness, but because I am so thin and have a small frame it is difficult to tell. My neurologist said she didn't notice atrophy. But because they haven't figured anything out yet I'm really scared knowing that ALS is basically a process of elimination. I know that ALS develops uniquely in many people so I never know...
Again, thanks for your support Irma. I will keep you in my prayers as well. Regardless of whether we are sick or healthy, we should live each day like it will be our last. At 22, that's a different way of thinking than the norm, but it has made me appreciate life more.
 
I will keep you in my prayers as well. I am going to bed, I be tired! Catcha later! God bless!

Irma
 
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