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Adraniel

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Learn about ALS
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PA
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Pittsburgh
Hello- I am a 29 year old male. for the last 5 years I have been experiencing twitching all over my body. Pretty much anywhere you can think of, including my tounge, has experienced twitching.

Starting about a year ago I noticed I was having seriously over emotional reactions to things. For instance I would hear a song playing while I was at the grocery store and just start tearing up. At the time I thought nothing of it as I have struggled with depression etc before.

After going through an extreme depressive episode, I started noticing my legs were shaking walking down hills. This spread to my hands. I have feelings of weakness all over my body and noticeable shaking of my body when I try to do things I normally could do effortlessly such as sitting in a meditative poster. I wake up constantly throughout the night with a racing heart and experience crying spells and random anger throughout the day.

Walking and balance feels very awkward and my neck feels exhausted within an hour of not having support. Hands feel stiff and cramp easily. I’m seeing a GP in a couple of days and already know he thinks I just have OCD and am not I’ll. But I know these symptoms are real. I have seen the twitching on my tounge for instance and the shaking of my body is noticeable to others. Also my reflexes have felt turned way up- like if I get barely touched a jerk out of the way.

Can anyone give me some perspective or advice about what to tell my GP and ask him when I see him next? I’m obviously terrified of ALS and have even started to notice my speech feeling awkward. Looking for any help at all. Thank you all.
 
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Pittsburgh, you have issues, to be sure, but not ALS. Has no one you have seen for your depression explained the very real, very noticeable effects it can have on your body? Everything you talk about fits into that.

It's time to change how you address your depression. See someone new, try new meds, change your patterns. Your terror of ALS has no foundation and will only compound your mood disorder. The help you need is there, not here.

Best,
Laurie
 
Just a quick question... do you Vape?

It is now a soaring trend among teens and those in their 20s and 30s.

The side effects of Vaping are just now coming to light. The tobacco companies
were forced to release the ingredients they used to create flavor.

The Vape oil companies so far do not. No idea what is in their formulas.

The studies have shown two of the biggies... anxiety and depression.

And... the mix of Vaping with alcohol accelerate several symptoms.

But, as Igelb (Laurie) wrote above...

"Pittsburgh, you have issues, to be sure, but not ALS."

Hope you get the decisive help you need.
 
While the major topic of these forums is ALS, not vaping, we try to present facts here that can be documented.

I can't find a statement to the effect that vaping per se causes or exacerbates mood disorders or BFS, in a PubMed search. True, people with mood disorders are more likely to vape, as they are to smoke. And we know that BFS can relate to mood disorders, which is why we encourage optimal treatment for anxiety and depression.

For those attempting to reduce their nicotine exposure, this article does a good job of running through the benefits and risks of various nicotine replacement therapies, including a discussion of the propylene glycol used in e-cigarettes. There is also a UNC database on many of the available e-cig flavors.

No doubt, there are toxic e-cig ingredients in use and as with anything you put in your body, caveat emptor. But I don't think we can or should attribute most or all BFS to vaping.

Best,
Laurie
 
Laurie, maybe you didn't find it but I did... in articles written by Mayo studies and
others.

Then you wrote...

"While the major topic of these forums is ALS, not vaping, we try to present facts here that can be documented."

Ninety percent of the replies from you and very knowledgeable members are...
opinions.

We do have one doctor and the best she can offer is her opinion.

BFS related to anxiety is an opinion. There's no accredited link.

The Vape studies are opinions leaning towards a link. And... no one know
the formulas being used by the makers of these oils for flavor.

I was just opening thought to numerous the Threads we have had lately from teens,
20 and 30 year olds really just suffering from anxiety and mood disorder.

Matter of fact... most of the new Threads we have had lately are from teens, 20
and 30 years. As you know ALS is rare and for most part a later in life disease
Rare to the rare is ALS below the age of 40.

Whatever...
 
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Sorry if I was unclear, Al. When I said "facts that can be documented," I meant "studies that we can point to," in this context. Those, I'm not seeing. But as I said also, indisputably there are links between BFS and mood, and mood certainly worsens urges for nicotine and/or smoking, as the use of antidepressants for smoking cessation testifies.

I agree that we see a lot of young people here who are terrified of ALS for no reason that we can see. That certainly relates to the role that anxiety and depression can play in making any kind of pain, twitch, occasional numbness that we all have, seem worse and scary. As the OP in this thread has insight into the fear that has become a big part of his life, we try to take that insight and explain why/how the fear is unfounded.

Best,
Laurie
 
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