Shoulder Onset?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Wnschaefer

New member
Joined
Mar 18, 2020
Messages
2
Reason
Other
Diagnosis
00/0000
Country
US
State
MO
City
Springfield
First, thank you to everyone on this forum who takes their time to read people’s worries and attempt to ease them. I’ve read the sticky.

I was not planning to post here before my appointment on Tuesday, but things started to spiral out of control yesterday for my anxiety, and I’d really like some of your guys’ opinions. My symptoms started about a month and a half ago. I am a new mom (baby just turned 3 months). I was having some issues with breast feeding and began taking a medication called Domperidone. About 4 days after taking this, I started having this weird dizzy sensation and my hands felt like they weren’t working correctly and it felt weird to walk. I figured I was having a weird reaction to the medication, and stopped taking it. I waited about a week, and the symptoms didn’t subside, so I saw my doctor. I realized the dizzy feeling I was feeling was more of an off balance issue. When I would close my eyes and walk heel to toe, I would fall to the side. It was like I was off balance in my head, not really in my body. Doctor ordered an MRI. I was convinced I had a brain tumor or possibly MS.

Got the MRI and it came back all clean. Good, but now what the heck is going on?

The day I got my MRI results back, I started noticing twitching in my legs that then spread throughout my body within 24 hours. This is when I started to worry about ALS. However, I read the sticky and my thread of hope was that I had no clinical weakness. I actually was somewhat convinced that the MRI contrast dye may have caused the twitching. I read it can do that, and the twitching started two days after the MRI. I also had a follow up with my doctor (an internist). He seemed pretty perplexed by what was going on with me. He wanted me to try a steroid. I mentioned my fears of ALS to him. He said highly unlikely. He did a quick physical exam and said everything looked fine except the whole falling to the side when tandem walking with eyes closed and I noticed it seemed like he had a rough time getting my left knee to reflex. It eventually did though and they didn’t seem brisk I don’t think, and he didn’t mention they were. He did want to refer me to a neurologist though and said her doing a physical exam is much different than him doing one.

I did have some perceived weakness that weighed on my mind. For example I went on a field trip with my students (I’m a teacher) to an aquarium. As soon as I stepped into the darkness of the aquarium, it felt like my legs had 25 lb weights attached to them. They felt so heavy and like I could barely lift them. But this got better when I was in the light, just like my balance seemed to be better with eyes open. Super strange. I also seemed to have issues jumping, it just felt really difficult. But I attributed this to just having been pregnant for 9 months and on maternity leave for about 2 months and having little physical exercise.

Then comes yesterday. I was sitting outside with my daughter and leaning on my left shoulder when it started shaking uncontrollably. It scared me so badly. I tried to lean on my right shoulder to see if it shook the same way, and it didn’t at all. I started kind of messing around with different positions and realized my left shoulder blade area shakes really badly when in certain positions and pressure applied. I feel like that points to 1 specific muscle not working correctly in my shoulder blade. The weird thing is that the twitches seem to be everywhere but my left shoulder blade. I actually get them pretty bad in my right one and also have bad pain and tingling in my right one, but that has been there for years and seems to go away with massage. I thought I may have a pinched nerve in my right shoulder blade that may be causing all of this.

I have a neurologist appointment for Tuesday, but my anxiety has completely taken over now. I was okay until the shoulder thing. I guess my question is for anyone that had shoulder onset or knew someone who did or has seen it, does it start this way? Is the shaking considered clinical weakness? I know the weird dizzy feeling and things are not indicative of ALS, but these other things point directly at it. Thank you in advance for any replies!
 
Lots of strange symptoms, but none of them suggest ALS. Twitching is common, nonspecific, and meaningless in the absence of muscle function failure which you have not described. Shoulder shaking is not ALS. If you can still do everything you could do previously, you’re ok. I wouldn’t stress out over it.
 
Definitely not - spend the days now enjoying your beautiful baby - this is time you will never get back, don't waste it.
 
It doesn't sound a thing like ALS. Enjoy your new little one and forget ALS. Focus on your baby; they are only this small for a short period of time
 
Congrats on your new daughter!

The drug you mention creates and worsens heart rhythm issues for some people. I would get an EKG and possibly do a 24-hour Holter test just to be sure there is no issue. The fatigue and inconsistent diet that new motherhood can bring may also be contributing, and can deplete iron stores and B vitamins, so a multi if you're not taking one is worth considering. Hydration and stretching are also worth looking at. But as others have said, there is no reason to worry about ALS.

Best,
Laurie
 
Thank you all very much for taking the time to read and respond. Laurie, I’ve actually had 2 EKGs done since this started, and they both came back clean. I was wondering if a Holter monitor may be a good idea. I might mention it to my doctor. I was continuing my prenatal, but I ran out. I do need to get some more. I am going to try to enjoy my daughter the best I can as you guys have suggested and wait for my appointment on Tuesday. Again thanks for the reassurance 😌
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top