ahurlbut
Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2016
- Messages
- 24
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- MA
- City
- Western
Hi,
I have had a lot of strange health stuff going on for 6 months, episodes of racing heart, feeling very unwell, been tested for just about everything and everything normal. MS and ALS became concerns recently when numbness and tingling and limb weakness started to play into it. I had on neuro exam with an orthopedic surgeon (we were looking at my MRIs) who said that I had hyper reflexes and Hoffman's sign and needed to go back to neuro because it could mean upper motor neuron problem. So I freaked out for 2 weeks went to neuro and he said my exam was normal and that I have normal brisk reflexes and he saw no Hoffman Sign. They told me "You do not have MS or ALS." They put me on Amitriptyline for the nerve issues.
A little over a week after that appointment I started having difficulty swallowing, very dry mouth, but not just that - a feeling there was something at the back of my throat, like mucus, but nothing there. At night it is about 10x worse and at times I feel my airway is blocked and I wake with heart racing and taking a big breath.
Now what just started and is really scaring me is that my lip and cheek muscles do not seem to have much strength. I cannot suck my cheeks in like I have been able to do without effort my whole life. This is terrifying me and I just realized it this morning. I can't make "fish lips." My lip and cheek muscles do not seem to be working right. Do these sound like bulbar symptoms? I am so terrified. Thank you.
I have had a lot of strange health stuff going on for 6 months, episodes of racing heart, feeling very unwell, been tested for just about everything and everything normal. MS and ALS became concerns recently when numbness and tingling and limb weakness started to play into it. I had on neuro exam with an orthopedic surgeon (we were looking at my MRIs) who said that I had hyper reflexes and Hoffman's sign and needed to go back to neuro because it could mean upper motor neuron problem. So I freaked out for 2 weeks went to neuro and he said my exam was normal and that I have normal brisk reflexes and he saw no Hoffman Sign. They told me "You do not have MS or ALS." They put me on Amitriptyline for the nerve issues.
A little over a week after that appointment I started having difficulty swallowing, very dry mouth, but not just that - a feeling there was something at the back of my throat, like mucus, but nothing there. At night it is about 10x worse and at times I feel my airway is blocked and I wake with heart racing and taking a big breath.
Now what just started and is really scaring me is that my lip and cheek muscles do not seem to have much strength. I cannot suck my cheeks in like I have been able to do without effort my whole life. This is terrifying me and I just realized it this morning. I can't make "fish lips." My lip and cheek muscles do not seem to be working right. Do these sound like bulbar symptoms? I am so terrified. Thank you.