HenryBrouwer
New member
- Joined
- May 20, 2021
- Messages
- 8
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- CA
- State
- ON
- City
- Keswick
Hi everyone. Thx so very much for all the information on this web site. I have read thru the 'Before Posting Information' and it has provided me with a wealth of information that I had been unaware of. Having said that, I still have some lingering questions/concerns and I trust that no one will be upset with me for posting this. I am a 56 year old male.
April 2020, I started having issues with my hands and fingering tingling and going numb occasionally. My big toes would occasionally go numb as well and tingling toes. I had a neurologist appt in August 2020 to check into why this was happening. I can't remember exactly what the neurologist did, but I believe he completed reflex test on knees, eye/hand coordination test and completed a nerve conduction test on both hands/arms. The diagnosis was severe carpal tunnel in left hand and severe-moderate carpal tunnel in right hand. He told me to stop weight-lifting and come back for follow-up testing in 3 months. The follow-up appt (Nov, 2020) with the same nerve testing redone, it showed that the carpal tunnel was basically gone and all nerve testing was in normal range. I have had no issues with tingling/numbness, etc for the next 4 months (also did not do any weightlifting during these 4 months)
I started working out again in March, 2021 and I had no issues until recently.
Move to the 2nd weekend in May, 2021 and I was opening the pool, which meant a lot of time in a squat position and also underneath the deck where the pool pump was, so again kneeling a lot and in squat position. I woke up the next day sore, but noticed that night that my left calf muscles were now twitching randomly. I wasn't too concerned as I thought I had stretched some muscles and twitching would go away. But it didn't and then in the 2 days following, I noticed this twitching also happening in my right calf. This twitching now is happening constantly in both calves as well as hamstrings and quads randomly. I think I can also sometimes feel either tingling and/or muscle twitches in arms and face, but these are very random and not continuous like the twitching in my legs. I also am starting to have pains in my calf muscles and hamstring muscles on both legs (muscles ache and feel tight). A few days later, it felt like I was having issues with my tongue and lips (numbness/tingling). I felt like sometimes I was slurring / voice getting horse a lot more and I would constantly ask my wife if she could understand me. All these symptoms pointed me to ALS when goggling internet (I know, bad on me). Now I am starting to feel a little weaker all over, maybe not as steady on my feet (not sure if this is the anxiety or real symptoms). I am still able to run, walk and lift the same amount of weights in both arms, so It doesn't appear that I have any weakness in hands/arms. I do sometimes feel that my left fingers on my left hand seem a lot stiffer than fingers on my right hand. I have also noticed that my calves/ankles seem a lot smaller in nature (still appear to be the same symmetrical size from what I can see in mirror), but perhaps that could be attributed to losing 15 Ibs on a new diet my wife had me on since February . I know I have a lot on bad anxiety and I am constantly thinking about ALS after goggling symptoms. (I have a buddy that is currently going thru ALS).
Could these symptoms be pointing to the start of ALS? Would ALS symptoms happen so quickly (2 weeks time)? I know my anxiety is at a high now and I am having issues eating/sleeping. I will also be scheduling another neurologist appt in the future as well.
Thx to everyone on this site and I apologize if I am wasting people's time answering this post. God bless all of you.
Sorry, I also forgot to say that toes on both feet go numb randomly as well in the past few weeks.
April 2020, I started having issues with my hands and fingering tingling and going numb occasionally. My big toes would occasionally go numb as well and tingling toes. I had a neurologist appt in August 2020 to check into why this was happening. I can't remember exactly what the neurologist did, but I believe he completed reflex test on knees, eye/hand coordination test and completed a nerve conduction test on both hands/arms. The diagnosis was severe carpal tunnel in left hand and severe-moderate carpal tunnel in right hand. He told me to stop weight-lifting and come back for follow-up testing in 3 months. The follow-up appt (Nov, 2020) with the same nerve testing redone, it showed that the carpal tunnel was basically gone and all nerve testing was in normal range. I have had no issues with tingling/numbness, etc for the next 4 months (also did not do any weightlifting during these 4 months)
I started working out again in March, 2021 and I had no issues until recently.
Move to the 2nd weekend in May, 2021 and I was opening the pool, which meant a lot of time in a squat position and also underneath the deck where the pool pump was, so again kneeling a lot and in squat position. I woke up the next day sore, but noticed that night that my left calf muscles were now twitching randomly. I wasn't too concerned as I thought I had stretched some muscles and twitching would go away. But it didn't and then in the 2 days following, I noticed this twitching also happening in my right calf. This twitching now is happening constantly in both calves as well as hamstrings and quads randomly. I think I can also sometimes feel either tingling and/or muscle twitches in arms and face, but these are very random and not continuous like the twitching in my legs. I also am starting to have pains in my calf muscles and hamstring muscles on both legs (muscles ache and feel tight). A few days later, it felt like I was having issues with my tongue and lips (numbness/tingling). I felt like sometimes I was slurring / voice getting horse a lot more and I would constantly ask my wife if she could understand me. All these symptoms pointed me to ALS when goggling internet (I know, bad on me). Now I am starting to feel a little weaker all over, maybe not as steady on my feet (not sure if this is the anxiety or real symptoms). I am still able to run, walk and lift the same amount of weights in both arms, so It doesn't appear that I have any weakness in hands/arms. I do sometimes feel that my left fingers on my left hand seem a lot stiffer than fingers on my right hand. I have also noticed that my calves/ankles seem a lot smaller in nature (still appear to be the same symmetrical size from what I can see in mirror), but perhaps that could be attributed to losing 15 Ibs on a new diet my wife had me on since February . I know I have a lot on bad anxiety and I am constantly thinking about ALS after goggling symptoms. (I have a buddy that is currently going thru ALS).
Could these symptoms be pointing to the start of ALS? Would ALS symptoms happen so quickly (2 weeks time)? I know my anxiety is at a high now and I am having issues eating/sleeping. I will also be scheduling another neurologist appt in the future as well.
Thx to everyone on this site and I apologize if I am wasting people's time answering this post. God bless all of you.
Sorry, I also forgot to say that toes on both feet go numb randomly as well in the past few weeks.