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cbrons

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Joined
Mar 24, 2007
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6
Reason
PALS
Country
US
State
IL
City
Arlington Heights
hello everyone.

Ive been driving myself completely crazy the past few days. It all started a few weeks ago when I noticed some eye floaters which I took way too seriously and thought there was a deeper, underlying issue. I went to an optometrist who said nothing you can do, just gotta live with em. So i left but I still worried about them. Eventually my eyes started twitching and really bothering me so i went back to the same guy who checked em out and said stop worrying. But i kept worrying and went to see another optometrist who told me i might need reading glasses cause my eyes diverge a little bit and to wear them with my contacts on. Anyway, I was still worried so i went to an opthamologist when i was back home (Im in college) and he said i dont see any problems, just a little allergic conjunctivitis which is pretty normal so he gave me some eye drops.

I kept worrying about there being an underlying issue to my eye twitching so i checked it up online and saw a variety of brain issue problems. I looked through them and found I didnt have a headache or anything so I should stop worrying about tha.t.. althought I did for a few days. I then noticed some new symptoms. First off, I have a pinched nerve (i think ) in my right arm that makes two of my fingers numb if I stretch it some way. This eventually goes away though. I noticed that im salivating excessively (or I think that I am) so i looked up the excess salivation and saw that its a symptom of ALS and that anxiety is also a symptom of als. So i freaked out and kept worrying and worrying. One night, i tried sleeping but I kept getting myoclonic jerks (the muscle jerks that before you lose consciousness, wake you back up). I went into the emergency room, the doctor said that Im suffering from some anxiety. He did a basic neurological screening test (had me touch my nose then his finger and he kept moving it around, etc.) and he said im fine. The next day I had a physical here at school and I was also worried so the doctor had me do some more neurological screening tests (walking on toes, heals, holding my arms out with eyes closed) etc. and he gave me an anxiety diagnosis as well. I have had a few panic attacks in the past few days and its been really debilitating. I remember the same day I went to the emergency room and saw the doctor here at school, i went back to the emergency room at night because i had a huge headache, my muscles were very tight and twitching and i felt like i was out of reality. The doctor at the ER the 2nd time had my blood and urine taken and then they shot me up with Lorezepam (ativan) so i could lay still for my head CT. All of these tests turned out fine and I got a small perscription with ativan and I saw the doctor here at school again. Im still worried this pinched nerve might be weakening of the arm? Ive been extremely shaky and anxious lately and I cant stand it much longer. Even when i wake up in the morning I can feel myself shaking in my bed. Can anyone tell me if any of the symptoms ive described indicated early ALS?
 
Hi cbrons,

I see nothing here to suggest you have ALS. I think your doctors are right. Use this episode in your life to learn how to not take your thought patterns so seriously. You are headed down a path that will only cause you to needlessly suffer through the rest of your life. Relax. :)

Mike
 
You are going to have to trust your doctors on this one. We are just not qualified to diagnose you. Sounds like your main problem is anxiety though, you really need to get control over this as many false symptoms can be generated by the level of anxiety you described.

I know it is hard, but please stop assuming the worst and relax. I bet that once you do this your symptoms will disappear. Worrying only makes things worse and does not solve anything. All the worry in the world will not add one day to your life! So please try to relax, things will only get better once you do. I am am assuming you are quite young so the chance of you having ALS is extremely unlikely.
Sorry if I came across to strong.

Good luck!
 
I want to see a neurologist. I believe my speaking is more labored now but no one notices any difference and I know my jaw is tightened all the time. Im really worried about this and it basically inhibits almost all of my thoughts daily. Im always paying attention to my quality of speach and saliva production (which im pretty sure is excessive) and i think im developing a sore throat although I notice no problems swalling water at the water foutain or eating. so i dont know but I do know that my jaw seems tight all the time and I also have white tongue ... not sure what to make of it. I also feel like my head has a clamp on it. I dont have a headache but the sides feel like theres some sort of pressure. Any suggestions or comments? I mean how far can anxiety really go..
 
stress can tighten the jaw muscle? I didnt know
 
I also want to note that I will be praying for all the members of this forum daily.
 
Hi cbrons,

If you could walk on your toes and heals, and don't have stiff and weak muscles, and believe me, you would know it, then I would have to say that you have anxiety. If your muscles get progressively weaker over time, then I would start to worry about ALS or some kind of autoimmune disease. You probably have BFS (Benign Fasciculation Syndrome) and anxiety.

Conrad
 
anxiety

cbrons, I'll pray for you also and I'm sure others will do the same! Don't let anxiety be your master like I did in the beginning, didn't help me worrying one bit and I nearly drove myself nuts. ALS diagnosed. takes time to figure out unfortunately. Hang in there, could be something else entirely.
 
I now have fasiculations in my left arm that come and go and when i flex my biceps in the mirror my arms tremble the left arm trembles even more than the right. What should I make of this?
 
Have you been working out or lifting things It sounds like your muscle are strained I also would have a MRI of my cervical neck you may have a pinched nerve in your neck causing all your problems pat
 
i havent been working out much lately.

Does fasc that are widespread throughout the body show signs of ALS? Or are ALS fasc more localized?
 
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