Eric68
New member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2016
- Messages
- 6
- Reason
- Friend was DX
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- TX
- City
- Houston
Here's my story (47yo male):
Woke up on a Sunday morning four months ago and decided to take my usual three mile walk around the neighborhood. Noticed slight labored breathing and pounding heart beat. Had never noticed either symptom before. Was referred to a cardiologist within a week when symptoms didn't subside. He did an ultrasound, EKG, and 24 hr Holter....all normal. He advised my GP that it was probably stress. He put me on a beta blocker (which helped with the throwing heart beat)
Symptoms continued. Into the fourth week, i started having episodes of being "out of it"....couldn't concentrate at work; breathing had become an issue during exertion and I had stopped doing any type of exercise (biking, lifting weights, walking). Over that fifth weekend, I pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve in my right shoulder and my arm was in extreme pain. Saw a chiropractor and he also noticed my breathing and said my diaphragm muscles were very tight.
On the fifth weekend, I went to a party in which I found that I could not stand for more than 15 minutes without feeling like I was going to pass out. My GP referred me to a neurologist. He looked at all my reflexes, had me walk on my toes and heals, and did some other clinical exam. Said everything was normal....i may have a virus.
During this time my GP did an enormous amount of lab work on me and everything came back normal.
GP referred me to a pulmonologist. Saw him seven weeks into these symptoms. He did all the tests and they came back normal. Saw him two weeks later for follow up and breathing test was normal.
During this 7-10 week period, I started noticing that my thighs were getting weaker when walking down stairs. I also felt like they had both atrophied a little as had my right arm. I saw the same neurologist and he performed the emg test (electrodes and pins) on my feet, calves, thighs, fingers, hands, upper/lower arms. Everything came back normal. He said I may have the early signs of carpal tunnel in my right hand.
I went back to him about week 12 complaining of "waves" that i could see in my thighs when flexing and some twitching in my right arm, cramping on right side and cramping in lower right arm when bending it. I also had developed some shaking in my arms (he said essential tremors) .He looked and decided to refer me to a neuromuscular specialist.
I saw the specialist a week later. He had been sent all of my lab work (cardio, pulmonary, GP, neuro). I showed him the twitching and atrophy and he did some reflex testing and strength testing and said "you don't have ALS, you should swim for an hour a day." He placed me on a med to control "benign twitching."
We're now into about the 17th week. My breathing is really "off" at times. I have fatigue in the morning and seem to get a good burst of energy in the afternoon/evening. I am on five meds now....two for BP, one for anxiety, one to sleep, and one for tremors. I feel my thighs are stronger when walking down stairs ( i have been doing some lunges) and the tremors aren't as bad.
So to sum it up, i have the following over 17 weeks:
*breathing feels like high altitude when doing most activities; have to relax often
*smaller muscles in thighs and arms
*bouts of fatigue, esp. when waking up in morning
*bouts of not being able to concentrate, esp. in morning
*twitching in right tricep when using (does not happen when still)
*cramping on right side (ribs) and lower right arm when moving (does not happen when still)
*still weakness in thigh muscles when walking down stairs, but seems to be better with some exercise
*tremors/shaking of arms when using utensils,etc
*have quit job due to excessive time off; just do not feel well
Any ideas as to what is going on? Most doctors, esp my GP and my close family members think it's years of ongoing stress. I find it very hard to believe that stress can cause all of the above symptoms, especially the constant breathing issues while doing any type of exertion.
Thank you!
Woke up on a Sunday morning four months ago and decided to take my usual three mile walk around the neighborhood. Noticed slight labored breathing and pounding heart beat. Had never noticed either symptom before. Was referred to a cardiologist within a week when symptoms didn't subside. He did an ultrasound, EKG, and 24 hr Holter....all normal. He advised my GP that it was probably stress. He put me on a beta blocker (which helped with the throwing heart beat)
Symptoms continued. Into the fourth week, i started having episodes of being "out of it"....couldn't concentrate at work; breathing had become an issue during exertion and I had stopped doing any type of exercise (biking, lifting weights, walking). Over that fifth weekend, I pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve in my right shoulder and my arm was in extreme pain. Saw a chiropractor and he also noticed my breathing and said my diaphragm muscles were very tight.
On the fifth weekend, I went to a party in which I found that I could not stand for more than 15 minutes without feeling like I was going to pass out. My GP referred me to a neurologist. He looked at all my reflexes, had me walk on my toes and heals, and did some other clinical exam. Said everything was normal....i may have a virus.
During this time my GP did an enormous amount of lab work on me and everything came back normal.
GP referred me to a pulmonologist. Saw him seven weeks into these symptoms. He did all the tests and they came back normal. Saw him two weeks later for follow up and breathing test was normal.
During this 7-10 week period, I started noticing that my thighs were getting weaker when walking down stairs. I also felt like they had both atrophied a little as had my right arm. I saw the same neurologist and he performed the emg test (electrodes and pins) on my feet, calves, thighs, fingers, hands, upper/lower arms. Everything came back normal. He said I may have the early signs of carpal tunnel in my right hand.
I went back to him about week 12 complaining of "waves" that i could see in my thighs when flexing and some twitching in my right arm, cramping on right side and cramping in lower right arm when bending it. I also had developed some shaking in my arms (he said essential tremors) .He looked and decided to refer me to a neuromuscular specialist.
I saw the specialist a week later. He had been sent all of my lab work (cardio, pulmonary, GP, neuro). I showed him the twitching and atrophy and he did some reflex testing and strength testing and said "you don't have ALS, you should swim for an hour a day." He placed me on a med to control "benign twitching."
We're now into about the 17th week. My breathing is really "off" at times. I have fatigue in the morning and seem to get a good burst of energy in the afternoon/evening. I am on five meds now....two for BP, one for anxiety, one to sleep, and one for tremors. I feel my thighs are stronger when walking down stairs ( i have been doing some lunges) and the tremors aren't as bad.
So to sum it up, i have the following over 17 weeks:
*breathing feels like high altitude when doing most activities; have to relax often
*smaller muscles in thighs and arms
*bouts of fatigue, esp. when waking up in morning
*bouts of not being able to concentrate, esp. in morning
*twitching in right tricep when using (does not happen when still)
*cramping on right side (ribs) and lower right arm when moving (does not happen when still)
*still weakness in thigh muscles when walking down stairs, but seems to be better with some exercise
*tremors/shaking of arms when using utensils,etc
*have quit job due to excessive time off; just do not feel well
Any ideas as to what is going on? Most doctors, esp my GP and my close family members think it's years of ongoing stress. I find it very hard to believe that stress can cause all of the above symptoms, especially the constant breathing issues while doing any type of exertion.
Thank you!
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