Unsure how to approach symptoms

[SavPav]

Hello guys, I need some help here. I'll try to keep this as short as possible and before I start I will say that I've read the sticky.

I'm a 25 year old male and for the last 11+ months I've been experiencing some really awful symptoms that (with some direction from my GP) has pointed me in the direction of a neurological issue.

The symptoms are as follows:
-Balance issues (feeling off-balance, difficulty walking)
-Hand tremors, stiffness, discomfort (in dominant left hand)
-near constant fatigue
-depression

The most disturbing things I'm dealing with are the hand tremors and the balance problems. I'm having difficulty doing things like writing and drawing etc. For balance I constantly feel like I'm at risk of falling over, people notice that I sway and when I walk I can't seem to walk in a straight line. When it gets dark out or I'm walking around the house at night these balance problems get much, much worse. Low light definitely brings it out.

Thankfully there hasn't been much progression in any of these but I'm getting concerned that there's a serious problem here.
My GP suggested that I need to look into Parkinsons, MS and even ALS given my symptoms, so here I am.

Also, I have been on a wait list to see a neurologist for a couple months now and I did pay out of pocket for a CT scan to check for any brain tumours (my father had this problem) and thankfully it was clean.

So with all that said I was hoping you guys could help me out, does any of this seem like typical ALS red flags? I know these sorts of things can only be sorted by a neurologist but I'd like to get myself up to speed before I go meet with him/her.

Thanks a bunch

 

[ShiftKicker]

It seems a bit weird for your doctor to suggest you should "look into" particular diseases- that sounds remarkably irresponsible to tell a patient to research their own possibilities. The usual course of action is for a doctor to refer to a specialist and have that specialist start the process of looking into what's going on based on a clinical examination and whatever tests they feel are necessary.

Being familiar with the referral system in Vancouver, I will recommend you contact the neurologist's office where your upcoming appointment is and let them know you are available for last minute cancellations. You can sometimes see them sooner if you have a flexible schedule and are available to come in with short notice.

Please also refer here: https://www.alsforums.com/forum/do-...-common-concerns-about-possible-symptoms.html to read the forum spiel about symptoms, self assessment and differentials. The balance problems with MND do not get worse in low light- it has nothing to do with sight.

See also: https://www.alsforums.com/forum/do-i-have-als-als/30138-getting-diagnosis.html

 

[SavPav]

I thought it was really weird too, I didn't see why he'd bother mentioning them at all without having testing done either.

I'll look into it though, thanks SK