Very Worried

[avkbball32]

Hello,

I am new here and this is my first time posting. I have had some ALS symptoms that I am very concerned about.

Starting about 3 months ago, I started feeling twitches and seeing twitches in my body. At first they were pretty random, but then they moved primarily to my left calf. In the past couple of weeks, those twitches have moved up into my hamstring and my buttocks, and I also have them occasionally in my chest, specifically when I laugh or talk. I also feel them in my feet and toes.

Starting a couple months ago, I think I started to notice myself slurring my speech. I'm a teacher, and my students haven't mentioned anything about it (I've asked), but I feel myself fumble over words and struggle pronouncing certain letters (especially consonants) quite frequently. Over the past couple of weeks, it has also felt harder and harder to speak, like the actual effort it takes to form words. My tongue is still strong, I can still curl it and make a clover and touch my nose with it.

In the past couple of weeks, I've slowly started having more problems with swallowing. I've also had significant back pain (between the shoulder blades) and chest pain that accompanies eating, but is also present at other times. I have struggled to sleep the past couple of nights, because every time I come close to falling asleep I get a feeling in my chest like I'm struggling to breathe.

I also feel shortness of breath throughout the day, especially when eating, talking, or exercising. I also have a feeling of weakness in my left hand, specifically with my thumb. I know weakness isn't a feeling, but it truly seems like my left hand is weaker than my left. I can see a very fine and small twitch in the connective tissue between my left thumb and index finger. I also have other twitch/tingle feelings in the left hand (mainly on the thumb side towards the palm). My thumb feels like it's on the verge of cramping almost constantly.

I went to my GP a couple times, who tested me for weakness and found nothing, and did some blood work and found nothing. Because of this, he didn't recommend me for an EMG. I had an X ray of my chest and neck soft tissue and nothing was amiss there. I am 25, and I do struggle immensely with anxiety, and I understand that is likely to be a cause of all of my symptoms, but I am just super worried about what I've been experiencing. I am truly worried this is Bulbar onset ALS, or maybe regular limb onset.

Thank you for reading.

 

[affected]

Great news - you started by saying you have ALS symptoms but actually you didn't describe a single one.
Your GP testing you is the best way to move forward.
You certainly do describe many anxiety symptoms, so investigating this path first will be a great idea no matter what is going on.
Good luck working with your doctor

 

[lgelb]

Your students haven't noticed any speech deficit, so let's discount that. Frequently, that relates to a dry mouth, anxiety, and lack of refreshing sleep. So do a lot of the other issues you mentioned.

So you might start by recording your sleep on your phone (there are apps for that, too). If you hear significant interruptions in breathing, that would suggest asking your GP about a referral for a sleep study. S/he might also be able to suggest a massage therapist, or you can find one yourself, who can help your twitchy muscles "reset." Swimming, tai chi and similar pursuits do the same thing. Saunas and hot tubs help some.

Standing in a less-than-good position all day can contribute as well, esp. if you're not stretching morning and night. Some long walks after school (and before grading papers!) might help with twitching and your general outlook. You mention exercising, but lifting and machines are not the whole deal. If you need more help for the anxiety, you should get it, before it takes over your life.

Bottom line: there is no reason to be concerned about ALS, but lots of ways to feel better.

Best,
Laurie

 

[avkbball32]

Thank you so much for the responses! Y'all are an amazingly supportive community. A couple more questions if it's not a bother, then I'll be on my way: I've noticed that the muscles in my left hand around my thumb are much softer and a little smaller than the ones on the right side. If atrophy was occurring, would I have already lost my strength? Another thing, when slurred speech is mentioned, does that mean truly slurring words together to a point where it's just word mush? Or does it imply an occasional stutter and trip over words. I've read in some places (yes, I understand that's a cardinal sin) that that kind of fumbling is included in dysarthria? My tongue is also really tired and sometimes feels swollen after I teach a class, which makes it hard to form words sometimes after that. Lastly, I really have had a lot of trouble swallowing, including coughing on my food essentially every time I eat. Is that something I should be worried about as far as ALS is concerned? Thank you very much for the help.

 

[lgelb]

It's winter. It's dry. I've muffed words as recently as yesterday, and your air is colder. Drink more before or during class, or suck on a lozenge. Drink before you eat and slow down. There are also sprays you can use for dry mouth.

Most people have slightly unequal hands. If your L thumb had lost nerves in such numbers so as to atrophy the muscle, yes, you would expect to see a change in function.

"Slurred speech" is appreciable by others, not just you.

 

[avkbball32]

My left hand shakes a good bit when I grab something delicate, for example I was playing scrabble the other night and I was having a little trouble grabbing the tiles and putting them in the right spot because my hand was shaking a good bit. Would that count as a change in function? I can still grab coins and paper clips and write with a pen, although that's also a touch shaky.

 

[Nikki J]

No it doesn’t. Now please no more questions What happened to a couple of questions and I’ll be on my way? ( rhetorical don’t answer)

 

[lgelb]

If you've read other threads in the CIBALS section, you know that shaking is often down to poor sleep, stress, anxiety, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, tight muscles, etc. Shaking, as Nikki says, is not the equivalent of lost function. Not difficult, not shaky, not feeling weak during tasks, but being unable to do them.

So I think we've answered your questions, and for your own sake, am closing this thread. All the best.