Weird leg weakness?

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Chloemade

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Learn about ALS
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KY
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Bowling Green
Hi everyone! I’m a 21 year old female. I’ve been down the rabbit hole of thinking I have ALS for about 2 years now. It first started with muscle fasciculations over my whole body. I was twitching every day in most of my muscles. I went to see my PCP who told me it was just anxiety and prescribed me lexapro. I started taking it and tried to relax.

My twitching got so much better, but then I started noticing something weird with my foot. It felt numb sort of like pins and needles. It slowly traveled up my whole leg. Now I feel it from the top of my butt all the way down to my foot on my right leg. Now it isn’t so much a pins and needles feeling but just a weird numb feeling. It sort of feels like the leg isn’t mine. I can still walk and use it, but I do notice that it fatigues A LOT faster than my other leg if I’m working out.

I went to see a neuro who did a brain MRI which was clear. He told me I was fine and the weakness was in my head and did no further testing. It’s been a year and I still feel this strange feeling in my leg. I have no idea what it could be besides ALS and it’s driving me crazy. I thought maybe sciatica but I have no pain really just a weird feeling. I’ve been trying to find some more people on here that have this weird one sided leg problem but I can’t really seem to find anyone. I know I’m young but I’m wondering if I’m the exception and I’m incredibly scared. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks so much!
 
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Lexapro and other SSRIs can cause pins/needles/weird feelings. They can also interfere with restful sleep, which can give rise to all kinds of issues during the day. There are also sleep disorders that can relate, along with the possibility that you have nerve damage in a certain spot.

Is this numb feeling consistent day/night or does it come on at certain times/activities?

The good news -- this doesn't sound at all like ALS. But I would follow up with the neuro.

Best,
Laurie
 
Hi thanks so much for the reply!

I think the weird feeling is pretty much constant? I notice it more at night. I also notice it a lot more when working out. I tried my hardest to ignore it so I could live my normal life but it just hasn’t gotten any better in over a year which leads me here.

The numb feeling is so hard to describe also. It started as just my foot with this weird pins/needles feeling whenever I woke up and went away as the day went on. Then as it went up to my butt the pins/needles feeling went away and now it’s just a weird feeling that I can’t seem to describe. The way that it starts right at the top of my butt down to my foot leads me to think some kind of nerve compression but I am just confused as to why I have no pain. Is it even possible to be nerve compression? I’m not sure of any significant injuries. I was in a mild car accident and I am really really small (90Ibs and 4ft 11) so it’s possible I could’ve picked up something really heavy and hurt myself?

In ALS, does the twitching ever get better? It has for me, which gives me some relief from my anxiety that I have it.

Thank you so so much for your response. I wish you the best.
 
You don't have ALS. The twitching with those who do have ALS, only stops when the muscle is completely paralysed and the muscles have atrophied, leaving nothing but skin and bone.
 
You don't have ALS when you wonder if you have it for 2 years.
There is no way it is not detected by clinical exam and EMG during that amount of time.

Please talk honestly with your doctor and solve what is going on.
 
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