goolia75
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2013
- Messages
- 45
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Diagnosis
- 05/2016
- Country
- US
- State
- UT
- City
- Pleasant Grove
I made a post this morning, but for some reason it didn't post. I'll just rewrite it and shorten it up a bit.
I am a 38 year old married woman with an 11 year old daughter and 13 year old son. I live in Utah. 2 months ago, I started having weakness in my left arm. Actually, I felt the weakness in both arms, but it was more in my left than right. It bothered me for a few days and I ended up complaining about it to my husband. I told him that "something wasn't right with my arms, they were so weak and my fingertips kept feeling a little tingly". I felt like I was clumsy and they felt heavy and sluggish.
I ignored it for a few weeks and it seemed to not bother me as much. Then one day, about a month ago the weakness came back. The same day, I started having twitching in my left arm, on the outside above the elbow. It twitched like every 30 seconds for 2 days. I went to my regular doctor on the second day. I had a tugging sensation along the outside so he suspected an ulnar problem and sent me to a neurologist for an emg/ncs. I went home later that day and googled "arm weakness and twitching". That was the day my intense anxiety and fear began because of the results I read on google. On the 3rd day, the twitching moved to everywhere in my body. I twitch in my calf, then foot, then shoulder, then stomach, then back, then arm, etc, etc on both sides of my body. Pretty much everywhere... except my teeth.
I have seen 3 neurologists - 2 regular ones and 1 one als specialist. The als specialist did some strength tests and said I didn't have als. She had me hold my arms up and pushed down on them, had me spread my fingers, etc. She said I was wrong. She did, however, say that my reflexes are brisk and said I had a positive hoffman's on my right hand. For whatever reason, she refused to do the emg on me. I called them back today to ask about getting the emg and they told me als has been ruled out and that I would need to get a new referral from my regular doctor if I wanted one. The other neurologist did the ncs, which turned out normal, but wouldn't do the emg either. I don't understand why they refuse to do the emg when I'm having all these symptoms!
I had a brain mri which showed very small lesions on my frontal lobe (round less than 2 mm). They are atypical of ms (in size and location) and the radiologist and neurologist both thought they could be from migraines or mini strokes. I don't know if that's even related, but my thinking and memory is somewhat impaired for the past couple of months. I am going to have a spine mri to check for more lesions, but I don't think I have ms. I'm worried about als. I don't think body wide twitching is a symptom of ms. Cramps and spasms are, but not twitches.
I am now starting to think I can see a small dent in between the knuckles on my pink and ring finger. I can still lift things fine. When I was in Walmart today, I went to the exercise area and lifted up a 25 lb weight with that hand.
I'm still having the arm weakness and sluggish feeling in my hands, although it feels like it's bothering me more in my right hand/arm than the left. Sometimes my legs feel weak and so does my breathing. With the arm weakness, all over body twitching, brisk reflexes, positive hoffman's I am so scared, worried, and paranoid about als. I have been having severe anxiety and depression because of it. I can cry over anything which is not normal for me. Can weakness present in both arms at the same time? Would the weakness start in one hand/arm, then move over to the other hand after a couple of weeks? I would appreciate any advice or thoughts from any of you. Thank you.
I am a 38 year old married woman with an 11 year old daughter and 13 year old son. I live in Utah. 2 months ago, I started having weakness in my left arm. Actually, I felt the weakness in both arms, but it was more in my left than right. It bothered me for a few days and I ended up complaining about it to my husband. I told him that "something wasn't right with my arms, they were so weak and my fingertips kept feeling a little tingly". I felt like I was clumsy and they felt heavy and sluggish.
I ignored it for a few weeks and it seemed to not bother me as much. Then one day, about a month ago the weakness came back. The same day, I started having twitching in my left arm, on the outside above the elbow. It twitched like every 30 seconds for 2 days. I went to my regular doctor on the second day. I had a tugging sensation along the outside so he suspected an ulnar problem and sent me to a neurologist for an emg/ncs. I went home later that day and googled "arm weakness and twitching". That was the day my intense anxiety and fear began because of the results I read on google. On the 3rd day, the twitching moved to everywhere in my body. I twitch in my calf, then foot, then shoulder, then stomach, then back, then arm, etc, etc on both sides of my body. Pretty much everywhere... except my teeth.
I have seen 3 neurologists - 2 regular ones and 1 one als specialist. The als specialist did some strength tests and said I didn't have als. She had me hold my arms up and pushed down on them, had me spread my fingers, etc. She said I was wrong. She did, however, say that my reflexes are brisk and said I had a positive hoffman's on my right hand. For whatever reason, she refused to do the emg on me. I called them back today to ask about getting the emg and they told me als has been ruled out and that I would need to get a new referral from my regular doctor if I wanted one. The other neurologist did the ncs, which turned out normal, but wouldn't do the emg either. I don't understand why they refuse to do the emg when I'm having all these symptoms!
I had a brain mri which showed very small lesions on my frontal lobe (round less than 2 mm). They are atypical of ms (in size and location) and the radiologist and neurologist both thought they could be from migraines or mini strokes. I don't know if that's even related, but my thinking and memory is somewhat impaired for the past couple of months. I am going to have a spine mri to check for more lesions, but I don't think I have ms. I'm worried about als. I don't think body wide twitching is a symptom of ms. Cramps and spasms are, but not twitches.
I am now starting to think I can see a small dent in between the knuckles on my pink and ring finger. I can still lift things fine. When I was in Walmart today, I went to the exercise area and lifted up a 25 lb weight with that hand.
I'm still having the arm weakness and sluggish feeling in my hands, although it feels like it's bothering me more in my right hand/arm than the left. Sometimes my legs feel weak and so does my breathing. With the arm weakness, all over body twitching, brisk reflexes, positive hoffman's I am so scared, worried, and paranoid about als. I have been having severe anxiety and depression because of it. I can cry over anything which is not normal for me. Can weakness present in both arms at the same time? Would the weakness start in one hand/arm, then move over to the other hand after a couple of weeks? I would appreciate any advice or thoughts from any of you. Thank you.