Lukealvarado
New member
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2016
- Messages
- 5
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- Washington
- City
- Medical Lake
I will appreciate ANYTHING at this point. Thank you guys so much and I am truly sorry if this post comes off as ignorant or annoying or disrespectful to the people with ALS. But I have to get this off my chest! It's consuming my life really. I'm living a nightmare I feel.
Symptoms over the past 3 months: (May 1st-Present)
Fasciculations:
May 1st was my initial alarm for ALS as I had widespread body fasciculations. (Well that afternoon my neck muscles started twitching and then that night as I was laying in bed they popcorned all over my body). These twitches have covered every voluntary muscle conceivable and hasn't subsided since and has even gotten worse. These twitches range from "can't feel them but can only see them rumbling underneath the skin" to total "thumpers" that torment me as you can definitely feel and see them prominently. I get these on my face and lips too. None on my tongue however.
I'm a pre-med student with a ton of anxiety (Generalized anxiety disorder) and it was finals week when these twitches came on and so these fasciculations must be meaningless without weakness/atrophy I told myself. I chalked it up to anxiety or a vitamin deficiency (starting taking magnesium and calcium supplements). They haven't helped.
June-July Symptom Progression
Twitches persist and now I have leg heaviness and arm weakness. I can't truly describe it but running doesn't "feel" right. Walking up and down the stairs no problem and I know ALS is about failing not feeling but I used to be an avid runner (would hop out of bed and go for a 10 miler like nothing) and now my legs feel too tired (like there's anchors on them) to run a mile. I still cannot tell if this is perceived or clinical weakness thanks to my severe anxiety. There is a burning sensation accompanying this weakness as even right now it "feels" like it's harder to type and it's tiring my arms out. As far as I can tell no tremors when holding milk jugs or trouble buttoning shirts or turning car keys. So that's good.
BUT......
July 25, 2016 SENT ME INTO PANIC (Swallowing issues and Possibly Atrophy?!!) *At this point my nerves are into full overdrive. At this point i'm 55% sure it's Anxiety, 44% it's ALS but now I'm 90% sure it could be ALS and 10% its anxiety
-Since the 25th, it takes me multiple attempts to swallow food, feels like food falls to the back of my throat when I don't want it to. (Though I am now hypersensitive about my swallowing). But food and liquids occasionally fall out the side of my mouth. Liquids making a weird sound/clicking and squeezing down my throat. Now I have stopped eating and drinking the amount that i need too. My speech is still fine however.
AND (MOST HORRIBLY)
My right arm (dominant) appears about 2-3cm smaller than my left arm which SCARES ME. This doesn't make sense as my right arm doesn't feel any weaker than the left but it's somehow smaller! When I flex the muscles on my right arm, the biceps/triceps are softer and smaller but when I flex my non-dominant left, the muscles are as hard as a rock. (Used to be a huge weight-lifter and my arms are definitely smaller now). Though I stopped working out approximately a year ago so atrophy is expected but how could my right arm be smaller?!
That's my dominant arm! And now that i think back, the majority of my arm twitches would happen on my right side, especially the Bi's and Tri's. (Though I would still get twitches on my left arm). God i'm terrified right now. Though I can only perceive weakness in my arms (no real clinical weakness yet but I'm terrified that's still to come!) My arms do feel tired and burn when I lift them up and go about my day but I am hypersensitive at this point with anxiety).
SO I GO SEE THE DOCTOR
He basically brushed me off as a stupid kid (no bed-side manners), kept telling me I was too young for ALS and gave me the strength and reflexes test (which he concluded was "fine".) But I feel like he ignored about half of what I said (he kept looking down at his watch and shoes). But he has me take a brain and spinal MRI anyway the next day and both come back clean?! But i thought it was the EMG that determines ALS? Now I feel like nothing will give me any peace of mind until I have that test. I'm going back to see a different doctor tomorrow.
Any words of advice or encouragement would BE GREATLY appreciated.
Symptoms over the past 3 months: (May 1st-Present)
Fasciculations:
May 1st was my initial alarm for ALS as I had widespread body fasciculations. (Well that afternoon my neck muscles started twitching and then that night as I was laying in bed they popcorned all over my body). These twitches have covered every voluntary muscle conceivable and hasn't subsided since and has even gotten worse. These twitches range from "can't feel them but can only see them rumbling underneath the skin" to total "thumpers" that torment me as you can definitely feel and see them prominently. I get these on my face and lips too. None on my tongue however.
I'm a pre-med student with a ton of anxiety (Generalized anxiety disorder) and it was finals week when these twitches came on and so these fasciculations must be meaningless without weakness/atrophy I told myself. I chalked it up to anxiety or a vitamin deficiency (starting taking magnesium and calcium supplements). They haven't helped.
June-July Symptom Progression
Twitches persist and now I have leg heaviness and arm weakness. I can't truly describe it but running doesn't "feel" right. Walking up and down the stairs no problem and I know ALS is about failing not feeling but I used to be an avid runner (would hop out of bed and go for a 10 miler like nothing) and now my legs feel too tired (like there's anchors on them) to run a mile. I still cannot tell if this is perceived or clinical weakness thanks to my severe anxiety. There is a burning sensation accompanying this weakness as even right now it "feels" like it's harder to type and it's tiring my arms out. As far as I can tell no tremors when holding milk jugs or trouble buttoning shirts or turning car keys. So that's good.
BUT......
July 25, 2016 SENT ME INTO PANIC (Swallowing issues and Possibly Atrophy?!!) *At this point my nerves are into full overdrive. At this point i'm 55% sure it's Anxiety, 44% it's ALS but now I'm 90% sure it could be ALS and 10% its anxiety
-Since the 25th, it takes me multiple attempts to swallow food, feels like food falls to the back of my throat when I don't want it to. (Though I am now hypersensitive about my swallowing). But food and liquids occasionally fall out the side of my mouth. Liquids making a weird sound/clicking and squeezing down my throat. Now I have stopped eating and drinking the amount that i need too. My speech is still fine however.
AND (MOST HORRIBLY)
My right arm (dominant) appears about 2-3cm smaller than my left arm which SCARES ME. This doesn't make sense as my right arm doesn't feel any weaker than the left but it's somehow smaller! When I flex the muscles on my right arm, the biceps/triceps are softer and smaller but when I flex my non-dominant left, the muscles are as hard as a rock. (Used to be a huge weight-lifter and my arms are definitely smaller now). Though I stopped working out approximately a year ago so atrophy is expected but how could my right arm be smaller?!
That's my dominant arm! And now that i think back, the majority of my arm twitches would happen on my right side, especially the Bi's and Tri's. (Though I would still get twitches on my left arm). God i'm terrified right now. Though I can only perceive weakness in my arms (no real clinical weakness yet but I'm terrified that's still to come!) My arms do feel tired and burn when I lift them up and go about my day but I am hypersensitive at this point with anxiety).
SO I GO SEE THE DOCTOR
He basically brushed me off as a stupid kid (no bed-side manners), kept telling me I was too young for ALS and gave me the strength and reflexes test (which he concluded was "fine".) But I feel like he ignored about half of what I said (he kept looking down at his watch and shoes). But he has me take a brain and spinal MRI anyway the next day and both come back clean?! But i thought it was the EMG that determines ALS? Now I feel like nothing will give me any peace of mind until I have that test. I'm going back to see a different doctor tomorrow.
Any words of advice or encouragement would BE GREATLY appreciated.