onset of neck weakness in last month

I have had various neuro symptoms in my arms and legs for over a year now. Most notable muscle atrophy in both arms and weakness doing repitive tasks and raising arms although the weakness can feel subtle and can still do most things I need to do. Its mostly in pinkie and ring finger of left hand .

In january I noticed facial muscle weakness when chewing food and smiling and this was what put als back into my mind. I saw 2 neurologists last year and had mri/emg and nerve study that were all normal . They both thought I did not have als.

In the last month I have found my neck muscles feel week and find it difficult to hold my head up. Feel like I always want to rest my head. My GP said in march she would wait and see if any symptoms progress before referring me back to neurologists again.

I know people on this site have said it does not look like als but wonder what thoughts are on neck weakness

Why are you asking us about this? If it's a new symptom or a worsening of an old symptom, get yourself to your GP.

And no, I don't think that this makes it more likely that your other problems were caused by ALS.

As Tr said, the GP is the place you should be asking questions. I don't know anything about your prior posts, but it seems you were told before that it didn't sound like ALS back then either.

I have 1 question for you: Why the fascination with ALS?

Dear tr fogey,
First of all thank you for taking time to reply and your oppinion that I do not have als.

It seems however in the tone of your post one of frustartion and anger with people like myself and a wish we would go somewhere else. I am sure this forum like many others gets its share of trolls and cranks who are here to play games and wind people up. I do not regard myself in that category.
If this forum is not available for people in my situation who have had significant neuro symptoms undiagnosed for a long period then a moderator should make that clear and I would send my apologies to anyone affected by my posts.

From reading many of your replies you have obvious expertise in the disorder and spend a lot of time in this section of the forum. Like anyone suffering with ALS I wish you well in your fight ( if fights the right word) against this disease but wonder if your energies would be better placed on another part of the forum as I feel your irritation and anger with individuals is not not productive and I guess is probably not helping you.
As I said I do genuinely wish you well. Regards Victor.

Dear Toto's Dorothy,
Thank you for your reply. I agree that I should return to my GP. In answer to your question. Its a case of having the symptoms over a long period of time and after all the tests (bloods, mri, emg etc) not being dignosed. I am a helth professional and have a some knowledge which is not always a great thing ,but know my symptoms are significant. From my understanding some fit with als ( muscle atrophy, facial weakness etc) and some don't. I also understand this disease can present in many ways and individuals can have clean emg and then later be dignosed. Saying that you are right that my preoccupation with als is not helping but I am genuinely lost in trying to find answers.

I have been started on meds meds for health anxiety and plan to see a CBT therapist for this next month. Thanks again and I wish you well in your battle with als.

Well bugger me, bloody hell, I swear he's getting his sainthood on this one.

Victor,
I have not "met" anyone here that had a clean EMG, but in fairness I have not "met" every PALS here. As for the neck weakness, I do not know what part or parts you had MRI'd, but would recheck what the radiologist diagnosed (if you had the cervical portion done). I often question a radiologists interpretation when they notice a "slight bulging" or "slight flattening" or "narrowing of" said area. It is possible that what the radiologist perceives to be minor for one person may not in fact , be for you. I would ask for those records, that may be where your problems lie.

I do hope the meds relieve the anxiety and you find the answers you're looking for. I just don't think you will find them here. JMO

Good luck,

Victor my advise to u right now is to quit posting for a week or so. This forum is in mourning for a dear man who just died. We are not in the mood for folks who are healthy with clean EMGs who want to believe they have this horrid disease We just are not in the mood to deal with this crap right now

Thanks Sadiemae. I didn't know if we could say that or not.

Love you sweetie. I better be able to say that!

I love you, too! And I think nobody is gonna mess with you!

Thanks and good job Sadiemae!

Victor,

Yes, I am irritated with you. You're not the only side of this conversation that gets to have and express "not-happy" or "not-supportive" feelings and emotions. To be honest with you (and all the other "fearful" and "anxious" folk lurking around the background), if something troubles you enough to bring it to this forum, you should have already taken it up with your own doctors, so you should be bringing us an answer as well as the question. If you don't have enough gumption to go after your doctor to get what you've paid for, I don't have the energy to help you. Lie there and wallow in your self-pity until you get sick of it. When you're ready to fight back, then I'll make some time for you.

I do one thing here -- I call things like I see them. Sometimes, that upsets people. Too bad.

Right now, Victor, you are lying about the severity of your latest symptom and it ticks me off when somebody does that. If your neck problem was as severe as you claim it to be, you would have been to a doctor and would have gotten an answer about it by now. That leaves me with two possible conclusions to be drawn. One, your neck has begun to bother you, but not enough to get off your anxious rear end long enough to get an answer about it. Two, your doctors have already seen this symptom and dismissed it, so you're bringing it up with us in hopes that we can give you a reason to go through this with your doctors.

Either way that I go here, I feel deceived. And I get irritated when I feel somebody's deceiving me. That's the overtone you are getting from my first answer to you and I'll stand behind the rest of that answer as well.

Good luck to you.

And there we have it......sainthood!

There's the Tr that I have missed! Welcome back.

Ok folks sorry for any distress caused. It was not meant