hunterross258
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2014
- Messages
- 55
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- FL
- City
- North Port
Hello all. Hope to not waste your time here. I am Hunter - a 27 yo male. I first want to say that I read the stickies and have seen doctors, but find myself here because I just can't seem to find some answers.
Here's a brief..okay maybe not brief, timeline of my symptoms and such...i apologize for length. Figure it be better to detail everything. If you can post any thoughts, great...if not, i understand yall deal with crazies like me regularly so i wont take any offense to no respons.
September - went to neuro for left arm weakness and twitching. he diagnosed with carpal tunnel first and said second guess was slip disk in neck. he noted some thumb wasting in his exam but no weakness. i requested EMG but he gave me a splint and said to come back in 2-3 months
Unfortunately, I couldn't wait and got anxious regarding the situation after, of course, mister google (he isnt a doctor sine i see no PHd). I ended up in the ER twice with left arm issues...blood tests came back normal - they didnt test for vitamin deficiency or anything though. i have been taking b12 & magnesium though as i know these can sometime help the twitching.
Went to my GP to see what he thought and he noted a 1cm difference between left & right calf, said not to worry and perscribed me with anxiety meds.
October - after being unable to wait the 2-3 months from first neuro, i went to another one who did all of the regular clinical exams and such and noted no symptoms to be concerned about. he said he'd be happy to do an EMG and he did so the next week. He said that he noticed fasics (dont no correct spelling) in my left arm, but that was it. i asked about my thumb wasting and he said that there wasnt weakness, so not to worry. 2nd neuro along with my GP said no carpal tunnel. I had also been concerned about an odd feeling in my leg...felt kinda heavy and also had twitching but nothing on the EMG/NCV.
something was still going on though, so i continued to investigate seeking out answers through an orthopedic with Emory. an mri with them showed some cervical spine issues in my c4-c5 area and some joint arthritis. it explained upper arm weakness, but didnt explain my hand issues, which were getting worse. i went to PT for 6 weeks and it didnt do much so i was referred to a specialized orthopedic doc who does the epidural shots. he did a lot of the strength tests as well and noticed weakness in my pinky (first time clinical weakness was recognized). It seems to shake when pressure is applied to it. This concerned me. The doctor said he was "very surprised" that nothing showed up on the EMG with the amount of thumb wasting I am showing, but said another one wasn't necessary. He tested reflexes which were all in normal range.
He ordered a brain MRI...which is pending approval from my insurance. I assume to rule out something like MS.
Current symptoms:
-Left arm weakness (perceived for the most part by arm shook during yesterday's clinical exam). I'd say i begun to notice my left arm issues in late august/early sept. It is mostly my upper arm.
-Twitching (most of it occurs in my left arm by my elbow area..inner elbow and also at the top of the elbow. I also get some jumps in my right leg.
-Clinical weakness in the pinky finger.
-Full/heavy feeling in right leg.
-Dry mouth/hoarse voice - some days i feel like my voice doesnt project. No slurring, but the occasional stumbling over words.
-Thumb atrophy, which yesterday's doc said was "classic" for carpal tunnel, but that was ruled out in my October EMG.
Questions:
1. if the EMG was done right, it would show something, I am aware. He spent a good hour or so with me and poked needles in my left arm and leg and my right leg. i got the results back and everything just listed as normal. There weren't really details, just said normal. Nerve conduction had lots of details. Is normal different than clean? Just not really understanding weakness if my nerves came back fine...
2. Is the pinky/hand weakness something to be concerned about at this stage or do you think it has all manifested too quickly to be worried about ALS? Thumb atrophy - if there's no weakness and doctor note atrophy, it isn't ALS atrophy, correct?
3. Does leg weakness/foot drop present with a progressing inability to raise your toes? In my right leg, i definitely feel more strained/burn when i lift my toes, that radiates up the side of my leg.
4. Twitching. The original bout of twitching was in my inner elbow. It was ever so gentle, I could barely feel it. Now, it does that but also has some big jumps that cause part of my forearm to twitch as well. Twitching, yet no clinical weakness noted...not from ALS right?
Apologies for the novel, but I figured again with all the crazies yall deal with, if i could just get questions answered without posting multiple times, it would be a better idea. Thanks in advance.
-Hunter
Here's a brief..okay maybe not brief, timeline of my symptoms and such...i apologize for length. Figure it be better to detail everything. If you can post any thoughts, great...if not, i understand yall deal with crazies like me regularly so i wont take any offense to no respons.
September - went to neuro for left arm weakness and twitching. he diagnosed with carpal tunnel first and said second guess was slip disk in neck. he noted some thumb wasting in his exam but no weakness. i requested EMG but he gave me a splint and said to come back in 2-3 months
Unfortunately, I couldn't wait and got anxious regarding the situation after, of course, mister google (he isnt a doctor sine i see no PHd). I ended up in the ER twice with left arm issues...blood tests came back normal - they didnt test for vitamin deficiency or anything though. i have been taking b12 & magnesium though as i know these can sometime help the twitching.
Went to my GP to see what he thought and he noted a 1cm difference between left & right calf, said not to worry and perscribed me with anxiety meds.
October - after being unable to wait the 2-3 months from first neuro, i went to another one who did all of the regular clinical exams and such and noted no symptoms to be concerned about. he said he'd be happy to do an EMG and he did so the next week. He said that he noticed fasics (dont no correct spelling) in my left arm, but that was it. i asked about my thumb wasting and he said that there wasnt weakness, so not to worry. 2nd neuro along with my GP said no carpal tunnel. I had also been concerned about an odd feeling in my leg...felt kinda heavy and also had twitching but nothing on the EMG/NCV.
something was still going on though, so i continued to investigate seeking out answers through an orthopedic with Emory. an mri with them showed some cervical spine issues in my c4-c5 area and some joint arthritis. it explained upper arm weakness, but didnt explain my hand issues, which were getting worse. i went to PT for 6 weeks and it didnt do much so i was referred to a specialized orthopedic doc who does the epidural shots. he did a lot of the strength tests as well and noticed weakness in my pinky (first time clinical weakness was recognized). It seems to shake when pressure is applied to it. This concerned me. The doctor said he was "very surprised" that nothing showed up on the EMG with the amount of thumb wasting I am showing, but said another one wasn't necessary. He tested reflexes which were all in normal range.
He ordered a brain MRI...which is pending approval from my insurance. I assume to rule out something like MS.
Current symptoms:
-Left arm weakness (perceived for the most part by arm shook during yesterday's clinical exam). I'd say i begun to notice my left arm issues in late august/early sept. It is mostly my upper arm.
-Twitching (most of it occurs in my left arm by my elbow area..inner elbow and also at the top of the elbow. I also get some jumps in my right leg.
-Clinical weakness in the pinky finger.
-Full/heavy feeling in right leg.
-Dry mouth/hoarse voice - some days i feel like my voice doesnt project. No slurring, but the occasional stumbling over words.
-Thumb atrophy, which yesterday's doc said was "classic" for carpal tunnel, but that was ruled out in my October EMG.
Questions:
1. if the EMG was done right, it would show something, I am aware. He spent a good hour or so with me and poked needles in my left arm and leg and my right leg. i got the results back and everything just listed as normal. There weren't really details, just said normal. Nerve conduction had lots of details. Is normal different than clean? Just not really understanding weakness if my nerves came back fine...
2. Is the pinky/hand weakness something to be concerned about at this stage or do you think it has all manifested too quickly to be worried about ALS? Thumb atrophy - if there's no weakness and doctor note atrophy, it isn't ALS atrophy, correct?
3. Does leg weakness/foot drop present with a progressing inability to raise your toes? In my right leg, i definitely feel more strained/burn when i lift my toes, that radiates up the side of my leg.
4. Twitching. The original bout of twitching was in my inner elbow. It was ever so gentle, I could barely feel it. Now, it does that but also has some big jumps that cause part of my forearm to twitch as well. Twitching, yet no clinical weakness noted...not from ALS right?
Apologies for the novel, but I figured again with all the crazies yall deal with, if i could just get questions answered without posting multiple times, it would be a better idea. Thanks in advance.
-Hunter