Sorry to bother you guys with this. I'm just concerned.

I would like to keep this brief, but I'm certain it will quickly develop into paragraphs.

I'm concerned I'm displaying early symptoms of ALS. Please do not dismiss me on these foundations alone, but do still consider them: I have diagnosed OCD/GAD/Hypochondriasis/suspected conversion disorder. Basically I'm being told it's in my head. Unfortunately, I cannot grasp this as the symptoms are powerful for me and I know, it's awful, but I'm begging some of kind of interpretation or (hopefully?) reassurance here. Truly, I feel terrible consulting people with this disease as you have so much to worry about already.

This began during an episode of hypochondria. I will make the preface short.

Timeframes are hard for me now, but I will try to be accurate. January/February thereabouts, I began experiencing dizziness. Dizziness resolved. March, developed very difficult to describe paresthesia. Felt like a panic attack without the panic. Tingling/cold-burn across chest and back. Became painful. Resolved. Into the April/the end of March, developed extreme hyperventilation. Resolved, but near the end I began twitching. The first twitch was in my neck, moved rapidly to my thighs. Then began ascending upward over a week or two, diminishing in the previous area, but not stopping utterly, until terminating in my face. Twitching continues bodily, right leg feels especially weak. Fast-forward to today. Right leg has been the focal point of twitching. Now pain in the joint and areas that connect with tendons. The pain feels crampy, but never 'horrible'. Just. Very, very uncomfortable. This pain also occurs throughout the rest of my body even into odd areas. Sometimes flighty, sometimes sticks a while. I even got this pain for a few seconds in my nose. I have not noticed any contraction of the actual muscle associated. Nor do they seem to be concurrent with where I'm twitching. Bringing me to another point. The twitching has reduced drastically. Down from thousands a minute to less than a hundred. I don't know figures, I haven't counted. We'll say it's likely less than 50, more than 10. The twitching can be encouraged into rapidity by stretching/using the muscle then will happen after the limb is relaxed. My arms usually 'pulse', where my legs, especially right, will have hundreds of small twitches. The pain is honestly the most concerning thing for me at this point as the twitching trends, slowly, downward. My legs constantly feel at tension or 'crampy'. I will add, my neurologist did an EMG on my right leg and arm a week after the twitching started. The clinical examination was actually done a week before it started (the exam was for a separate issue. The paresthesia). I had also done a great deal of self-testing over this last month and a half which I'm sure can account for some, but I am hesistant to say, 'all', of my pain/cramp/whatever. I was also in an EXTREME state of anxiety for the last month. My clinical was normal. My EMG was clean. Reflexes were 'normal' and now are at the very least still uniform; they seem really brisk to me (knees). No babinski reflex at the moment either. I should say I'm in a great deal of body-wide pain centered in legs and arms. I have stopped self-testing strength as of a week or two ago (mostly), but nothing seems very improved. My gait also feels 'off'. Watching myself, I see no evidence of weakening in my legs or feet. The right one is often painful to manipulate, causing those same 'aches' or 'cramps' or what have you. Usually, I notice less of these symptoms in the morning. The pain, especially. Twitching is rather on the low, compared to when this started. Also, the twitching when it started was accompanied by this feelings of 'microcramping' where-ever they occurred. These pains also numbered in the thousands with the twitches (I no longer have those kinds of micro-pains or maybe not as many). My hands hurt enough that it is hard to type. Again, this pain seems to be in the tendons and joints. During this I also developed speech issues (tripping over words, feeling like my mouth moved incorrectly; never did anyone think I sounded off when I asked and, as of the last two days, my speech even to me has returned to normal) and swallowing 'problems' (I am incredibly aware of my swallowing and seem to swallow hard whenever I do). I have another neuro appointment on the 9th. Oh, and occasionally I'll have this 'band' type feeling around my tongue. Could this be a cramp? I'm not sure what to make of it.

Thank you. I am very sorry to bug you, but I am quite a wreck and frightened.
Further information: I'm a 22 year-old male. I have been twitching for 48 days, total.

Sorry, I meant to say he did an EMG of the left arm and leg. Not the right. Had he done the right I'd be significantly less worried, honestly.

I wanted to reiterate before getting replies, the pain is bad. Comes with movement. The more still/less pressure on the area, the less pain I experience (there's always a certain amount of pain, though). But oh man, it really gets bad sometimes (now). Typing is practically torture.

Annnd one more. Sometimes I get electrical pain in my hands.

I severely doubt this is anxiety.

I lied. This is not 6/10 pain. This palm and hand pain is practically putting me in tears.

There is twitching there too, infrequently. I've never heard of *** presenting with electrical pain or intense cramping. Sorry I keep posting. I'm debating on going to the ER, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be of any help.

Er, well. Not cramping. Intense. . . aching? I don't know. I do know there is no contractions. So I doubt it's spasticity The pain feels deep, kind of like a cramp.

ALS is not a sensory disease, so paraesthesia, tingling and aching pains strongly points away from ALS. Nothing of the symptoms you describe sound like ALS or MND.

Clean EMG, no clinical weakness, normal reflexes. And a silent babinsky is considered normal. You should not think in the direction of MND.

Since you are 22-years old, and you also write "this began during an episode of hypochondria", I would say that is a strong pointer that your symptoms are psychologically related.

I presume this has been done; blood work to rule out vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues etc.

And lastly, with your psychological diagnoses, see your psychiatrist/counsellor regularly and focus on that to get back on track or at least learn to live with your OCD and hypochondria. There is life after such diagnoses, but do not prompt it by staying on forums like this one.

read the stickies!

Thank you for your replies.

I have read the stickies, but I will again just to be sure I didn't overlook something.

Could someone explain to me the difference between an muscular pain and a cramp?
I'm really not sure of what the difference is.

A muscle cramp is a involuntarily contracted muscle, that is not relaxing. If this contraction is brief, like a pulse beat, and not of a force that invokes pain, it is usually called a spasm. If it is sustained and of high force it is usually called a cramp.

Muscle pain can be of many different kinds, but it usually does not contract the muscle ( although if it is chronical it can ), and is of lesser intensity.

have you seen your PCP yet? If not go with your doctor and explain your situation and see what they say. If you are not satisfied find and other there and go there. All of forum like this does is fuel craziness. we are not doctors and cannot provide diagnostics. We share a common ailment called ALS a less than gentle terminal illness.

go out and get ALS and join the party!