bmxtuffy
New member
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- Aus
- State
- Victoria
- City
- Melbourne
Hi. I am a 40 year old father of two who has not yet been diagnosed. I have never used a forum before, however my wife thought it might be a good idea in order to get some feedback. I really want to be as open as I can about what's been happening to me as I feel that will get me the best advice. Two years ago I was diagnosed with a primary anxiety disorder which I finally got under control in May of this year. I was going to the gym, enjoying a new job & had lost some weight. In June I was diagnosed with sleep apnea & began using a CPAP machine. A few weeks later I began to experience dizzy spells (which I have never had before) & suffer from cognitive difficulties. I was having trouble remembering things, focusing & it felt as if my brain was shrouded in a fog.
After a couple of weeks of enduring this I went to my GP & was told that my blood pressure was low (I used to have hypertension) & I should stop taking my BP medication. That was all good news until my dizzy spells & cognitive spells continued. Long story short... I ended up in the hospital for a week & was diagnosed with Orthostatic Intolerance. A week after coming home both of my calves began to ache all of a sudden (it came from nowhere) then three days after that the aching dissapeared & suddenly both of my feet began to buzz. The buzzing has never left me since & my legs ache pretty much all of the time. A couple of weeks after the start of the buzzing and aching I was told that I have restless legs & periodic limb movement disorder & was promptly put on Neurontin. Things only really got worse after that. Two weeks ago the brain fog that I had suffered in July returned (it was so bad that I really couldn't do my job effectively), i also noticed a fasciculation in my left arm, which has now progressed to all over my body (legs arms & back). In addition to that my right arm has spasmed twice as I was drifting off to sleep. I also noticed that my left arm felt weak a couple of weeks ago, but it seemingly returned to normal the next day.
I saw my Doctor & Sleep disorder specialist last week & they both mentioned the possibility of MS & ALS. However I've seen two other doctors since & they looked me in the eye & categorically told me that I don't have ALS & that my symptoms are a result of anxiety. had an Brain MRI at the hospital in July when all if this started, which was normal. I have also recently had an NCS on my feet which was again normal. I am having blood tests done & I'm scheduled to have another MRI in two days. I am acutely aware of how powerful anxiety is & understand fully it's affect on the body. However what I am experiencing is different & I know that somethings just not right. I am trying to be pragmatic about what's happening & would appreciate any feedback. Does what I have mentioned seem typical of early ALS? Do feet constantly buzz & legs ache? Do my earlier MRI & NCS results bode well for me? Are cognitive difficulties common early? Are body wide fasciculations common? My arm spasming as I was falling asleep also concerns me. Is that also a common early symptom? Any advice would be greatly appreciated as my wife & family are incredibly concerned for my well being. All the best & kindest regards. Rob.
After a couple of weeks of enduring this I went to my GP & was told that my blood pressure was low (I used to have hypertension) & I should stop taking my BP medication. That was all good news until my dizzy spells & cognitive spells continued. Long story short... I ended up in the hospital for a week & was diagnosed with Orthostatic Intolerance. A week after coming home both of my calves began to ache all of a sudden (it came from nowhere) then three days after that the aching dissapeared & suddenly both of my feet began to buzz. The buzzing has never left me since & my legs ache pretty much all of the time. A couple of weeks after the start of the buzzing and aching I was told that I have restless legs & periodic limb movement disorder & was promptly put on Neurontin. Things only really got worse after that. Two weeks ago the brain fog that I had suffered in July returned (it was so bad that I really couldn't do my job effectively), i also noticed a fasciculation in my left arm, which has now progressed to all over my body (legs arms & back). In addition to that my right arm has spasmed twice as I was drifting off to sleep. I also noticed that my left arm felt weak a couple of weeks ago, but it seemingly returned to normal the next day.
I saw my Doctor & Sleep disorder specialist last week & they both mentioned the possibility of MS & ALS. However I've seen two other doctors since & they looked me in the eye & categorically told me that I don't have ALS & that my symptoms are a result of anxiety. had an Brain MRI at the hospital in July when all if this started, which was normal. I have also recently had an NCS on my feet which was again normal. I am having blood tests done & I'm scheduled to have another MRI in two days. I am acutely aware of how powerful anxiety is & understand fully it's affect on the body. However what I am experiencing is different & I know that somethings just not right. I am trying to be pragmatic about what's happening & would appreciate any feedback. Does what I have mentioned seem typical of early ALS? Do feet constantly buzz & legs ache? Do my earlier MRI & NCS results bode well for me? Are cognitive difficulties common early? Are body wide fasciculations common? My arm spasming as I was falling asleep also concerns me. Is that also a common early symptom? Any advice would be greatly appreciated as my wife & family are incredibly concerned for my well being. All the best & kindest regards. Rob.