A famous article about twitching and ALS fears [Archive]

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pablo0977

02-04-17, 21:54

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/aug/04/perils-being-your-own-doctor-als

Scotttt

03-04-17, 01:00

Is it bad that all I focused on this article was when the doctor said that she couldnt "elicit twitches" from him and that was a good.

I can make my quad muscle twitch when I flex it. UGH

pablo0977

03-04-17, 01:06

That's your anxiety talking, friend. Neurological diseases do not answer your call.

Scotttt

03-04-17, 01:11

Thanks. My brain took an article that should have been reassuring and helpful and used it to fuel my anxiety.

These damn twitches man.

Josh1234

03-04-17, 01:14

I have been able to make my lip twitch on command for 9 months in a row.

pablo0977

03-04-17, 01:15

Check out the other link I posted in another thread. Anxiety is a bear.

Scotttt

03-04-17, 01:38

Thanks, that was an informative article.

My anxiety says that sometimes my twitches are sometimes small and "wriggling" like MND.

Of course I have had just about every type of twitch under the sun at this point.

Mommyof2boys

03-04-17, 10:40

pablo0977

03-04-17, 13:37

The point is that a highly trained physician who prided himself on dealing with patients' fears became irrationally obsessed with a diagnosis. The article also states how common this is in the medical field. If this can happen to a trained physician with a much greater knowledge of the human body, it can most certainly happen to us.

---------- Post added at 08:37 ---------- Previous post was at 08:35 ----------

If he was not capable of diagnosing himself, how would we be able to?

Mommyof2boys

03-04-17, 14:05

That is a very good point honestly. I have diagnosed myself with a few other diseases. Like brain eating amoeba. I've thought I had that twice. The only thing is with that disease there was a cut off time when I knew I was okay. Extreme symptoms and death occurred after like 3 weeks so I would spend 3 weeks freaking out and then be okay again. With twitches I have read in medical lit online (not great source but you know) that it can take up to 11 months after twitching to experience the cardinal symptoms of als. Narrative on the als forums disagree but when you're scared and anxious you tend to believe the worst. So anyway it's been 6 months of twitching for me. To feel relieve I would have to be symptom free for another 5 months. So 5 months of being terrified and on edge. I just really need to see what the Neuro says.

swajj

03-04-17, 14:59

The area above my left eye has been twitching on and off for a week and a half. 3 years ago, 2 years ago, 1 year ago I would have considered every sinister thing it could mean. Now I can say to myself that I have had a lot of stress during the past 2 weeks, and stress causes tense muscles. Tense muscles cause twitches. So my twitching is due to that. If you suggested it could be ALS I would laugh at you. There was a time, however, when I would have been the one suggesting it.

pablo0977

03-04-17, 16:18

And that is exactly this doctor's point. We cannot be our own diagnosticians. We are not objective enough to do so. Even with his medical knowledge and experience, he discovered he needed to put his faith in a more disinterested third party. Only when you accept that can you begin to accept that you are healthy.

orthagonal

03-04-17, 17:46

The 666 thing was really funny, because I do the same thing. I'm not religious but I grew up religious and to this day seeing that number makes me feel superstitious.

Josh1234

04-04-17, 02:44

I too walked away from this article feeling more scared. His case wasn't exactly like mine, and I believe I do have atrophy and my first symptom has been twitching constantly in one area for 6 months (along with other areas intermittently). I'm glad he was alright though and I hope to god I do follow his path at my neurologist appointment...

Good thing doctors don't care what we believe. :shades:

If you have atrophy, then for it to be ALS, you MUST have had clinical weakness that lead to paralysis first. Period, end of discussion, no if ands or buts.