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View Full Version : Scared of ALS at 18 years of age.



lonelyshredder
23-03-18, 16:51
Hi, everyone, before I say anything, let me say that I’m a REALLY anxious person. I have really bad social anxiety, health anxiety, basically any form of anxiety. About 8 months ago, I ended up getting this bad pain that basically started at my lower back, that migrated to my left arm, to the left chest, which scared me because I thoght I was having a heart attack (absolutely terrified). The pain only happened 2 months later again but this time it was excruciatingly painful to the point that I was walking bent from the pain. I went to the school nurse and she told me I was too young for a heart attack, and that it could’ve been my anxiety. After a couple weeks, I got the pain again, but told myself it was nothing, it eventually left. I forgot to add, when I had these pains, I felt some clicking sensations on my chest and got spasms in my lower back and arm. After that, the pain was gone for a little while. About 2 months later, I get this job at Waffle House, to get some type of money. Well, I ended up getting some pain in my big toes (both), I pressume due to overworking those toes. I go home, and feel that my big toes were incredibly numb, still had mobility but were really numb, and I THINK I’ve had this for quite some while now, just didn’t pay attention to it until now. The next day, I noticed I had some twitches in my body. I search up on Google and there were pages saying it could be a megnesium deficiency. I did what a lot of people would do, and picked up a banana hoping the twitches would go, and to my surprise, they didn’t... A couple of weeks later, I stare into the mirror making weird faces (because I’m weird like that, lol), and I stuck my tongue out to see that it was quivering and againC I’m not sure if I’ve had this for a while now, but just realized itbat that moment. I type it up on Google, and what do I see, “ALS, ALS, ALS!” and I got so scared amd was in so much panic, you could not believe, because I saw that twitches were on it, too as a symptom. It’s now been 5 months with the twitching and tongue quivering and feel no clinical weakness or anything like that, except if I clench or tense my muscles outta my natural instinct. I should also mention that I have trouble swallowing my saliva sometimes whenever I overthink the fact of me swallowing? Idk. I must also add that I stutter and stammer quite frequently but this has been through childhood and was told in school that I had a speech disability, so this is where I’m also gonna say... I have a hard time saying some words such as “remember” and so fourth, but ONLY when I use it in a conversation. My hands feel tingly, my pinky twitches uncontrollably when I lay it out, almost daily. My legs feel shaky when i walk down the stairs and I sometimes stumble when I walk but it isn’t too noticeable. 3 weeks ago I ended up getting sick from my throat, and it started with terrible throat pain and a runny nose. I ended up losing my voice prior that time. I would also cough to the point that mucus would come out my throat. 3 three weeks now, I’m feeling better but still cough quite a lot (dry coughs, nonetheless.) And I can’t do a high pitched squeel much because I guess I’m still kinda sick. Last night I went to the hospital because I suffered a really bad panic attack, I thought “enough is ENOUGH!” and I ended up going to the doctors at like 10 PM. Doctors told me I had high blood pressure and that supposedly the twitching is all due to anxiety and stress. After reading all of my symptoms, what do you guys honestly think is wrong with me? Is it a cause for concern? I’ll also add that I get sleep paralysis quite frequently and I have those 'jerks' when I try to sleep. Do you guys think my severe anxiety is causing this, or it’s actual an illness? There isn’t a minute or day where I don’t think about the possibilities of ALS. Though, I understand it’s extremely rare for my age, it still comes up. Does someone also share these symptoms? Any advice? Let me know, please.

Scass
23-03-18, 21:03
I would say that the doctors are right, and that your anxiety is causing many of these symptoms. Did they recommend that you see your gp?


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lonelyshredder
23-03-18, 22:00
No, after two doctors took a look at me, they told me it was most likely stress/anxiety, because I showed no clinical weakness and so fourth. I kept insisting them that it couldn’t be just anxiety and they kept telling me it most likely was. They give me a number to call so that I can get my blood pressure back in tact. And I’ll also add that on the paper, they diagnosed me with hypochondria and anxiety, and even gave me a prescription for anxiety meds.

Scass
24-03-18, 07:56
If you start reading up on anxiety you’ll see that it can have many symptoms. And once you start worrying about them, they intensify.


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Ben1989
24-03-18, 09:01
I was in a huge ALS rabbit hole for months like you. I even had an EMG when I was convinced my arm was weak. My arm DOES very often feel weak and it tires very easy but the EMG was clear