Need reassurance that I don't have ALS

[Sophie1]

I know that ALS is incredibly rare and I am only seventeen, which means I am highly unlikely to have it. However I cannot stop thinking I have it, which is probably ridiculous. Not only am I convinced I have it, I am convinced I have bulbar onset, which is even more rare and affects older people.

I don't have slurred speech or loss of tounge movement, but I have had difficulty swallowing liquids for a while and I have a feeling of a lump in the throat. Everyone says I don't have true difficulty and it's just uncomfortable, but of course Google is making me extremely paranoid. Also I have this strange line on my tounge, which is convincing me I have atrophy.

I have heard that this illness is about failure and not feelings. i have a tingling in my throat before I drink and I get burning sensations. I also have had a burning ,numbness and tingling feeling in my tounge. So do these sensations mean I cannot have it?

I can drink fluids (it's just uncomfortable and sometimes I choke) and I find water easy to drink - it's mainly tea that I struggle with. I have read that thin liquids are an issue for people with ALS.

I have checked my tounge movement and it still moves like normal - just feels tingly and numb sometimes. It also hasn't shrunk and I can touch my nose with my tounge. I can also touch the sides of my mouth easily. Also I read that in bulbar onset, the gag reflex doesn't work, but I have checked also and it does work the same.

Sometimes I feel that my throat is tight and when I eat and drink I can feel a lump - I don't know if people with ALS get the lump sensation. Also my neck sometimes aches when I eat and thankfully I read that pain isn't accosiated with ALS. I find eating easier although it feels like food gets stuck sometimes.

My family tell me i definitely do not have it and my mother was a nurse who treated an ALS patient and said I don't have the signs. Also this patient was elderly. I've been to the doctors twice and they checked my mouth and throat and watched me swallow water and say everything looks fine.

I have had this for a few months now And sometimes it feels worse than other times and I can't always feel a lump.

If I have the sensory feelings, such as numbness, tingling and burning does that mean I definitely do not have ALS? I just want to be completely reassured as this fear is taking over my life.

[worrywart29]

From the sound of things you do not have als. I don't think there has ever been a 17 year old diagnosed with als, at least I haven't heard of any. What you are experiencing is anxiety over the fear of having als. If you try to forget about it I'm sure the symptoms will disappear.

[Sophie1]

I know ALS is rare, let alone bulbar onset and especially swallowing first, so I knew it was unlikely. Also I know being so young makes it almost impossible, but as a hypochondriac you always think what if? The only thing making me feel better at the moment is the tingling as I think that's normally not accosiated with ALS.

[svenkuijper]

All your symptoms are anxious related. NOT ALS. i had the same fear for 2 months. Just don't think of it. I am 100 % sure you don't have als.

[Sophie1]

Did you have difficulty swallowing food and liquids?

[Fishmanpa]

Need reassurance that I don't have ALS

The best reassurance are your very own words..... That and the fact you're posting this on an anxiety forum.

I know that ALS is incredibly rare and I am only seventeen, which means I am highly unlikely to have it. However I cannot stop thinking I have it, which is probably ridiculous. Not only am I convinced I have it, I am convinced I have bulbar onset, which is even more rare and affects older people.

I don't have slurred speech or loss of tounge movement, but I have had difficulty swallowing liquids for a while and I have a feeling of a lump in the throat(probably GERD/Globus sensation due to anxiety).

I can drink fluids (it's just uncomfortable and sometimes I choke) and I find water easy to drink - it's mainly tea that I struggle with. I have read that thin liquids are an issue for people with ALS (Water is about as thin a liquid there is!)

I have checked my tounge movement and it still moves like normal - just feels tingly and numb sometimes (again, anxiety symptom). It also hasn't shrunk and I can touch my nose with my tounge. I can also touch the sides of my mouth easily. Also I read that in bulbar onset, the gag reflex doesn't work, but I have checked also and it does work the same.

My family tell me i definitely do not have it and my mother was a nurse who treated an ALS patient and said I don't have the signs. Also this patient was elderly. I've been to the doctors twice and they checked my mouth and throat and watched me swallow water and say everything looks fine.

There you go...

Positive thoughts

[Sophie1]

I have to keep telling myself over and over that my tounge would not be able to move and my speech would be slurred. Also that my swallowing would be impossible not slightly difficult or uncomfortable...

[MyNameIsTerry]

Have you considered whether constantly telling yourself over & over is continuing the cycle? In OCD, this would be considered a compulsion/ritual and it would only reinforce the anxiety disorder. The same can be said for reassurance seeking in OCD and also in HA.

I think you need to look at things like Thought Records and use them to counter these thoughts. You can use posts like FMP added to do this. It won't make it go away, that takes time to reprogramme your subconscious but by removing your panicked reaction and all the analysing, you only keep cycles like this going and if you are repeating statements a lot, I think it could be more harmful as you really need to do it, move on and try to get on with things. (I know that can sound impossible, I have various forms of OCD but it does work over time)

[Cags48]

I don't want to appear thick but what's als?

[rudiskacel]

I don't want to appear thick but what's als?

Motor Neuron Disease

Lou Gehrigs Disease