Concerning Symtoms, Scared of ALS

[MattAnon95]

Hello, before I begin, I have already read the thread titled “Why You Don’t Have ALS.”

I’m a 23 year old male from US.

Symptoms started about 2 months ago with a burning sensation in my left leg. Never noticed any significant strength loss or inability to walk on it so I didn’t think that much on it initially. Then I started getting random twitching all around my body. Some twitches I could actually see the part pulsating. I went on google which was probably my first mistake and I kept being led to MS & ALS type of nuerological disorders.

I went to my primary doctor where she did a few physical tests such as reflex test and all that and she basically labeled it as anxiety. I did feel a little better after that but the twitching around my body was still persistent & my left leg still felt weird when walking.

I managed to get an appointment with a neurologist who did a physical test on my, watches how I walked, did blood work & she told me that she thinks I’m fine. I did feel a lot better after that and the twitching did calm down a bit BUT, 3 days after my appointment, I started getting new weird symptoms.

BOTH of my hands felt like that were constant cramping. When I hold anything I get a weird feeling in my hands. I have never dropped anything or wasn’t able to do something like turn a key or open a bottle, but the feeling is making me extremely paranoid. I’ve read online with ALS that one of the initial symptoms is hand cramps. Although I’ve heard that it would usually be one hand and not both at the same time, it’s still making me extremely anxious. It’s been persistent for about a week now.

My neck also feels a bit tight when I turn by head to the left it hurts as if I pulled something in my sleep but again, it’s been about a week since this occurred as well.

Please tell me if I sound crazy or if all this could actually just be anxiety. I have been to my main doctor and a neurologist so this is not the first place I’m turning to for advice.

Thank you so much.

[Fishmanpa]

Hi Matt,

Respectfully, this being your first post here. I see you've read the thread here as well as on the ALS Forum (which I C&P'd from there). You've gotten professional medical advice as well and now you're on an anxiety forum seeking advice and reassurance. The reassurance is that not one person on this forum has been diagnosed and if you read through the threads you'll see many very similar if not the same as yours. The advice is really no different than what the professionals and actual sufferers told you. Get help for the real issue which is anxiety. Hope you feel better soon.

Positive thoughts

[MattAnon95]

Thank you for the quick, response I do appreciate it! My main reason for posting on here is because the symptoms I’ve started noticing with my hands of course started AFTER I saw my neurologist. So that’s what made me overthink the whole thing again because I never got to mention that to her.

[MattAnon95]

I keep getting told that it’s just my anxiety & that I’m probably just clenching my hands in my sleep and that’s why they hurt but for the last week and a half, my hands have had a funny feeling in them whenever I hold something or do anything. I’ve never dropped anything or not been able to do something with them but my hands actually hurt and just have this persistent feeling in them and it’s really scaring me. I’m really worried I’m devolving ALS or something like it.

[NoraB]

People tense different parts of their body with anxiety. My areas include my jaw and @rse cheeks..

Also, the stress response is responsible for many (if not most) symptoms. I have muscle spasms when my anxiety is high and I've been known to lose my grip on a cup of coffee and empty it all over myself. I was convinced it was MS, but the brain scans and whatnot said otherwise..

Try and do a body scan to work out where you naturally hold tension, and it may well be the case that this is something you do in your sleep but not in the day - like people grind their teeth.

Also, stress hormones can make your hands 'buzz', feel very hot or very cold. They can cause a sensation of numbness, involuntary twitching, tremors, and all manner of 'scary' symptoms which will have your HA mind speeding towards neurological diseases like a heat seeking missile..

[MattAnon95]

I feel like my hands are working normal but I just don’t like the feeling they have when I’m using them. I’ve talked to my doctor about it and she doesn’t think that it’s anything crazy to be concerned with.. but idk if I should just go back to my neurologist and discuss it with her.

[venusbluejeans]

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Emmz

[MattAnon95]

I don’t understand how this could all be caused by anxiety. Everything just feels stiff. I know anxiety will make you feel “jerky” with your movement & shaky but I actually feel stiff

It started with my left leg 2 months ago, which still feels weird when I walk. Then it moved up to my hands, which felt like they were cramping and now feels like my knuckles are like popping when I make a fist.

Now my neck feels tight. When I turn my head to the left it feels like I pulled something and it hurts. Now the back of my neck feels all stiff, I can still move my head but it feels stiff and hurts when I do so.

I am concerned because this has all happened starting at the bottom of my body and moving all the way up to my neck.

I don’t know how this could be anxiety.

Does this sound anything like ALS?

[Fishmanpa]

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Emmz

READ THIS!

FMP

[MattAnon95]

Oops, I apologize! I’ve been in such a daze I wasn’t even thinking!

Also, I’ve read that so many times, I just don’t like how it’s literally my whole body that feels stiff.. my legs, my hands, my neck.. how does that now resemble something like ALS?