Scared for my life! ALS fear ruining me

[mastercrod103]

I'm actually scared for my life. 27yr hispanic male, 110lbs.

I'm having stinging, burning, shaking, twitching, spasms, headaches, and slight dizziness, and saying words wrong.

The stinging is usually in my hands and feet and lasts a second. I've had stinging before for a year or two now. The burning is subtle and doesn't happen often. Just noticed it today twice in my right foot and the bottom. I'm twitching all the time. Mainly my legs and arms and abs. I was getting headaches every day is various small spots on my head. I was getting bouts of dizziness when I would move my head but that has calmed down. I just get a low level floating feeling now.

The symptom that scares me the most is muscle weakness and shakiness. When I bend over or activate my quads, they twitch/shake in a constant manner. Once I bend down far enough, it subsides. So at a certain angle, it's like I'm a machine or robot clanking into different slots or positions instead of just bending over smoothly. When I bend my head all the way forward, the base of my neck at the back does the same thing. I shake through the movement. It's not smooth. I did 10 squats with weights and that was fine. It seems to be both legs. My arms also shake when in certain spots.

When I'm just standing up, I feel like my legs are vibrating. I haven't done anything recently in terms of working out.

I had the worst panic attack of my life 6 days ago after being hospitalized for potential heart attack since my upper back was burning and had chest pain. Doc said most likely overtrained my muscles. I nearly went back after having another bad panic attack 4 days ago.

A little over 3 weeks ago, two chairs landed on my head. It dawned on me 4 days ago I think I had a concussion this whole time. Went to urgent care yesterday, doc said he thinks I have a mild concussion. Referred me to a concussion specialist.

I had an MRI in 2018 that was normal aside from non specific lesions. I saw a podiatrist earlier this year for something else and told him about stinging. He referred me for a vascular and emg study, but I didn't do it cause the stinging was happening for so long and I grew accustomed to it.

I've not been doing good. Even now I'm laying on the couch and I feel like my calf or quads are shaking.

[mastercrod103]

My right middle finger feels so stiff. I keep bending it and checking so maybe that is doing it? I still have full range of motion, it's just harder to do. I rested it last night and it felt better this morning. Can you fatigue a finger like that?

I saw my PCP this morning, he said my symptoms are just from a concussion and I mentioned my finger and he said that's just me. He knows I'm an anxious guy. I love my PCP he is actually awesome and such a bro I have big respect for him. But with my finger idk maybe he just dismissed it wrongly. He didn't refer me to a neurologist probably because I already scheduled an appointment. It's a month out though.

My right leg also feels weak and hurts. But I kept bending it over and over last night and my one specific muscle hurts. Feels a little better now though from what I can tell. I'm still having the rest of the symptoms too though.

I thought seeing my PCP would help but idk. He did literally tell me to stop worrying and said I'm fine and asked me if that made me feel better even.

Also just as a side note. He said something I thought was cool that we could all benefit from. He said that it's easy to freak out with health anxiety when you simply don't know, understand, or grasp health stuff when you don't have the context or perspective for it. He sees people every day and has an innate sense of what is happening. People with health anxiety lack that severely so it's easy for us to freak out. Anyway that clicked a bit for me.

[mastercrod103]

Yesterday all my fingers felt fuzzy and my whole hand, wrist, and forearm felt stiff. I've been fixated on it and frequently bending my fingers and wrist so maybe I've just been straining it? I've been doing small strength tests. So maybe I'm just doing myself a disservice.

I was in the shower last night and it felt really bad, I was also purposely not using my hand or arm as much as I can do maybe simply not moving it makes it worse? It feels better now though. I'm prone to very cold hands since I'm skinny and they are always harder to move when they are cold. I'm sure that is a variable.

Would love to hear anybody's thoughts. Should I get a second opinion?

[Fishmanpa]

Would love to hear anybody's thoughts. Should I get a second opinion?

You have the reassurance from your doctor so no, a 2nd opinion would be a waste of $$. As far as thoughts? Your post echoes the thousands of other posts in this sub-forum. Not one of the fears were founded and not one person was diagnosed with ALS in the decade+ I've been on the forum.

What is apparent are the same patterns and fears you posted about and seeking professional help with the real illness you're suffering from is warranted.

FMP

[mastercrod103]

Thanks for your thoughts. I have a therapy starting in a couple weeks actually. My fingers, wrist, and arm felt better this morning when I got out of bed. I noticed my right side of my neck was very tight last night. Maybe those contribute. I noticed my ring finger was slightly numb, possibly due to how cold my fingers are. So I kept moving my fingers around and now my hand is super stiff and I still have function but wow its definitely harder to move my fingers, and its my dominant hand which worries me even more. I leave for vacation tomorrow and I dont even want to go in case something happens. I've been sleeping a lot more too and I'm still tired I could take a nap. I just want to know why my right dominant hand keeps tiring out so fast.

[Fishmanpa]

Look at your reply! 4 words of affirmation and a paragraph of symptoms feeding your dragon Same patterns as seen in all the threads in this sub-forum. Hope you feel better soon. Treating the real illness is the key.

FMP