Muscle Cramping - MND/ALS fear

[LDHarv]

It’s 5am here and another day has started badly for me.

I’ve just woke up to look after my 18 month daughter. My entire left side aches, my left foot hurts with cramp as it has done most of yesterday, I feel sick and in pain (almost like a virus which I’m pretty sure I haven’t got) and my head feels heavy. I feel so weak, especially my left hand side. All my anxiety brain keeps on telling me how can this be just anxiety when I feel so physically terrible? This had come on so randomly.

Thank you for all the support and help.

---------- Post added at 06:42 ---------- Previous post was at 05:13 ----------

Now I feel like I can’t swallow properly, like food is getting stuck in my throat! This is a symptom of anxiety right? Real rough morning so far, finding it tough

[jtw5651]

Hello. I tend to type a lot but I believe I can relate.

I had a really bad bout of anxiety thinking I had cancer in my brain or spinal cord in July-August. I ended up spending a lot on an MRI and it was all clear for that.

Immediately after that though, I started getting twitching. Mostly in my left calf. The twitching has spread all over my body and my left leg feels "weird" sometimes. I don't know if it's weakness but it's continued my panic, thinking I have ALS.

I'm saying this because it's somewhat similar to your symptoms and several other peoples' that I've read in my short amount of time on there.

The odds are against one of us having ALS or MND, much less all of us. It's a rare disease and rarer still for those under 40.

This fear, this anxiety can kill us, it can literally ruin our health, but it can also save us.

I have used my fear to motivate myself to remove a few "bad" things from my diet, and gradually I'd like to remove them all.

I've started yoga. I rationalized that if I fear death this much then I must truly enjoy life and being alive, and I should respect that.

I also started taking magnesium supplements in the past week. I think my symptoms have gotten more mild, but that could also be from me finally managing to get myself somewhat calmed down.

Just remember, this is a place for nervous people. I get nervous whenever the landline phone rings. I just assume everything is bad, bad news all around. For me, the more I talk about it the better it gets, but I understand that it's different for everyone.

tldr, Get the tests done if your mind is making you. Then try to find someone to talk to, use your anxiety to make a positive change.

You don't deserve the world anxiety is trying to build for you. Make your own.

[LDHarv]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, it really does help and don’t worry it certainly wasn’t tldr!

I’ve been taking the tablets two days now, though the Dr said it would take a few weeks to build up and make any difference. Charity called Mind called up today after I applied online and sounds like (after a 45 minute consultation) I’ll be getting CBT which I’ve heard can help.

Just at the moment, everything seems a struggle. It isn’t one thing, it seems to be very single symptom in the book I can relate back to MND (however stupid that sounds). Today my flicks or muscle bubbles have been bothering me, like I notice every single one. Now both my legs feel so tired, like I’ve been doing exercise (has anyone else had this feeling when this anxiety kicks in?) and I feel so down. I also feel unbalanced, like I’m more to my right hand side. Two GPS have said it isn’t MND and I’m fine, why can’t I just accept that? It feels like I get a new symptom after every GP appointment.

I just need constant reassurance I don’t have ALS/MND, I don’t have something else major wrong with me and this really is anxiety from the original ache and google. This forum is an outlet for me as I can’t keep asking for it from my poor wife who is doing so great in listening to me. I just can’t understand why my left hand side feels so weak (arm and leg) and how that really IS just my health anxiety.

Thanks again.

[jtw5651]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, it really does help and don’t worry it certainly wasn’t tldr!

I’ve been taking the tablets two days now, though the Dr said it would take a few weeks to build up and make any difference. Charity called Mind called up today after I applied online and sounds like (after a 45 minute consultation) I’ll be getting CBT which I’ve heard can help.

Just at the moment, everything seems a struggle. It isn’t one thing, it seems to be very single symptom in the book I can relate back to MND (however stupid that sounds). Today my flicks or muscle bubbles have been bothering me, like I notice every single one. Now both my legs feel so tired, like I’ve been doing exercise (has anyone else had this feeling when this anxiety kicks in?) and I feel so down. I also feel unbalanced, like I’m more to my right hand side. Two GPS have said it isn’t MND and I’m fine, why can’t I just accept that? It feels like I get a new symptom after every GP appointment.

I just need constant reassurance I don’t have ALS/MND, I don’t have something else major wrong with me and this really is anxiety from the original ache and google. This forum is an outlet for me as I can’t keep asking for it from my poor wife who is doing so great in listening to me. I just can’t understand why my left hand side feels so weak (arm and leg) and how that really IS just my health anxiety.

Thanks again.

Believe me, I know exactly the feeling of "needing to be reassured it's not (blank)."

The only thing that works for me, and it's different for everyone, is to just take my mind off it, whatever it takes. Exercise has wonderful benefits if you can do that. Look into very basic yoga on Youtube. Drink way more water than you think you should. Listen to music. Remove yourself from that train of thought.

[LDHarv]

Hello all,

If you look through my posts I’m going through a very bad bout of health anxiety (since Mondalast week) since my leg started to ache. This forum has been a wonderful help, the sticky in the part of the forum is great and I’ve really appreciated the replies. I’ve even found an old post with replies from a user called Hancock who also really helped.

However, today is another rough day and I’m hoping you can help me. As I say it started a week ago Tuesday with a constant entire left leg ache. I did the typical health anxiety sufferer thing of googling symptoms. I don’t know how or why but I found myself looking at MND (ALS) and things progressed from there. Since then, things have progressed. Two GPs have said (in different ways) I’m fine - first one did some simple tests, said he didn’t think it was anything sinister but would order some blood tests (still waiting for results, only went this week) and he expects them to be fine. The second GP said it was “just” anxiety, it wasn’t MND. I’m now taking 50mg (4th day) of sertraline and I have started the process of getting some CBT - I am trying to sort this anxiety out which I’ve had since I was a kid on and off.

Anyway, I keep on coming on here on a daily basis to reassure me but I’m hoping some of you can do that by replying to this thread. Last few days, I’ve been getting cramping feeling I’m my hands (especially left), in my feet (toes and bottom) and now in the back of my right calf. I can’t see any threads on here talking about that when it comes to this fear :( it’s not full on cramp where you can’t move, more of a pain like a feeling of a lump that might go into full cramp. Anyone else had this related to this fear or health anxiety? I can still move around, I played football the other day (though got tired quicker than normal) and it seems to be there all day.

My other symptoms are:

- muscle bubbles/twitches which which mainly were in my left arm and now seem to be in other places such as legs
- I feel weak, I fatigue much quicker than normal (no clinical weakness though)
- I feel unsteady on my feet, weak legs
- headache and nausea (think this is the tablets though)
- tight and tense muscles
- hands and feet ache, feels stiff but able to hold and bend etc
- get tired quickly
- feels like I have a lump in my throat, had to swollow though and apitite is off

I think that’s it, hard to tell now as everything goes into one. The problem with this fear is if you look at the NHS website it keeps the symptoms vague enough to worry. I also have ready stories with people saying they felt tired or had weakness or felt stiff and it just brings back the health anxiety.

Any replies, support or links are appreciated. Just need some reassurance this isn’t anything bad and really is health anxiety.

Thank you.

---------- Post added at 09:52 ---------- Previous post was at 09:48 ----------

Sorry, I also feel out of breath quicker than normal

---------- Post added at 10:37 ---------- Previous post was at 09:52 ----------

Currently it’s the muscle cramp that’s really worrying me today as I remember reading it could be a first symptom - it’s only mild, not like cramp I’ve had before where you can’t move like after a heavy night out. People don’t say how bad the cramp has to be to be worrying, or if it’s all the time or not (when it is symptom) - does anyone have info into this? I don’t want to google! I’m waking up with it and having it mild all day (I can still function). Had it for about 4 days.

The sticky doesn’t talk about muscle cramps :(

Thank you all again

[Elen]

Hi

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.

Elen

[LDHarv]

No worries, sorry I thought nobody would see my new post :( if anyone can read the most recent post above and reply it would appreciated

[Fishmanpa]

The sticky doesn’t talk about muscle cramps :(

Because it's not a symptom. ALS is about "failure" not "feeling". You "feel" a cramp. With ALS, your muscle wouldn't be able to cramp up. You're also on an anxiety website talking about what in reality are anxiety symptoms

You're taking action to treat your anxiety so hang in there, let the meds start working and work on the CBT when it starts.

Positive thoughts

[LDHarv]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, I understand how frustrating it must be for you and others when you’ve seen this before.

My confusion comes when I read on the NHS website that an early symptom of MND/ALS could be muscle cramps or twinges. Does it always come with objective weakness?

Sorry for more questions! The replies and support really help.

[Fishmanpa]

LD... here's the deal. You don't have ALS (.) period. I'll bet my salary on it. Stop Googling! Keep taking your meds and work on your anxiety.

Positive thoughts