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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Do I have ALS ?
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
Do I have ALS ?
by JMSS, Sep 17, 2004 12:00AM
Hello, I am a 38 year old male. Very active. I am a very nervous and anxious person. Over the last 6 months I have had perceived weekness in my right leg. In the last 3 months it seems to be in my right arm also. I also have numbness in my limbs which comes and goes. I have various muscle twitching all over my body. It never last's long in one place. More pronounced in the legs when sitting. I have constant neck pain. Tingling sensation in the groin when sitting. The right side of my mouth seems numb all the time. I have have been to two neurologist's one at the university of Chicago. Test's so far MRI of brain and c-spine, EEG, CPK, Adolase, Electrolytes, all came back normal. Both conducted office exams reflex's,walking, strength are all normal.Both neuroligist's feel it is my anxiety. I can still walk fine, ride my bike do yard work. It is driving me crazy. It is all I can think about. My local neuro will be conducting an EMG Monday. He said he is doing this to set my mind at ease. He said he does not see any weakness but will do the test. What do you think? Thank you for your valuable time.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS, Sep 21, 2004 12:00AM
Without evaluating you I can not make a clinical diagnosis. However if your examination and testing are all normal, then it is unlikely that you have ALS. There is a condition called benign fasciculation syndrome which can happen in young patients. This involves muscle twitching which can wax and wane over time with no clinical weakness. Good luck.
I'm not a doctor, but as a fellow anxiety sufferer and hypochondriac I sympathize with what you're going through and know you could use any reassurance right now. From what I've gleaned from this and other similar websites is that your normal physical exams and tests pretty much rule out ALS. If you had it, something definitely would've come up in your tests. You've gotten two different opinions in personal already, I don't think the doctors here will be able to permanently quell your anxiety. I suggest you do what I do, which is talk to a therapist and maybe get on some anti-anxiety meds until this anxiety jag passes.