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Is this a valid ALS scare?
I have been having the following symptoms and I was wondering if other members could comment on the probability of this being ALS.
A little over 2 years ago, I played soccer and noticed that I couldn't run as fast as I could before, it felt like my legs didn't have the energy they once did. I didnt think much of this and just assumed that I was getting older (I was 31 yrs old then). Over the last two years, my legs got progressively weaker, stiffer and I started feeling tired all the time. My legs feel as if I had worked out the day before, despite getting 8 hours of sleep (unrestful though) and not having done any exercise. Both legs are affected equally. Recently (about 3 months ago) my arms started feeling that way too, although not to the same extent as my legs. Arms seem weaker after some specific activity, for example: I was fixing things around the house and my biceps got extremly sore the next day even though I had only lifted a few boxes and hammered a few nails.
Secondly, I decided to go to the gym after ~3yrs of not going and the next day I was in terrible pain from which my back didnt recover (it's been over 4 months now). My leg fatigue got worse, my chest and arms were extremly sore and took 2 weeks to recover. Obviously, I didnt go back to the gym so that I can figure out what's going on. At the gym, I wasn't nearly able to lift as much weight as I once did, in fact it was less than half of what I could previously do. I also wanted to mention that my muscles are twitching every now and then and that I get cramps really easily (abdominals, calf, biceps). When lying on my back, my arms get numb and when sitting for a few hours my lower back, buttocks, and quads are burning sometimes.
Lastly, my muscles feel worse in the morning and then they feel better as I walk around and do things. I can bike, run, have full dexterity of my fingers, no speach problems and dont drop things because of a lack of grip.
I am being seen by a neurologist to investigate the leg and back pain and I had a full spine MRI that came back normal. I will have nerve tests done in a month (EMG). The exam done by the neurologist was normal and he said that based on the examination he can't say what is causing my problems.
I had all sorts of blood tests done 1.5 yrs ago and besides high cholesterol and high liver enzyme, everything was within limits. I was also tested 2 yrs ago for the RA factor and the tests came back normal. Internal medicine dotor was hinting to chronic fatigue syndrome. Neurologist says that there is no obvious disorder that my symptoms are pointing to. They ruled out MS based on a brain MRI 2 yrs ago.
I would appreciate if you could comment on my symptoms. If anything needs clarification please let me know and I will provide more details.
Also, is it possible that having progressively weaker legs over a 2 year period can be due to depression and anxiety? A gp mentionned that perhaps i needed help at that level.
Thank you.
A little over 2 years ago, I played soccer and noticed that I couldn't run as fast as I could before, it felt like my legs didn't have the energy they once did. I didnt think much of this and just assumed that I was getting older (I was 31 yrs old then). Over the last two years, my legs got progressively weaker, stiffer and I started feeling tired all the time. My legs feel as if I had worked out the day before, despite getting 8 hours of sleep (unrestful though) and not having done any exercise. Both legs are affected equally. Recently (about 3 months ago) my arms started feeling that way too, although not to the same extent as my legs. Arms seem weaker after some specific activity, for example: I was fixing things around the house and my biceps got extremly sore the next day even though I had only lifted a few boxes and hammered a few nails.
Secondly, I decided to go to the gym after ~3yrs of not going and the next day I was in terrible pain from which my back didnt recover (it's been over 4 months now). My leg fatigue got worse, my chest and arms were extremly sore and took 2 weeks to recover. Obviously, I didnt go back to the gym so that I can figure out what's going on. At the gym, I wasn't nearly able to lift as much weight as I once did, in fact it was less than half of what I could previously do. I also wanted to mention that my muscles are twitching every now and then and that I get cramps really easily (abdominals, calf, biceps). When lying on my back, my arms get numb and when sitting for a few hours my lower back, buttocks, and quads are burning sometimes.
Lastly, my muscles feel worse in the morning and then they feel better as I walk around and do things. I can bike, run, have full dexterity of my fingers, no speach problems and dont drop things because of a lack of grip.
I am being seen by a neurologist to investigate the leg and back pain and I had a full spine MRI that came back normal. I will have nerve tests done in a month (EMG). The exam done by the neurologist was normal and he said that based on the examination he can't say what is causing my problems.
I had all sorts of blood tests done 1.5 yrs ago and besides high cholesterol and high liver enzyme, everything was within limits. I was also tested 2 yrs ago for the RA factor and the tests came back normal. Internal medicine dotor was hinting to chronic fatigue syndrome. Neurologist says that there is no obvious disorder that my symptoms are pointing to. They ruled out MS based on a brain MRI 2 yrs ago.
I would appreciate if you could comment on my symptoms. If anything needs clarification please let me know and I will provide more details.
Also, is it possible that having progressively weaker legs over a 2 year period can be due to depression and anxiety? A gp mentionned that perhaps i needed help at that level.
Thank you.
A large number of diagnosed ALS patients IN FACT have Lymes disease. The bacteria can travel to the brain and create aptosis (programmed cell death) in motor neurons. There is considerable info on treating ALS patients w/ long term ABX (Rocephin) and killing the bacteria and the drug is also beneficial to keeping the neuron from deteriorating any further.
Heres a quote from www.IMMED.org
"Autoimmune and Degenerative Diseases are complex, multiorgan diseases of unknown etiology. Although we do not know exactly what causes Autoimmune and Degenerative Diseases, there is increasing evidence that in many patients chronic infections, particularly by certain bacteria and viruses, play an important role in these diseases along with genetic predisposition and immune dysfunction. How could infections be important in Autoimmune Diseases? They could be involved in helping to cause the illness, or they can affect patients by serving as cofactors for the illness (not causing illness on their own but serving as important factors in the disease process) or even as opportunistic infections that increase patient morbidity (sickness) and complications associated with the disease (see Nicolson et al., Antimicrobics and Infectious Diseases Newsletter, 1999)"
AND
".Chronic infections are important in a variety of autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, such as MS, Lupus (SLE), among others, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We previously proposed that many and perhaps a majority of these patients might be suffering from mycoplasmal and other infections that can cause, in part, their complex signs and symptoms. Systemic chronic infections (caused by bacteria such as Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, Brucella, etc. or viruses such as CMV, HHV6, EV or enterovirus, etc.) can invade virtually every human tissue and can compromise the immune system, permitting opportunistic infections by other bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeast. Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, Rickettsia and other pathogens can also directly damage and kill nerve cells in a process called apoptosis, resulting in nervous system degeneration.
When mycoplasmas exit certain cells, such as synovial cells, nerve cells, among others that can be infected, they can stimulate an autoimmune response. This can occur by different mechanisms. One mechanism that has intrigued us is that when certain microorganisms, such as certain species of mycoplasmas, exit from invaded cells, they carry part of the host cell membrane on their surface. This may trigger the immune system to respond to the host antigens on the foreign microorganism. Alternatively, some microorganisms display surface antigens that mimic host cell surface antigens, and these may stimulate autoimmune responses"
Mycoplasmas are coinfections in Lyme disease. He might also have latent viruses that popped up after his immune system was compromised.
Contact ILADS or www.ilads.org to locate a Dr near you that would be willing to treat him after appropriate tests to see how he responds to antibiotcs. Let me know how thing go. ok? Ask me any other questions, I'm here to help give you alternative answers that might not be commonly discussed here.
Heres a quote from www.IMMED.org
"Autoimmune and Degenerative Diseases are complex, multiorgan diseases of unknown etiology. Although we do not know exactly what causes Autoimmune and Degenerative Diseases, there is increasing evidence that in many patients chronic infections, particularly by certain bacteria and viruses, play an important role in these diseases along with genetic predisposition and immune dysfunction. How could infections be important in Autoimmune Diseases? They could be involved in helping to cause the illness, or they can affect patients by serving as cofactors for the illness (not causing illness on their own but serving as important factors in the disease process) or even as opportunistic infections that increase patient morbidity (sickness) and complications associated with the disease (see Nicolson et al., Antimicrobics and Infectious Diseases Newsletter, 1999)"
AND
".Chronic infections are important in a variety of autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, such as MS, Lupus (SLE), among others, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We previously proposed that many and perhaps a majority of these patients might be suffering from mycoplasmal and other infections that can cause, in part, their complex signs and symptoms. Systemic chronic infections (caused by bacteria such as Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, Brucella, etc. or viruses such as CMV, HHV6, EV or enterovirus, etc.) can invade virtually every human tissue and can compromise the immune system, permitting opportunistic infections by other bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeast. Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, Rickettsia and other pathogens can also directly damage and kill nerve cells in a process called apoptosis, resulting in nervous system degeneration.
When mycoplasmas exit certain cells, such as synovial cells, nerve cells, among others that can be infected, they can stimulate an autoimmune response. This can occur by different mechanisms. One mechanism that has intrigued us is that when certain microorganisms, such as certain species of mycoplasmas, exit from invaded cells, they carry part of the host cell membrane on their surface. This may trigger the immune system to respond to the host antigens on the foreign microorganism. Alternatively, some microorganisms display surface antigens that mimic host cell surface antigens, and these may stimulate autoimmune responses"
Mycoplasmas are coinfections in Lyme disease. He might also have latent viruses that popped up after his immune system was compromised.
Contact ILADS or www.ilads.org to locate a Dr near you that would be willing to treat him after appropriate tests to see how he responds to antibiotcs. Let me know how thing go. ok? Ask me any other questions, I'm here to help give you alternative answers that might not be commonly discussed here.
How is Lymes disease different than ALS? I'm new here as my father was just diagnosed and trying to learn the particulars...sorry for the naivety
You need to get checked out for infectious Mycoplasmas and/or Lymes disease.
Mycoplasma is a coinfection of Lymes disease. (Especially mycoplasma Fermentans or Mycoplasma Genitalium)
research www (dot) immed (dot) org and look under Autoimmune diseases or infectious diseases.
Also, repost ALL your symptoms on the Lymes page here at Medhelp, you will get all the info you need to get diagnosed and treatment started. I'll see you on the Lymes page. Your symptoms are just like mine and I am being treated.
Mycoplasma is a coinfection of Lymes disease. (Especially mycoplasma Fermentans or Mycoplasma Genitalium)
research www (dot) immed (dot) org and look under Autoimmune diseases or infectious diseases.
Also, repost ALL your symptoms on the Lymes page here at Medhelp, you will get all the info you need to get diagnosed and treatment started. I'll see you on the Lymes page. Your symptoms are just like mine and I am being treated.
Thanks for replying to my post. I do have chronic fatigue, my neck does crack, I have some joint pain but not too much. With regards to weird skin sensation and fasciculations, I have lots of these. I have constant fasciculations in my feet (arch) and my big toes of both legs move a tiny bit on their own. I have weird skin sensations (crawling) on my legs, especially calves, but also on my quads just above the knees and in my buttocks. I am very anxious and also depressed with the situation. We have a one year old and I cannot see myself having ALS and leaving my little family on their own. I am not doing my share of tasks at home and that has me also down. I am going to work but I spend the days on the internet searching for clues and glimpses of hope. I am being quite unproductive...which is also a huge cause for concern. This leg weakness started 2 yrs ago and I always thought it was related to not working out or depression and anxiety over something or another. Now, I am thinking that it may be related to my nervous system.
tell me if you have any of these other symptoms. Joint pain, Chronic fatigue, neck cracks and pops, weird skin sensations, joint pain, irratable bowells, stomach sensations, flatulence, burping, headaches, eye pain, stabbing sensations, swollen lymph nodes, sleeplessness, fasticulations in extremeties, neuropathy, feeling like you are going to retch occasionally, anxiety, short term memory loss,urinary tract infections,
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