Pls Help Me

[lotusturk]

Hello everybody.
I m from Turkey and 29 years old.
I just want some help.

Everything started 4 months ago.I felt numbness on my head and on my right arm for 3 days.Then i went to neorology doctor and she wanted some blood test coz she had doubt about b12.

Well.Blood results said that my b12 vitamine is not enough.Then i had injection for 2 months and my b12 is okay now.
In this time i had alot of twitchs and numbness then these things gone away.I had some throat problem too.Its like a somethings in my throat or somebody chocks me.Then all sympthoms gone for a time.

But it started again.Some twitchs and weakness.They made some blood test and checked my ck.Ck is okay but i couldnt be sure.Visited another nerology doctor and he said that u are in major depression and i started to use paxil.
But this pill made me worse and for being sure i wanted EMG test from them.They made it and everythings okay.No problem in my EMG test.
After it i thought that all is okay now but just in one night like somebody stolen my power from my legs and arms.My knees inside as empty.I have no power on my arms and legs.Or feel like that.I cant manage myself while walking in the street sometimes.But i can carry any heavy things, can run and still powerful.No any losing power but i feel so weak.

Then crazy twitchs started again with cramps.Visited another nerology doctor and blood results are again ok.He said that you are powerful and energic.I asked him that so why do i feel as a dead body? what about cramps and twitchs on my body?He said that coz of depression.

I didnt believe him and visited another doctor and said that i have cramps,twitchs and weakness.He made some tests and said that its depression coz you are so powerfull.

Well.I visited 12 different doctors.Nerology,throat,psychiatrist.All of them said same things.(YOU ARE IN JUST HUGE DEPRESSION)

But i dont belive them.How can it be?I feel like a dead body.I have twitchs but not so strong now.I have cramps but these cramps come and go sometimes.I have problem on my throat.Like a somethings there and chocks me.And on my arms like a fire.They are burning.But my legs and feet so cold.My legs and arms itching as a crazy.

I wrote a letter to Turkish Als community and admin answered me.By the way admin is an eye doctor and als ill person since 1990.He said that dont worry coz you cant be als.But i m still not sure.

So what is that? I really dont understand anything and going to mad slowly slowly.Yes i m in huge depression coz lost my job but a depression can make these sympthoms?

Can ALS be so fast? Can it be ALS if blood results and EMG tests are ok ,can this illness hide itself? What can it be depression or any other illness

I believe in god and even if i have als i can accept it so easy.I just bored my this unknown situation.Just want to be sure whats that?ALS,Depression or any other illness?

Sorry for my poor english.
And thanks for answer already.
Have nice day to all usa
Greetings from Turkey...

[lotusturk]

Thank you for the answer.
But i dont want to go to doctors anymore.I think they dont understand my sympthoms clearly so i dont need to go hospital.
Anyway i belive that i have ALS.
But just dont understand that why its so fast.
Just in one month my legs become weak and just in last few days they become heavy and tiresome.Its so fast from my side and i m getting worse every new day.
Have a nice day.

[TNTTony]

ALS doesn't show in the blood test, other neuro diseases do. Yes, my understanding is that a high CK can mean a muscle problem. But for whatever reason it doesn't show. Normally if a neuro disease is suspected they'll do a battery of tests including an emg. Once again though the emg is to rule out other problems. ALS doesn't show there either. My suggestion would be as soon as you have the muscle weakness, get to the hospital quickly. Then once the ER doctor checks you out then you'll have proof and they may look at you more closely. Yes bulbar als starts with the tongue, throat, jaw, it starts at the top and works it way down. With me it started by my legs getting real tired (felt like cement blocks), then the headache, then the weakness at first it came and then left. All along the twitches and the cramps. But I didn't think nothing about it.

Anyways, I think your best solution is as soon as it starts go to the emergency room. Once a doctor confirms your muscle weakness, they will start taking you seriously.

I am now remembering the coming and going and how I would get clumsy. I also totally agree that you know your body better than anyone. Please keep me informed.

[lotusturk]

i understand you complety.
my weakness comes and goes sometimes.
i dont understand anything.
no lose power on my body for now but problem is my throat.
i have doubt about bulbar als.
coz it starts from throat.

and i wonder that als illness can show itself in blood test?
some doctors say if your CK is so high it means you have a muscle problem?
after that we make emg test?

right?

[TNTTony]

Yes that story would confuse or cause doubt in anyone. Also just so you know, they do theblood tests and emg, mri, etc... to rule out other things. There is no one test that discerns als. The main identifier is muscle weakness of the lower and upper body. After much thought I beleive that mine started over 2 years ago. My legs tired easy and felt heavy all the time. My suggestion is to treat the depression, then if the symptons continue to the point of muscle weakness, that would be the time to bring it up again. Trust me I know how frustrating it is, I lost my job because of a back problem, but that turned out to be meduim but not severe enough to cause the weakness in my legs and my clumsiness. My doctor did nothing and acted like I was making it up. I finally changed doctors and within 10 minutes my new doctor suspected als. Then all the tests blah blah blah. The rest is history .........lol. Hang in there and you are in my prayers.

[lotusturk]

Thank you for the answer TNTTony.
And get healthy soon, my all prays with you and with other ill people

I really understand you and all people around me but you know that nobody knows better about my body than me.
I just say what i feel to doctors, forums and my family.
Yes, maybe depression can make all these sympthoms but having doubt about Als must be normal that kind of people just like me?

Coz when i search by internet twitch,throat problem,cramp and i see Als illness in front of me. A lot of people just like me in Turkish Als forum.They ask that sympthoms.
And i have read a story about a Turkish als ill person.
He wrote that everything were normal about my blood test and emg.In same time i was using anti depressan coz of my depression.Nobody noticed that i have Als.When i say to them i have that kind of sympthoms they just said that coz of your depression.
But after a time doctors diagnosied my illness and i have als.

That story really confused my mind.

Greetings from Turkey

[TNTTony]

First I thank you for correcting me. I did some more research and in fact there have been some cases from younger people. I reread your letter and the reason everyone is telling you that it is not ALS is becuase you do not have muscle weakness. Without muscle weakness it is not ALS. In fact, I had severe muscle weakness in the lower part of my body (I am wheelchair bound), and some in my upper body. They waited until the muscle weakness was more severe in my upper to diagnosis it as such. Until then my problem was periphal nerve disease. In this disease the symptons vary greatly, but the one common denomitor is muscle weakness. My wife suffers from depression and trust me depression can manifest in many ways.The brain is very complex and if there are any problems (whether from a chemical imbalance  or from trauma or any other cause) then it affects the whole body. I wish you the very best and hope for your sake that it never turns out to be ALS.

[lotusturk]

thank you for the answer
but in Turkey i know alot of young als ill people.
It will be surprising for you maybe but i know a guy when he was 17 doctors diagnosied that he has als and he is 23 now.

Yes i have read about military people in Turkish als community.Usually veterans who back to usa from iraq war but its not a general reason.
And in Turkey i learned this illness 17/18 years ago maybe.
A soccer player had this illness, then another soccer player had als too.Then people thought this is sport people illness.Then some actors, some business women, even some doctors had this illness.From different ages but without any reason.

So this illness still unknown clearly.
Greetings from Turkey

[TNTTony]

Ok ALS strikes mainly those above the age of 40. In fact there are no known cases younger than 40. Majority of cases are military people. After seeing that many doctors I would have to say that it very well could be depression. Depression can cause a lot of problems in the body.