Worried about ALS

[vanvechten]

I am 51---symptoms started 6 months ago with mild jerking from waist up; worsened; fatigue; weakness in right arm (wrist) and legs below knees.  Clonazepam, Provigil, Prozac  helping, but now have added more weakness in same places; now frequent muscle twitching under the skin in random parts of body; and a feeling of having to concentrate to swallow saliva.  Can't have MRI due to pacemaker--EEG and PET scan normal.  Recently sought another opinion---sent me for spinal tap and additional bloodwork.  What does this sound  like to you?  sister has MS; two aunts Parkinsons. Many thanks.  I have days when I feel terrible and am worried about my future.

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

In cases of ALS-like diseases (where a complete diagnosis of ALS cannot be made on the basis of signs/symptoms) we have found a very high incidence of bacterial and viral infections.  Previously we published in a clinical journal (Nicolson GL, Berns P, Nasralla M, Haier J, Pomfret J. High frequency of systemic mycoplasmal infections in Gulf War veterans and civilians with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). J Clin Neurosci 2002; 9:525-529) that over 85% of ALS cases are associated with Mycoplasma infections.  This also is true of ALS-like cases.  These are airborne infections, and when multiple cases of neurodegenerative diseases are found in the same family, I get suspicious about intracellular CNS infections.  If I were you, I would get tested to rule in or out the presence of a chronic infection.  More information can be found on our website, www.immed.org  ProfGN

[moe53]

Do i have ALS
Hi, i am an athletic 15 year old, about 5 days ago i noticed that my left thigh started to twitch, this usually happened when i was sitting or relaxing.Also now i am starting to get random twitches all over by body like a couple twitches in my bicep, then my calf.  Also a couple days before i  noticed the twitching, i felt like a was walking weirdly, my left leg felt like it just wasn't walking normally, when i asked my friends they said it i walk normal,the only time notice my self walking weirdly, is when i am anxious, worried ( all the time). Also i have now noticed that my left leg feels a little weak, but only when i think about it, and when i am playing a soccer game or enjoying myself i dont usually notice the weakness. I have noticed that i am an extreme hypochondriac and i am almost always worried about a disease. Do u think i have als or is this due to stress and anxiety. I am really worried because the symptoms i am experiencing are the symptoms of als, like my weakness, walking weirdly, and twitches are all located in the same leg. Could anyone explain to what wrong or give any feedback. Thankyou.

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

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