I'm scared of ms or ALS, please help

[Jbbrasher]

So first off, here is what happened to me in a short but sweet version. I'm going to list everything, even knowing some may not be mutually exclusive.

6-8 weeks ago my pinky toe on my right foot went numb (still is)

4 weeks ago- I had a pretty bad evening/night: my whole right arm felt weak and tired and my elbow hurt. It felt like i had the same amount of streng but can't be sure. That same night I started getting twitching all over my body.

3 weeks ago till now: the first day after that night, all of my muscles (arms and legs) felt weak/tired. I'm still getting twitches all over and the last few days one spot keeps twitching more than most (still twitching all over, including other arm, legs and even butt but hot spot is my right bicep). I still feel general tiredness in both my arms (right seems worse) and legs. It's hard to explain but it's like I just don't want to use them.

I've been to my PCP and got an MRI of the brain that came back perfectly clear. I have a neurologist appointment in 2 weeks but the stress and anxiety I'm putting on myself from fear is really hurting me. Can anyone give me some advice?

Forgot to mention that I had my right pinky tingling/numbness about 2 weeks ago. As well as a tingling on my back right shoulder blade and mild tingling on both of my cheeks. Has only happened about 3 times.

Also, my blood work came back and everything was normal except my vitamin D was low (16), and they prescribed me a vitamin d pill (50,000iu) once a week for 8 weeks and potentially low testosterone (going back Monday at 8 am for another test of testosterone)

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome,

It's understandable to have some levels of anxiety with not knowing what is causing these types of issues but from what you have mentioned, it is highly unlikely to be MS and whilst i don't know as much about ALS, it honestly doesn't sound like what happens with something like ALS either.

With neurological conditions like RRMS, symptoms are primarily caused by the brain and or spinal cord lesions, and because of the way damage from these lesions work, if this was a 'first MS attack' you wouldn't be experiencing any symptom all over or in all peripheral limbs (arms and legs).

Neurologically caused muscle weakness is measurable, it's not a perception of weakness per say but actual weakness eg a leg will feel like it's got extra weight attached to it, which makes that leg feel weaker and heavier the more you try to use it and that understandably affects the way you walk. Basically the same thing if the weakness is in an arm, the arm will be harder to use in everyday tasks like brushing your hair etc

The bulk of this has really only been happening over the last 3 weeks, it was originally numbness in you 'right' baby toe and then a few weeks later your 'right' arm felt strange before it changed later that same day to twitching all over etc

You've mentioned anxiety and fear so i'll bring up mental health.....It's 'possible' your anxiety and fears of what might be wrong, is now causing you to experience things like the all over twitching and the perception of all peripheral limb weakness, i'm not saying it is, just that anxiety is a possible explanation for all over muscle twitching etc. and to be clear, mental health is not the only explanation but if you are experiencing high levels of anxiety and fear it's something you should also consider being a contributing factor to everything that's happening to you....

Try and take a step back if you can, there are many alternative medical explanations that are nothing like MS or ALS and if you focus on any specific causation at this stage you'll likely be worrying about something that you don't actually have......breath, you'll have a better idea of what might be going on once you've seen the neurologist.

Hope that helps..........JJ

ps oh just a thought but it might help your anxiety if you avoid doing things like googling, googling can actually make people feel even more anxious sometimes..