Question about ALS

[rca09]

Symptoms

May 16, 2009

Both legs started feeling slightly weak and felt funny

Within the next couple of weeks legs would become very weak. Calves and Thigh would get hard and tight and become very sore.

Around the third to fourth week it spread to both arms. Internal tremors would be felt when doing any type of activity with lifting or standing.

Around the fifth week it spread to my neck. Felt tightness and stiffness as it started on the right side of my neck then over the next couple of days it spread to the left side and then to the front of it.

Few days after that left hand started becoming weaker and fingers (pinky and ring) would start to shake. Holding the phone for more than a minute hand would start to shake. Turning pages sometimes becomes difficult.

Left ankle and foot - Control issues when putting in slipper.

Holding the phone with my shoulder creates more internal tremors in the the arm, mouth, throat. Teeth would have a slight chatter from it.

Pinky and ring fingers are numb when waking up.

Able to walk but legs still get weak and internal tremors are felt.

Get fasciculations all over my body.

When doing any activity (walking, using hands or arms, head movement) muscles are stressed not long after using them and the internal and some visible tremors are present. An example of this would be when weight training (bench pressing) and your trying to do a couple of extra repetitions, your muscles will start to shake as they become over exerted from the extra use. This is exactly what happens to my muscles after little use.

To date: 7/28/2009

Legs - very sore, feel bruised when over used, tremors when over used.

Arms - same as legs, tremors when over used.

Neck - feel stiff and sore, tremors when over used.

Mouth - Pronouncing t, th, s with certain words become tripped up as I have to repeat slower to get the word out.

My throat involuntary swallows. This happens several times usually after waking up and trying to get back to sleep. It also happens during the day.

Swallowing has been affected. Skipping occurs when trying to clear mucus.

Skipping occurs sometimes when starting to take in a deep breath.

Muscles are very sore and some of them feel bruised.

Left shin area (just started) - a dull pressing feeling that last several seconds. It almost feels numb but no pins and needles feeling. It does it a many times a day.

Hands, leg, foot, thumb jerk.

Reflexes are jerky.

Twitches on certain spots last several minutes.

Had negative EMG in June. All brain and spinal MRI's were normal.

Saw a couple of Neuros and they told me it's not ALS but don't know what it is. I'm not sure if the rapid progression can be could fall in the ALS category but the symptoms seem familiar to it.

Any help please.

Thank you

[Lulu54]

hi tomgleason,
You may not have noticed that this is a very old post - from 2009.  You probably won't get a reply from this person.

For what its worth - I'm sure as an MD you know that the old dental fillings argument has been looked at a number of times using scientific method and it doesn't hold up.  

best,
L

[Tomgleason]

I am an MD and I have many of your symptoms...I also had a negative EMG.  I too am begining to suspect dental issues (I had two root canals many years ago and these teeth are aching). My CRP is elevated indicating inflammation somewhere. I am considering extractions and changing over my fillings to non-mercury (always thought this was so much B.S. - still not sure!). what has happened to you lately???

[want2bike]

If you have had any dental work done lately you could suspect that as the problem.  Hal Huggins has a book out "Solving the MS Mystery" which explains this.  If you do not want to purchase his book google mercury toxicity and read everything you can concerning this problem.  Many of the neurological problems we see today are a result of the dental procedures being done today.  Amalgams are 50% mercury, bridges and crowns are made of nickel and other toxic metals, and root canals have some of the worse bacteria known to man.  Tom McQuire,DDS has a detoxification procedure which I used to return to good health so you might want to consider looking at a way to detoxify your body.  Check out the Paleo diet which is one of the best diets for treating autoimmune disease.  Google words such as juicing, fasting, body PH, and read as much as you can.  Could return you to good health.  

[jp518]

Have you had your B12 levels checked?  It's a crazy vitamin deficiency that can cause much of what you are experiencing (but not all, I think).

[rca09]

Thank you for your reply.

[Udkas]

Hi there and welcome,

I am not sure if anyone here can help you as this is a Multiple Sclerosis Forum where members discuss issues etc. with MS or going through the diagnosing process etc.

Perhaps you could post your question on the Neurology Forum. They have an "Ask A Dr" section.

Your symptoms certainly don't fit typical MS.  I don't know a lot about ALS but the work up includes eliminating other causes and if you had ALS you would have a positive EMG I would think.  I have a very close friend with ALS and your symptoms don't fit how it affected her and yep her EMG was positive.

If you are still concerned I would go and visit another Dr and get a 3rd opinion, sometimes anxiety can manifest itself in weird ways and make problems worse, but I am not implying it is anxiety either.

Take care,
Cheers Udkas.