Strange things are happening with my foot and speech

[BRUCE37]

I've posted on here before concerning ALS. I have G.A.D. so I worry alot about everything. I've had fasciculations for almost a year now all over, but no weakness of atrophy. Also, pins and needles, this weird thing with my left foot(foot doctor and neuro could find nothing wrong), pain, dystonia and dysphonia symptoms on and off for about a year. I had a ncv and an emg done aobut a month ago and a well-respected neuro in Roanoke, Va said nothing abnormal was found in any of the tests. He looked at my tongue and said that if the tongue twitches that had began in May were ALS related that I would be alot worse by now and he said my tongue looked fine with no atrophy of anything. Well about two weeks ago, the problem I was having with my left foot went to my right foot----no weakness or anything, i can move it fine, but its like my foot doesnt want to push off right. This began with it overnight just like the other one did a year ago. I might add that the emg and ncv tests were performed on both feet and they showed nothing wrong. I also have been getting the feeling that I have more saliva than normal. I don't slober at all and when I sleep everything seems to be fine cause I don't have any drool in the night either. Everything I've seen about excess saliva and ALS says its not a trouble with excess saliva being produced but with swallowing problems.  I don't have trouble swallowing. Also I noticed this funny thing with my speech-----when I say a word with S sound, like "snake" or "chance" there is a ssss sound that I hadn't done before. Its not nasally or anything and this came on all of the sudden. One minute it  was normal and the next this was going on. I don't think it is ALS, so whats going on? Is this anxiety related too? I have been to everybody and they all say the same thing-------Stress related.

[BRUCE37]

Please help!!

[ILADVOCATE]

  I read through your posts. You are on Xanax and Lexapro. Xanax is a short acting benzodizepene (anti-anxiety drug) and it is generally not meant for long term use because of the potential for a person to build up a tolerance to it. Klonopin can be used for a longer time. I've been on it 10 years without a problem. Those medications actually would treat tardive dyskinesia (Klonopin helps me with dystonic spasms)
  I have tardive dyskinesia in advanced form but from the use of past antipsychotics (I am currently on glycine, a glutamate antagonist, a new form of antipsychotic in Phase II FDA study that will not cause tardive dyskinesia or diabetes). Make sure you didn't take any past medications that can cause tardive dyskinesia (for more information google "patient education tardive dyskinesia"). As for Lexapro it commonly can cause temporary movement disorders such as akathesia which can be treated and if the medication is discontinued or changed (must be done under your doctor's supervision) it will go away. It did list dyskinesia as a rare side effect on the website of the medication. Its very hard to tell the difference. But in self diagnosing with rare disorders you are making yourself fearful. However, it is worth ruling out. Have your psychiatrist refer you to a movement disorders specialist and they will do some basic tests to see what's going on. If it is tardive dyskinesia the medication would be stopped (and replaced with something else) and treated. But if its some form of extra-pyramidal side effect (temporary movement disorder) then your psychiatrist could give you a side effect pill or change it. One good way to tell is whether it worsens when you take the medications and then disappates over the day as they wear off or if its random movements that occur continuously. But have a movement disorders specialist look into it. And they will make a factual determination.

[DD516]

hey there, two things about the speech.  believe me, i have no real ideas especially with ur other symptoms, but you can try an ENT to look inside your throat, maybe spasmodic dysphonia, doubtful tho, there's other symptoms for it.  and then, if the ENT finds stuff or doesnt, any of the speech stuff, if it's not neurological and the ENT cant treat it, a speech pathologist can prolly help you out.  find someone who knows a lot about voice.  k peace

[ILADVOCATE]

Actually I have severe dysphagia from tardive dyskinesia. A visit with an ENT specialist as follow up is waranted but you should see a neurologist first:
"Spasmodic dysphonia may co-occur with other neurological movement disorders such as blepharospasm (excessive eye blinking and involuntary forced eye closure), tardive dyskinesia (involuntary and repetitious movement of muscles of the face, tongue, body, arms and legs), oromandibular dystonia (involuntary movements of the jaw muscles, lips and tongue), torticollis (involuntary movements of the neck muscles), or tremor (rhythmic, quivering muscle movements)."
That's a quote from a medical source.
I know that tardive dyskinesia is a rare side effect but one thing you described "the quivering motions of the tongue" is an early warning sign. My suggestion is obtain a consultation to a movement disorders specialist just to rule it out. If they realized its just extra pyramidal side effects then your psychiatrist can treat those or change or titrate your medications but this complex an amount of movement disorders some of which are similar to variants of tardive dyskinesia warrants a consult to a neurologist who is a movement disorders specialist. I still might be wrong but better that it be ruled out and its something to be concerned (but not hysterical) about than Lou Gherig's Disease (which is doubtful) so the earlier the medications are changed if this is diagnosed the more treatable it is and there is a potential it could reverse itself if it doesn't advance further.