possible ALS diagnoses

I was told I have bulbar palsy in 2006 and that is was a possible ALS diagnoses. This was at an ALS clinic in WII got a 2nd opinion in January of 2007 in IL. That doctor confirmed that it was likely that it was bulbar palsy but that he would not have diagnosed it as that at this point. I have been seeing the WI doctor for about 5 years now and my voice has gotten worse but my swallowing is still fine. However, my balance and leg strength in the past year have weakened. My question is should I go somewhere for another opinion? If so where? I am happy that I am doing fairly well after 5 years BUT I wonder if I could be doing anything else to help??

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. You need to consult a neurologist who would want an EMG to record electrical activity in muscles; NCV or nerve conduction velocity would pick up a peripheral neuropathy or myopathy rather than ALS. MRI brain and spinal cord would detect a spinal cord tumor, herniated disc in the neck, syringomyelia and cervical spondylosis. These may help in diagnosis of ALS as exclusion. The symptoms are twitching, cramping, stiffness of muscles, and weakness of arm or leg, slurred or nasal speech, difficulty in swallowing or chewing. Hope your neurologist is able to arrive at a diagnosis. Take care.