question for bob or anyone who can help?

[airdrie1]

Recently (one week ago) I was having increased muscle twitches (around the same time they upped my zoloft dosage). They've occurred before, especially after a really stressful day. I get them most commonly in the feet and legs, although rarely can occur in my eyelids, and pretty much any muscle in my body. I was afraid when I had a mild weakness in my left forearm/fingers, along with tingling in the ring/pinky fingers, esp when talking on the phone or bending my elbow (which my doctor diagnosed as cubital tunnel syndrome with a positive tinel's sign and elbow flexion test)

I read up about the symptoms of ALS online. I've had psychosomatic problems before and I've been tested for over 10 illnesses I'v thought I've "had" in the past 2 months. But now, I've developed almost every ALS symptom there is, all in a matter  of 4 days. It feels like my arms and my legs are all weak. I can still walk just fine (although now it feels weird.) No tripping, stumbling, nothing like that. I can also lift very heavy objects, even with my left arm.

Internet sites say ALS progresses rapidly, so my question is, can ALS develop as rapid as 4 days? It sounds ridiculous... But I just wanted to try to put my mind at ease. Also, I'm 19 years old... and they say it rarely strikes before age 40, but can happen.

Thanks to anyone in advance who replies

[Capital H]

I feel much the same way as if this stuff is progressing as I sit and watch it, I am afraid to look in the mirror because I interpret everything as ALS.

Today I learnt that nothing whatever can be done to get me an earlier appointment with the neurologist, and the psychiatrist I would like to see to help with my anxiety cannot be seen till sometime in June (which is crazy beyond crazy), there is nothing I can do right now but sit through whatever symptoms decide to come and go, whether they are real or imagined.

Our health service is such a screw up.

Not surprisingly during today my twitches have gone into overtime, not just in some muscles but they will occur anywhere, and I am getting aches in my muscles all over the place too, and I have only been for a little walk today.

I am sure even if I do have ALS all of these symptoms can't be down to that, cos at this rate it feels like I will be in a wheelchair before I ever see a neurologist, and I dread to think what I will feel like when I wake up tommorrow morning.

If only I could get some tests done in the meantime to determine how much of what is underlying this might be due to troubles with my lower spine or my neck, but unless I have car accident and am taken in as an emergency none of that is going to happen and I feel totally abandoned. It is not surprising that everything seems to have gone into attack mode.

I am literally abandoned right now to waiting, stuck with what was only intended to be a temporary prescription of lorazepam until I could get professional help.

I have a busy day travelling tommorow, I hope I can cope with it. I am likely to be one quivering wreck, literally, as if I so much as sneeze I will put that down to ALS.

So you can see you are at least not alone, and I know for me the only answer is to get some professional answers to what is causing what, and what is an anxiety overlay, anxiety is a powerful thing that works on you unconciosly and definately does affect your physiology. I may think I am calm, but my body doesn't believe that.

[davinci2]

I'm not a doctor. However, I too have had muscle twitches since being on Paxil. Mostly in left calf (Although it's subsided) and now more in my right leg around my knee. I think it's the medicine.

I had a weakness in my left arm as well. This was due to a compression on the nerves. This can come and go depending on how much stress or activity you've been doing throughout the day. The pain/numbness that goes down your arm and into your pinky and ring finger sounds like a nerve compression. See your doctor and he'll do an xray or MRI of your neck to check for a hernia.

It also seems that you are looking into your symptoms a bit too much online. I know you want to get to the bottom of your conditions but it can also cause some serious anxiety. I can put in the symptoms for a cold and come back with a diagnosis of something far more deadly and therefore far more worrisome.

Next time you see your doc about your meds, let him know what you are thinking and how it's making you feel. He may decide to put you on some anti-anxiety meds as well.

[airdrie1]

Also would like to mention that these twitches are not constant.