spreading muscle weaknes

[joan]

I am a 47 yr. old female who has had mild leg pains and fatigue all my life. 8 years ago, i lost 120lbs in 10 months. 6 months after this I started having stoke attacks. I now have muscle weakness and pain which in the past month has spead to my arms and legs.  my left hand has trouble gripping things.  I'm having trouble climbing stairs and getting up from a sitting postion. An emg result was 1+ for legs and arms. I also have low uric acid.  I will be having a muscle biopsy next weak. The doctor told me it is very painful.  I also have hypoglocema like symptoms and when I have these stroke like attacks the weakness gets alot worse.  could the symptoms be mitrochondrial?  Is there a cure? should I be concerned that it's spreading to my arms and hand?                                                                                                                                                                            Thanks for any help.

[pollyanna3330]

A related discussion, Muscle pain was started.

[joan]

dear doctor, I just got the results of the muscle biopsy and it was negetive.  I'm happy and sad.  I'm also very confused because I have real symptoms.  Recently a doctor at top N.Y. hospital stated afer examing me said I had hyperextensible at elbows, 1+ reflexes in the upper and lowers extremities, dereased motor strenght in hips with flexion. Everyone has thought that I had a muscle disorder. She also stated as well as severel drs. that I had bitemporal wasting and minimal amount of muscle in my calfs. I know that the biopsy was a good one because the neuropatholigist told my it was a great sample.I know my case is very strange and I would drop it but my quality of life is very limited. I also have other strange symptoms: low platelet count, low uric acid,low 3rd generation tsh, igg, enlarged begnien thyriod, a right kidney tumor,left kidney cyst, small adrenal cyst, fatty tumors, a pituitary cyst thats compressing it and eating away at the bone,several non-specific white foci in the priventricular and the supraventricular location,weakness,fatigue,pain,every minute of every day I feel as if someone has beat me with a baseball bat. Are there any other reasons that I could be having these symptoms now that the biopsy is neg. .  Thanks for your time.

[Kev]

Your EMG was 1+ for what? Fibrillations,Positive waves, Fasciculations, %PPP,etc...Did your neuro tell you?

God Bless

[TINA]

I have had fasiculations for approx. 4 months in my legs, feet, arms, hands, and abdomen, etc.Recently, I notice a lack of dexterity in my hands. It seems worse in the mornings when I first wake up and seems to happen sporadically throughou the day. I also have frequent episodes of tingling and patchy feelings of numbness in my legs, feet, hands and arms.My questions are:
1- If fasiculations began in my legs and I had a normal EMG, could I still have ALS and just now begin to see weakness in my hands? I still have the most fasiculations in legs and feet, but do not have an;y noticeable weakness. I walk 3 miles a day. My feet ofted feel like they're asleep during walking.
2- Do you usually have sensory problems with ALS?
3- Are these common symptoms with benign fasiculations?
       Thank you so much!!!

[CCF neuro MD MM]

Art this point without a definite diagnosis it is not possible to say whether treatment is available or not.
You would be a little on the older side to have a mitochondrial disease, usually these present in children, however it is not unheard of in your age group, some aspects of your history do suggest mitochondrial disease however so it should be followed up.
If this is mitochodrial dietary supplements may be of benefit depending on whether a specific defecit is identified.
I do not thing the emuscle biopsy is very painful, there will be some soreness after the procedure but it is no worse than a visit to the dentist.
At this stage before, further plans are made a definite diagnosis is required. The biopsy is the correct way to go about this so please feel free to repost any questions you may have when you have the results.