ALS Familial

[ColinF]

My brother was recently diagnosed with ALS. My mother had passed away from the same disease. What are the chances that my brothers ALS will follow a similar course as my mothers did? My mother was approximately 9 years from diagnosis until she passed.

[DrNavneetMD]

Hello Dear,
I feel sorry for you and your brother.
Regardless of the part of the body first affected by the disease, it is usual for muscle weakness and atrophy to spread to other parts of the body as the disease progresses. It is important to remember that some patients with ALS have an arrested course with no progression beyond a certain point despite extensive follow-up. Such a pattern is particularly true for young males with predominant upper limb weakness especially on one side . Eventually people with ALS arenot be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms. In later stages of the disease, individuals have difficulty breathing as the muscles of the respiratory system weaken. Although ventilation support can ease problems with breathing and prolong survival, it does not affect the progression of ALS. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10 percent of those individuals with ALS survive for 10 or more years.
Best

[ColinF]

Thank you for your quick response. Am I to understand from your response that there is typically no correlation between a mother and a son as to how the disease should progress? As stated, my mother lived with ALS for approximately 9 years. When she did pass on, it was from Cancer, not the ALS. My mother was still walking with the help of a walker at the time and had no Bulbar complications from the ALS. Her breathing, chewing, swallowing had not been affected at all.

Thank You,

ColinF