ALS or MS??

[Katmarie]

I am a 37 year old female who has been experiencing leg aching (mostly upper) and occasional arm aching for over 2 months now.  I also experience a twitching or crawling or bubbling sensation (not sure exactly how to describe it) in my muscles.  This usually happens in my calves but also sometimes in my feet, upper legs and arms as well and only when I am at rest (sitting or lying down).  The aching is every day and always in both legs sometimes more painful in one.  Just recently I had a week or so when both my wrists were very painful and I had a difficult time not dropping things.  This has since cleared up.  I also have some periods where my arm or leg will jerk slightly and this always happens when I am at rest.  Every now and then my right calve and foot will cramp up (toes will go down) like a Charlie horse and will feel like burning in the foot muscle for a few minutes afterwards and it will twitch as well.  Of course I have been on the Internet looking for information and ALS or MS always show with these symptoms.  I know that I am a bit young for ALS but I am aware that it is possible.  Do these diseases affect both sides of the body at the same time or does it usually start with one leg or arm?  Also, with ALS, weakness is always shown as a symptom but I am not sure exactly what that means.  Could you please explain that and fascilations a little more in depth.  Can it be happening in more than one limb at a time?  Please help, as I am getting very scared about the possibility of mostly ALS.  Is there any way this could be just plain old anxiety?

Thanks

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

I cannot come to a clinical diagnosis for you over the internet

Your symptoms would be atypical for ALS and this sounds unlikely as a diagnosis
ALS usually starts with one limb before involving other limbs over a period of months. MS can involve any part of the central nervous system, so could be present both sides at once.

ALS causes weakness by causing degeneration of the motor neuron cells in the spinal cord that control our muscles - so it can cause weakness of the muscles. However a multitude of other diseases can cause 'weakness' - it is a very non-specific symptom on its own. Fasciculations are rippling movements in teh muscles that are a result of dysfunction of the nerve supply to the muscle - so they are also non-specific and can be caused not just by ALS, but also by pinched nerves, cold, exercise, and even certain medications.

I'm not sure what else could be causing your symptoms with just this information. It could even be muskuloskeletal rather than neurological, or a myopathy (especially if you are on, eg, a statin drug for cholesterol lowering).

The brief jerks can be non-specific and happen commonly to normal people, especially getting drowsy and waking up.

For reassurance, a visit to your local neurologist who can evaluate your symptoms directly and examine you, would be a good option.
Good luck.

[Katmarie]

Just got back the latest blood work from my thyroid and everything is still normal there.

[kwag]

I ahve done the same thing as you and so have many who have posted on this forum.  I do not think that you have ALS nor MS.  Right now, I think your body is saying, "Hey!  Pay attention!!  I am out of balance here and I need you to notice."  You say you have GERD so that tells me you have your GI tract is saying the same thing to you.  I do not think pills are the first route to go.  Having said that, I must add that you should always check everything with your physician before going off meds.  You might have gerd because your intestines are sluggish.  How much fiber to you take in?  How much water and how much exercise?  Do your bowells evacuate daily at the very least and preferrably 2 or 3 times a day.  When you bowells do move, are you empty or do you still feel full?  There are so many facets to symptoms and illness.  To take a pill to stop the messages and not find the source is strange to me.  Have you taken measures to clean your colon and to eat a healthy diet of lots of green vegees and good natural meat?  Do you take in caffiene?  Caffiene causes the valves in your intestines to malfunction which again impedes digestion.  Maybe you should try digestive enzymes before every meal and snack.  Eating lots of raw foods gives you the enzymes you need.  How much raw food do you eat at every meal?  I can tell that you are concerned about the twitching and everything else and frankly I was right where you are at.  There is help and worrying is not the way to help.  Education is the first step.  What does your body need to function correctly and to be balanced?  I never thought of that most of my life and I ate what I craved and what I thought tasted good not ever thinking what it did to my body as it tried to process and eliminate what i was doing.  Muscles have to have calcium and magnesium to function.  Do you drink pasteurized milk?  Raw milk is full of nutrition that your body needs.  You have a couple of problems going on here that could seem unrelated but I don't think so.  What goes on in your gut is very related to how your muscles function, how your esophagus feels, your emotional state and the list is so long.  I suggest you start with your diet.  Make is so clean that it squeeks.  Give your body what it needs to take care of these problems.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

[Katmarie]

I should also mention that I have a thyroid nodule but the last time blood work up was done, both t3 and t4 and tsh were fine.  Lots of jerking last night.

[Katmarie]

I experienced the same twitching of the muscles in the left side of my neck and shoulder blade this evening.  No pain, just the twitching.  I also had a weird senation in my right hand earlier today although I don't know if I can call it twitching.  While I was sitting though a seminare this afternoon my left leg did a little jerk - it was crossed over my right leg.  The jerking is much less that it was a month ago but the twitches are getting worse and showing up in different places.  Is there any way this could be a calcium problem.  I am on a calcium channel blocker (Norvasc) for esophageal spasm.  Would this stop the calcium that is needed for my muscles?  The other meds I am on are pariet and domperidone both for GERD.  

Thanks