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ALS or health anxiety? Can my mind actually make me feel these things?

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nick87646
nick87646

I am worried I have ALS. I started out about 3 months ago with a dull ache pain on my left elbow, neck, tightness back of my knee. At one point I was limping because of the weird tightness on the back of my knee. My knee is better now but still tight.

I have had an MRI, multiple blood test, Lyme test, been sent to a chiropractor. And still no diagnoses.

My left thigh keeps twitching so I then saw the doctor again hoping I'd get a diagnoses at last, I've been told is BFS by my doctor.

Recently. I get a tingly feeling only in the back of my head, maybe like elictricity shocks? No pain but it does feel very weird and my arms both go numb and feel like they are falling asleep. My left arm feels very tight now too, hard to straighten it without feeling any pain. The tinglyness in the back of my head is followed by a cold feeling inside my body. Not on the skin, it travels to the back of my neck and goes down my spine.

I'm 18 years old and very fit. I lift weights constantly up until I started feeling this way. I do realize that this could be something else, MS, a herniated disc (but I have no injuries prior to feeling the pain which started 3 months ago)

I'm really worried since its been so long and I have been told nothing, the twitching is no longer just in my thigh now, I can feel it in my lips, left neck, and behind the knee now, I can only feel them occasionally but I've heard that ALS twitches are very fine and you cannot see them sometimes.

Any replies will be greatly appreciated.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • marshall71
    marshall71 nick87646

    Posted

    Any mild stumbling due to weakness in legs muscles

    Difficult holding objects due to hand muscles

    Slurred speech or finding it hard to swallow

    Weakness of tongues throat muscles

    Muscle cramps or twitching

    Early symptoms of ALS / MND

  • nick87646
    nick87646

    Posted

    I do have twitching and tightness in my left arm. I haven't noticed not being able to hold things. I don't stumble when I walk but it feels weird walking
  • marshall71
    marshall71 nick87646

    Posted

    Any family history of ALS
    • marshall71
      marshall71 nick87646

      Posted

      I've had MRI scan was told it was wear and tear and ageing I saw the scan and my disc lower one is flat at a pancake you really need to see the scan plus ask to see a pain clinc too I was told by 3 Gp's and specialist that I had peripheral neuropathy yet my EMG came back normal
    • nick87646
      nick87646 marshall71

      Posted

      i have not had an EMG done which is what worries me about ALS. My MRI was normal but I never got to look at it personally. I was just told it was good
    • marshall71
      marshall71 nick87646

      Posted

      Need to see to understand what's going on wonder why you're not had a EMG ? Asks for one to be done
  • laurie_14419
    laurie_14419 nick87646

    Posted

    Did your MRI show any abnormalities...such as hyperintensity in white matter? I would be persistant with ruling out MS. How did your other tests come out?
    • nick87646
      nick87646 laurie_14419

      Posted

      As far as blood work and X-rays go. Everything was normal. The only one they did not take the time in going through with me was the MRI. Which I can understand since I had been there for at least 7 hours, waiting for the MRI truck and the test to be reviewed. As far as MRI. All they said was that everything was fine. The MRI was of my head and neck, not of my brain. I'm not sure if that has a difference.
    • laurie_14419
      laurie_14419 nick87646

      Posted

      I would like to believe they got shots of your brain when they did your head. To rule out MS, it would be best to do a brain scan with contrast. I had both an MRI of the brain and neck last May. At least it looks like they ruled out cervical issues to be causing your symptoms.
  • Lemmycaution
    Lemmycaution nick87646

    Posted

    70% of the population experience twitches. 0.01% of the population ar diagnosed with ALS.
  • Lemmycaution
    Lemmycaution nick87646

    Posted

    If you don't have clinical weakness (weakness assessed by a doctor) there is no way it's ALS. It's almost definitely health anxiety mixed with something like a herniated disc or stress or something.
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