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Im 23. I think I Have ALS

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aaron81068
aaron81068

Hello. First off I want to say that i admire each and every one of you and support you in your fight with this disease.

I am a 23 year old African American male. Close to 2 weeks ago. I was walking and my bottom ritht leg felt heavy. I went to the doctor and she admitted me to the emergency room. I then brgsn to frel this stiffness in my hands. Almost as if someone had injected sand in them, making it tougher to do everyday activities. I can still button buttons and pick up things with ease, but the stiffness has moved from my right hand and is now in my left. I have received a catscan, mri, blood work, and had an emg done. Everything came back clean except for my EMG which was "slightly abnormal". My docs say its NOT ALS. But my fingers and hands become stiffer and more difficult to move by the day. Possible ALS? Did anyone else have similar symptoms? I am very afraid. Im so young.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • cjseidner
    cjseidner aaron81068

    Posted

    U do not have als. Als patients deffnetly don't develop symptoms till 40s and 50s. It is possible to become diagnosed as early as 23 but is definitely a rare accurance. There's a lot of diseases that mimic als symptoms such as ms restless leg syndrome and peripheral neuropathy. Anxiety also plays a huge part of physical symptoms as well. Additionally Lyme disease causes body weakness as well. But als does not cause stiffness it makes ur limbs weak useless. An Mri, ct scan or x Ray won't do any good. What u need is a nerve conduction test because als affects the nerves of ur body. U gotta realize that there tons of diseases that mimic als symptoms. N als is a worse possible scenario that has no cure. The first symptom you'll find if u have als is the inability to walk. But u do not have als ur mind is just playing tricks on u
  • blessedmum
    blessedmum aaron81068

    Posted

    I'm as certain as I can be it's NOT ALS! Listen to your doctors, too and have faith in their opinion. I read a thread in an ALS forum where someone has "rapid" onset of symptoms over two months and all of the responses were that "rapid" with ALS often means 18 month or more. Yours came on in days/weeks. If anything it maybe GBS (Guillain Barre) or another type of perphiperal neuropathy. My money is on GBS. Is it symmetrical? Both hands/legs? I know it's easy to say don't be scared, but when everything started with me, I was terrified and spent months on the web convincing myself I had ALS or some other awful diseases. Try not to look stuff up. There are dozens of things whih can cause your symptoms (neuropathies, lyme, GBS etc.) Anxiety on top of all of this, can also cause all of these symptoms. Trust me on that one! It's going to be ok.
    • aaron81068
      aaron81068 blessedmum

      Posted

      That's what my docs keep saying. "It's moving too rapidly to be AlS". But I'm obviously still worried. I have also been sleeping on an air mattress for 3 months and 3 neuros said that my emg showed I wasn't getting adequate rest. So I bought a bed today and am going to try and not think about things. It's just hard when you feel like this and they don't know what's song with you. But yes my symptoms are symmetrical and coming very fast. It hasn't even been 2 weeks since my right leg started acting up !
    • blessedmum
      blessedmum aaron81068

      Posted

      Aaron, take heart in the fact that they are symmetrical. ALS is asymmetrical! Honestly, I think it may be GBS...and I know that you are terrified! It was killing me that I suddenly couldn't walk and noone could tell me why! How is that even possible in this day and age?! Anyway, as I said, at 5 months in a neuro said it was almost definitely GBS and they just did the tests at the wrong time. It ay get worse before you get better (which is typical with GBS so don't stress) but then you have to give your body time to heal. Get some good sleep (easier said than done, I know!) and TRY to relax and go easy in yourself! Any questions and I'm always here smile
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