Whole body muscle weakness/atrophy on right side

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My symptoms are below:

-Mid 2006- Felt right leg week when I am exercising. Felt right hand weak and fine tremor.

-Did all possible tests and MRI,EMG, everything normal in 2008.

-2006-2017 - I let it go and nothing was bothering.

-But meanwhile all the length I have observed that my right side of the body was little weak in terms of muscle strength and muscle mass.

-I could able to do all the things and can able to do even now.

-But now whole my right side has a little less mass, face, shoulders, trunk hip, glutes,thigh , leg and foot.

-Little that it is not yet innterfering in the daily activities.

-Concerned, I went to neurologist.

-EMG done and it is normal.

-Neuro ordered blood tests.

- midly elevated calcium, aldolase, liver enzymes, album and positive ANA with < 1:80.

-ANA is positive but titer is normal (< 1:80)

-Planning to meet the neuromuscular specialist next month.

-Connecting all dots together till now, I am just wondering what this condition might be?

Given that it is present from long time and I could function normally now with normal EMG, can ALS be ruled out?

Thought this could be polymyositis but I have the weakness and atrophy mosly on one side of the body.

Pleas let me know your thoughts

 

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  • Edited

    I have had same symptoms for a couple of years on and off. I put it down to possible side effects from drugs to lower blood pressure. To get to the bottom  of it I have been to see consultant who has done 10 blood tests. MRI Scan on the neck and head and nerve conduction studies. I asked the doctor who did the last test whether it could be fibromyalgia which effects some one in twenty people and he said it is very difficult to tell except by eliminating all other causes. I am waiting to get an appointment with the consultant to get the results from all the tests.   Rhodri.
    • Posted

      Thank you for the reply. I read that fibromyalgia comes with the pain and I don't have any pain. 

    • Edited

      Hi Rhodri,

      When you say you have the same symptoms, do you also have atrophy. My symptoms are like from head to toe, if you draw a line front side exactly muscles on one side of the body are with less tone. I can do almost all things now, but worried what might be the future and want to correct this if possible. I can feel the weakness when doing activities. Even I have the tongue and mouth muscles atrophy on the same side.Thanks.

    • Posted

      i feel really strangely relieved to feel i am not alone! In July of 1988 I fell asleep on a sundeck on the top of my building - I had worked that morning and confess i was rather hungover! When I awoke I was immediately aware that my left side face was thinner, tired looking! Inadvisedly went to bed to sleep it off only to wake and see same wasted appearance .

      It took some time to realize that my entire left side was slightly thinner and more ominously, weaker - swallowing muscles on left side in particular. Shoulder and hip joint also weaker.

      My clothes no longer fit properly and left side shorts tend to slide off if no belt!To be honest my primary concern is and was the esthetic effect . I was relatively attractive guy but that changed unilaterally in one fell swoop . Reaction of medics and rheumatologists, neurologists and family largely trivializing which exacerbated the feeling of sadness, isolation and depression.

      Diagnoses varied from virus on brain stem - eminent Toronto neurologist - 'its not screamingly obvious is it' that really helped, Bell's Palsy -steroid injected in facial nerve. One neuroloist said ' have I seen it before. yes - do I know what it is -no.

      So 30 odd years later I am still feeling frustrated - relieved though that it appears not to be progressive of course.

      My mojo took a huge hit and I have been considering cosmetic surgery to improve the facial wasting . One surgeon said anything he would do would be a 'crude' result- he btw described it as a 'mild deformity' - it's mild as long as it's not your face I thought! OTHER surgeon happy to do mini lift- I'm concerned ofcourse about turning a mild deformity into a major one .

      THANKS all for listening

    • Posted

      Hello, i have had these symptoms as well, right side atrophy. Have you heard anything? Thank you!

  • Posted

    sounds nothing like als... the neuromuscular specialist will hopefully send you for a muscle biopsy which may or may not show something.
    • Posted

      Thank you, but my CK is normal and do you think this cab be any sort of myositis? I am kind of navigatiing away from myositis because of the normal CK and unilateral atrophy
    • Posted

      Hi. My age is 27 and i am also having exact syptoms of muscle wasting, pain anf burning sensation on my entire right side. 

      I met lot of doctors neurologist, neuro surgeon, neuromuscular specialist, rhumetologists, etc.  but no one could find. Spent lot of money. I am like dying every day. 

      Could you pls guide me on this. 

      Thank you.

    • Posted

      Hi. My age is 27 and i am also having exact syptoms of muscle wasting, pain anf burning sensation on my entire right side. 

      I met lot of doctors neurologist, neuro surgeon, neuromuscular specialist, rhumetologists, etc.  but no one could find. Spent lot of money. I am like dying every day. 

      Could you pls guide me on this. 

      Thank you.

    • Posted

      Hi. My age is 27 and i am also having exact syptoms of muscle wasting, pain anf burning sensation on my entire right side. 

      I met lot of doctors neurologist, neuro surgeon, neuromuscular specialist, rhumetologists, etc.  but no one could find. Spent lot of money. I am like dying every day. 

      Could you pls guide me on this. 

      Thank you.

    • Posted

      Hi kirankum13847

      I have a similar problem. Muscle wasting on the right side. Primarily more so on the right thigh, right calf , right shin and then some on the right arm especially behind right shoulder. I have gone to two three neuros. No luck yet. Did a MRI of lower back and no findings. Have you had an MRI it a EMG done? Any insights from that ?

    • Posted

      Hi, 

      I did MRI Survical spine thrice, MRI Brain twice, Nerve conduction study twice, all types of blood tests thrice and etc etc etc but nothing got found. 

      I dont know whats happening. Some times i am getting suicidal tendency. 

      Pls find some info and i also do. 

       

  • Posted

    Hi , what did the doctor say about your situation? I have similar atrophy on one side of the body. On the right side, From neck hands down the back to thigh and right calf and shin. It is not noticeable to anyone other than me but it is very scary indeed to think of what it could be sad any inputs will be much appreciated.
  • Posted

    Hi  I'm just here to tell you your not alone . I'm 65 and a diebetic for over 40 years . I have same problem and is getting worse !  My complete right side is affected  head to toe. muscle loss and at times when I have to use the muscles  it causes a lot of pain . I have been seeing a lot of doctors  and none now what is happening to me .But I did have my urolagist tell me that I had a binding  globulin protein causing my testosterone useless causing muscle loss. So onto the testosterone  cypionate (steroids) . They did help for a while but took a toll on the rest of me !  Now I'm back in the same boat as the rest of you here.Whats the problem and how can I fix it???

    • Posted

      Hi george77529,

      For how long has your muscles been affected on the right side ? If it has been for long has it progressively increased and caused debilitating problems like an inability to walk or do things with your right side ?

      Thanks

    • Posted

      Sorry to interrupt. 

      I am also suffering with same problem. 

      I have been suffering since End of 2015. The situations that i am facing are, 

      1) My right side trouser is loose and i never able to wear a trouser properly

      2) My underwear alsways comes down on right side

      3) My shirt right side is balance less

      4) My shoe on right side is loose and always go away from my foot

      5) More over , on entire burning sensation 

      Could you pls help me on treatment. 

       

    • Posted

      Hi,

      I met lot of doctors neurologist, neuro surgeon, neuromuscular specialist, rhumetologists, etc.  but no one could find. Spent lot of money. 

      All said to some exercises. But those are not helping me. 

    • Posted

      Hi im sorry to hear that. I have the same problems. Everything that you listed. Just on the right side of the body. And no diagnosis from the doctors.

      Not sure where to go at this point.

      I still have twitching on my body which is also scary. All this since May 2015...maybe the right side msucle loss started sometime in early 2016.

      Did you do any weight lifting or any strenuous exercises when this started ?

    • Posted

      Hello all, 

      I have very similar symptoms to those described here, especially kiran kuma13847 and initial post by kristy93914.  I am 25 years old and these symptoms have gotten severely worse over the past 5 years.  They started in 2013 when I noticed the weakness/atrophy in right shoulder, ranging up to today where atrophy and weakness is clearly noticeable on all accounts throughout the entire right side of the body.  Head to toe, face, hands, arms, torso, legs, etc.  I too struggle with clothes fitting me properly, but that does not concern me as much as the structural health issues that could get worse over my lifetime.  I now walk with a limp, or sag, into my right side, and spend almost all my free time trying to stretch and regain equilibrium to no avail. 

      I, like most of you, have been through it all - MRI, EMG, blood test, nuero tests.  Met with every medical specialist I can think of.  They all have no clue what's going on.  

      I have a loose theory, and see a homeopathic specialist.  A question I have to those experiencing the same symptoms - Has anyone had any previous head injuries?  Potential damage to the brainstem?  complications at birth?  As young as I am, I feel this may be a condition that either I was born with or occurred at a very young age and has taken until early adulthood to really expose its nastiness. 

      Any response is appreciated.  I sympathize.  

    • Posted

      Hello all, 

      I have very similar symptoms to those described here, especially kiran kuma13847 and initial post by kristy93914.  I am 25 years old and these symptoms have gotten severely worse over the past 5 years.  They started in 2013 when I noticed the weakness/atrophy in right shoulder, ranging up to today where atrophy and weakness is clearly noticeable on all accounts throughout the entire right side of the body.  Head to toe, face, hands, arms, torso, legs, etc.  I too struggle with clothes fitting me properly, but that does not concern me as much as the structural health issues that could get worse over my lifetime.  I now walk with a limp, or sag, into my right side, and spend almost all my free time trying to stretch and regain equilibrium to no avail. 

      I, like most of you, have been through it all - MRI, EMG, blood test, nuero tests.  Met with every medical specialist I can think of.  They all have no clue what's going on.  

      I have a loose theory, and see a homeopathic specialist.  A question I have to those experiencing the same symptoms - Has anyone had any previous head injuries?  Potential damage to the brainstem?  complications at birth?  As young as I am, I feel this may be a condition that either I was born with or occurred at a very young age and has taken until early adulthood to really expose its nastiness. 

      Any response is appreciated.  I sympathize.  

    • Posted

      As far as my knowledge is concerened, i did not have any head injuries/birth anamolies. 

      Is there any progress is homeopathic treatment?

    • Posted

      Thanks for your input arthur94509. No serious brain injury for me either. Couple of stiches from minor falls playing soccer but nothing serious where I had to be in a hospital.

      I wonder if stress and an increase in stress levels cortisone has anything to do with this. For me all this started as I was going thru a very stressful time in life. May seem trivial but who knows. ur symtoms gotten progressively worse over time ? Is the homeopathic treatment helping ?

    • Posted

      I have had the same symptoms 4/22 years I am 62 years old now and was diagnosed with polymyositis at40 there was extensive swelling and and loss of motion I was taking prednisone which relieve the pain and I regain my motion but it spiked my glucose levels which brought on a condition of diabetes once I decrease the prednisone to the level of stopping it my glucose levels went back to normal but my range of motion became very limited and I experienced massive muscle loss and periods of exhaustion what's the Lesser of the two evils to be diabetic and suffer those conditions or to be non diabetic and suffer the conditions of stiffness excessive loss of muscle 30% range of arm motion.

    • Posted

      Hey! Just wanted to inform you that I have also noticed increase in muscle atrophy speed while i’m stressed and it also started for me while I was very stressed 4 years ago! If you ever find out please infor me, i will also contact you if i find out first!
    • Posted

      Maybe a low dose of prednisone will at least alleviate the symptoms.

      We can receive greater range of motion it would be up to us to then work on that strength.

    • Posted

      I have had these same problems now for two years. Head to toe only on right side of my

      body along with muscle twitches all over have you found anything out from the doctors?

    • Posted

      I'm 43 yrs old, always fit and doing physical activity at about the age of 20 I was in an altercation at a bar where the bouncer put my in a headlock in the bar, I was put to sleep in his arms and woke up on the concrete outside. So I was thrown limp off about a foot high elevation from the bar door to the concrete sidewalk.. I suffered a concussion and could barley walk for days following that night. I recovered from the injury through time but all of my issues with muscular atrophy from head to toe can be traced back to the day. I had muscular symmetry prior to that day... I continue to this day to workout lifting and running only resulting in gains on the left side of my body and I have dealt with this unevenness for over 20 yrs. I too have had mri, seen nuerologists, back specialist, pt with no diagnosis or results

      The last two yrs the muscle loss appears to even worse.. my right side of my body feels disconnected..I am worried that I could become disabled over this. I've had mris, seen neurologist, back specialist, sent to pt without diagnosis and zero results... Unfortunatly I have given up finding a diagnosis and I'm sure it's long past treatable by now.

    • Posted

      Well, at least you're alive 23 years after and can STILL exercise. I've felt this for about five years now and feel like my curse is progressing fast. It affected my left side at the start, from my left leg and then it went up and down and my whole left side is "empty." It feels as you say - disconnected and hollowed. I exercised for six months at the beginning of lock downs for Covid-19 in America without drinking liquor or smoking weed. I ended up quitting exercising because my progression was still going forward even though I was exercising and abstaining from alcohol. The very FIRST day I went back to drinking alcohol / smoking weed (at an associate's place for socializing purposes of course) the very next day my whole RIGHT side of my body shrank. It however does not have the "hollow" feeling my left has had since this began. Both sides are affected in mass shrinking, it's just that the left side as you say feels "disconnected" and is worse off.

      It's funny too, I've been observing human bodies and symmetry even more than usual since I have been affected. EVERYONE is larger on their left side of the body naturally. If it is not the cause, it is due to conditioning like using the left arm and not the right etc. If you look at people's faces their left facial cheek will always be more pronounced than their right. I used to be a beast, stronger and faster than 9.5/10 people (of course this is an estimation) and also had model looks. Now this has collapsed both my looks and my motivation, strength, etc.

      It's so bad that the left side of my penis has less "skin" by the head of it than the right side. It's been shrinking and has been nonfunctional for a few years as well. Whatever is going on affects the totality of our body. That is why I think a lot of these people in the thread have perished since many have disappeared since posting. You'd figure most of these people (or at least a few) would return to the thread with updates or asking for updates from others - this isn't the case. I'm surprised to hear you have been dealing with this for 10+ years. I feel like I won't last another two.

    • Posted

      I'll add more by asking questions subjective in comparison with me.

      Things I consider could be the cause for MY (and yours and others in this thread) issue:

      a) It's possible this was an issue that was "meant to be;" as in, this may of been an issue that would occur no matter HOW we lived our life.

      b) I've snorted cocaine about six-seven times in my life. One time I was so blown off of it I couldn't believe my endorphin levels (included with this was alcohol/weed). Two weeks later I go to the bar and drink heavily (as I've been doing for about eight-nine years). The next day I wake up with no morning erection for the first time in my life. My genitals have been shrinking and losing strength since. My left testicle is affected and is more wrinkly than my right. HOWEVER. I will say this - when I used to exercise from ages 18-22 FAR before this incident, I noticed my left testicle retreating inside my body a little bit after exercising [lifting weights]). This may have been a sign of things to come. This was about 15 years ago.

      c) I've been drinking heavily for about eight-nine years; but, I've been drinking totality for about 15 years straight.

      d) I slipped on something and hit my head on the left side on a hard surface (it was bleeding so much I had to get stitches, it wouldn't clot). This was on the leftish side of my head. They say brain injuries on the left affect the right side of body and vice versa, possibly because it had been near the middle of my head and on the actual left it affecting my right side less would be an unlikely conclusion to this theory.

      e) I had Botox injected into my right side cranial muscle that flexes when you chew (because it was massive in comparison to my already larger than normal left side) a year or two before I noticed issues. Possibly this may have an affect?

      I confess a lot of personal detail in these posts. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I have no room to try and push fictitious information to look good. As everyone in this thread I am desperate and hope for at least an answer before I fall. I first noticed signs of this in 2018, and still going on in 2022. It rapidly progressed in the summer of 2020 though.

    • Posted

      There's definitely always something that can be done thats why were all progressing at different paces.

      For me I noticed I've NEVER been a good sleeper. I always feel like nights I'm up late it seems worse next morning. Also I feel it could be an absorption issue. I was low on b12 an that can effect nerves/muscles.

      my right testicle has been effected an right side of penis. My penis is much skinnier now an leans so much more to the left than it use to because of more blood flow. Its f*****g annoying.

      Im 30 an when I look back at pics of me at 11 I can notice parts in my right arm where my veins show more like the skin was thinner. I notice my right pec smaller an my abs look like they have less fat over them. All around age 11. I remember being in high-school freaking out because it seemed like my left testicle was just so loose an hanging around in my scrotum while my right wasnt. It was like tight an weird. I remember having a lot of sexual intercourse an starting to notice my penis felt like it was getting.. idk how to even explain. Like the skin was becoming looser around it and the core of it was becoming attatched from the rest. I know that sounds crazy but. I always remember favoring my left thinking it was my good side. I remember working out an my left arm filling out the shirt an my right wouldnt. my hairline has always been back more on right. For years now my hair on my right side has been thinner than left. This is definitely a since birth thing in my opinion. Text me if you wanna talk more 727 259 4513

    • Posted

      Right. My genitalia no longer works. I lost my ability for morning erections March of 2019 out of nowhere. My penis and testicles have been shrinking too. My left side of penis has less skin (circumcised) etc.

      I never really noticed anything prior to about four or five years ago except when I went to the gym 13 years ago I noticed my left testicle wouldn't hang as low as my right after I was exercising in the weight room. When I ran I noticed no difference.

      My hairline is also different on the left (especially now) compared to my right. I just thought it was just because of asymmetrical difference. Now maybe it was began for a while. What I want to know is if this is some nerve thing or vitamin deficiency etc. Why is it affecting one side more than the other? My constipation is out of control now. I'm always constipated and have to take powder to help me go (barely) now.

    • Posted

      hey guys, my right side also feels weaker and smaller. i just noticed my right hip joint feel smaller like there is leas bone there or something. Im 40 now. my brothers experience the same thing so i think it is hereditary. i think minimizing stress and eating lots if sweet-potatoes and avocados help. just look into all the best plants to eat, aka superfood diets etc. i wish you all the best and peace and happiness. I started praying and feel like what some people call born again. after a life time of heavy art/movie and philosophy and self help type of intake it hit me. "the many words of wise men will seem foolish once you see the divine" thank god everyday. first ask for help once or twice and then thank him for the rest of the day.

    • Posted

      Thanks for the input; but, it's nothing to do with eating. It wouldn't make the loss of muscle lopsided (affecting one side more than the other). I seem to recall most people in this thread have stated that their right side is the more affected side. I would say it's about 75%:25% ratio of r/l. My left side is my more affected side; however, my right side has also been affected (in less severity). As this has happened I've noticed it's natural for humans and even other animals to be larger on their left side (look at anyone's face, their left cheek area protrudes out more than their right, same with one's shoulders). If this isn't an nerve thing, as I just had my second EMG in two years returning normal results (according to my neurologist), it has to be cancer or soft tendon problems (maybe due to drinking?). I also would say this could possibly be an autoimmune disease. Either way, it's a nightmare, as it affects constipation and basically the totality of our processes/body. I just want an answer/diagnosis in the lowest of expectations - which I still have yet to get.

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