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Avatar universal

Do I have to worry about ALS?

My name is Bruno, I'm 37 years old and live in Switzerland. It all started 2 weeks ago with e permanent twinkle in my right eye-lid that wouldn't go away. I had that before, but never such a long time. I was surfing the internet to find any treatment (magnesium or else) against it.
So I landed on pages about ALS and fasziculations. What I read there worried me a lot.
Now I have twitchings all over my body in Legs, biceps, triceps, shoulder (I had that before, but never in a such permanent and intensive mode all over my body) and i feel a kind of stiffnes, sore muscles in upper legs and arms since about 5 days. Is that only coincidence? Or is it a psychologic problem I have now? What would you recommend me? Do I go to the neurologist or to the psychologist? I can't bring the scare of ALS out of my mind and I read such a lot of things about ALS and fasziculations in the internet that I am just confused at the moment! I'm sorry for my bad english writing!
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292363 tn?1204761451
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Dear Batman01,

Thank you very much for your question. I am happy to address the issues that you pose, although it is important that you recognize that my impression is based entirely on the information you have provided in your posting and is by no means a replacement for an office visit with a neurologist.  Diagnosis is contingent on detailed history and physical exam and as such, the following information should be considered solely for educational purposes.

As you may or may not already be aware, ALS is a diagnosis of exclusion meaning that various tests must be conducted to rule out other possible causes of symptoms.  The eye-twitching that you describe, while perhaps a symptom of neurologic disease, is a common complaint among "normal" individuals and may become especially prominent while under stress or when physically exhausted.  Indeed, you are correct in your concern for fasciculations being a symptom of ALS, however fasciculations in themselves are by no means diagnostic.  Other symptoms of ALS including weakness, often manifest initially by dropping things, difficulty climbing stairs, or trouble rising from a chair.

As others have suggested, I recommend you make an appointment with you primary care physician, or alternatively, a neurologist who can better take a detailed history and do an exam.  ALS is a diagnosis which requires meticulous history-taking and examination technique so unfortunately, I am unable to offer you any definitive answers on this forum.  Thanks for your question, and best of luck.

Sincerely,
JBT, MD
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Avatar universal
My understanding of ALS is that it usually developes after some kind of trauma. If it is very worrisome to you, please see your PCP for his thoughts.
Best of luck!
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Avatar universal
I have been diagnosed with PLS.  Very similar to ALS but progresses much slower.  You should visit with your primary care physician and have him/her refer you to a neurologist.  They have a battery of tests they can perform to identify ALS.

Good luck.  Hope it's nothing.

Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Thanks for your answers. But please, I posted my question her to get an answer from e neurologyst, an expert.

Wish you both all the best!


Bruno
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Avatar universal
What are your symptoms may I ask, seems like little is known about PLS. My symptoms are so slow no one can figure out for sure what I have. You can private message me if you would like.
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Avatar universal
Can't get your e-mail address.  Your name appears the same as mine - no link.

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Avatar universal
Got mine to change.  E-mail me.
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Avatar universal
i used tohave numbness in my leg for months now over the last 2wks its in my face but ims getting tingling as well i get sharp pains as well as burning ial over my body i wonder if tingling could be gabapentin meds are y on this
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Bruno:

I don't know when/if the neuro is goiing to respond to your question, but please note that your symptoms sound very much like a benign condition called Benign Fasiculation Syndrome.  Please go to the following web site, look at the FAQs and enter the forum.  You will see many people with the same symptoms you have.  The neuros here tend to scare people a little more than they should. Twitching is not the early presentation of ALS.  If you don't have weakness or atrophy (and those would be very noticeable) then twitching is not an indication of ALS. If you had ALS, by the time you had all over twitching as you're describing, you'd be in bad shape indeed.  Please go to www.aboutbfs.com - you will feel much better.
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Avatar universal
Just bumping this up to see if you ever get a doc to respond.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your responses. I decided to talk to my psychologist. After talking to him and observing my symptoms over a few weeks I think that I have what is called a "somatoform disorder" (see wikipedia) and the fasciculations ar benign. However, I would appreciate a respons from a doctor in this forum. That was the reason I posted my question here in the experts forum.

Best wishes


Bruno
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Avatar universal
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with your psychologist. You cannot consider a somatoform disorder without ruling out all other causes to the extent that it is possible. That is the number one rule of a somatoform disorder.

You need to make an appointment with your PCP, just like the neurologist said. Fasciculations are not a psychological symptom, although some people say they are worse when under stress.

You seem rather anxious and maybe it would be good for you to see a psychologist, but you need to go see a PCP as well. You are hiding your fears behind a psychologist and not facing the reality that you need to investigate the cause of this with a PCP. As the poster said above, ALS is very unlikely. Wouldn't it be nice to know for sure that you don't have it?
Helpful - 0
279679 tn?1207130391
This topic is covered extensively on a page dedicated to people with twitches / fasciculations and who are scared about ALS.

http://www.asktheneurologist.com/scared-its-ALS.html

Hope that helps

Brain 123
Neurologist MD
Helpful - 2

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