Fibromyalgia or ALS?

[Jim]

For about a year now I've had general fatigue and muscle weakness. I've been to many doctors and specialists but they can't find anything wrong with me. About 4 months ago I started having muscle twitches in my arms, legs, and abdomen; and recently they've been getting worse. Around this time I started having trouble finding the right words and I often stumble on them. These past 3 weeks I've had chest pain on my left side that seems to shoot down my arm into my index finger. I've been to the ER countless times but nothing. Recently though, I've noticed my right leg is a lot weaker than my left and my right calf is noticeably smaller than my left. Keep in mind I'm right legged. This past week my overall fatigue has gotten a lot worse and I'm having excess mucus. What could this be?
P.S. sorry if my English is my bad it isn't my first language

 

[johnsalmon]

Fibromyalgia is a lot like ALS in its early stages - symptoms such as unable to form a word unable to swallow and having food/liquid go into the air way is a major concern and should be looked at by a neurologist or a rheumatologist ALS can affect all muscles which Fibromyalgia does not normally do thus ALS can affect the heart muscles with dire results - suggest strongly that you ask your doctor for a referral

I started having trouble finding the right words and I often stumble on them.

the other cause of this can be essential tremor but you show no signs of that

Fibromyalgia does not kill you ALS does.

 

[Dooi]

No need to apologize for your English. It sounds like you have been through a lot and it is understandable that you are feeling frustrated. It is important that you keep track of all your symptoms and bring them up to any doctor you visit. It could be helpful to keep a detailed journal of your symptoms, as well as any medications or treatments you are trying. It could be beneficial to get a second opinion from a different doctor, or even seek out an expert in the field.

ALS has very specific onset of symptoms and is very rare, so fortunately the chance of this being ALS is very remote.

I strongly suggest you speak with a doctor as soon as possible for both your physical health and your own mental health (so you can put some relief to any anxiety you must be feeling).

Wishing you all the best and looking forward to hearing any updates.

 

[Jim]

Thanks. My doctor told me It's very unlikely I have ALS as I'm 14 but I'm not so sure. Scheduled to see a neurologist next Wednesday so hopefully I can get some results.

 

[johnsalmon]

I'm 14

were not trying to scare you - sorry did not know you were so young Normally you would be between the ages of 40 to 70 to get ALS younger then that it is very very rare.

I hope your doctor can get to the bottom of it.

 

[cookiebaker]

My doctor told me It's very unlikely I have ALS as I'm 14 but I'm not so sure.

I think I would be more inclined to agree with the doctor. Not trying to be dismissive, but the chance of developing ALS under the age of 40 is extremely rare. Yes, it does happen, but not often... even in older adults, ALS not that common.

I would honestly be more inclined to suspect nutrient deficiencies of some sort - what is your diet like? Do you eat well?
and by well, i mean lots of fruit & veg, lean proteins, etc - or are you eating a lot of processed foods? prepackaged or fast food meals, etc?
I try very hard to eat healthy, rarely eat out, and make most of my food myself, but even I have deficiencies - more than I thought, to be honest - and many can cause muscle weakness, spasms, mental issues (brain fog, depression, etc), and many other symptoms.

and for what it is worth, search engines make lousy doctors. They can be great for researching once you actually have a diagnosis, but trying to get a diagnosis with them is not a good idea.
You can actually make yourself sicker by worrying too much, thinking you have something you dont.
Work with your doctor to try to figure out the real cause of your symptoms - dont jump to conclusions because of something you read on the internet - there are a LOT of ailments, including fibromyalgia, that have similar symptoms in the beginning.. only proper medical testing will give you the answers you seek. It may take a little time, but you will get there.

 

[Jim]

Thanks for your kind words. My diet is pretty good as my naturopath had me cut out dairy and gluten and I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Although I do have a general uncomforable feeling which I've heard can be attributed to mineral deficiencies.

 

[cookiebaker]

cutting out dairy could mean you are not getting enough calcium, for starters, and a quick search turns up...

sound familiar?
I think you should talk to your doc about possibly doing some nutrient testing.. B vitamins, D, magnesium, and a few other of the more common ones..

 

[Jim]

cutting out dairy could mean you are not getting enough calcium, for starters, and a quick search turns up...

View attachment 3723

sound familiar?
I think you should talk to your doc about possibly doing some nutrient testing.. B vitamins, D, magnesium, and a few other of the more common ones..

Hey I know It's been awhile, however I got a lot of vitamin tests including calcium and they all came back normal. My muscle spasms and weakness continue to get worse. Should I still not worry about ALS?

 

[cookiebaker]

....and they all came back normal

there is a big difference between being in the "normal range" and being optimal
knowing where in the range your test results are can speak volumes.
if you are at the low end of the range, you can still be experiencing symptoms of low levels. And, if you have been at that low end of range for some time, then yes, most definitely you could be experiencing deficiency symptoms.
Just like everything else, everyone reacts differently... what is optimal for me might be too much or too little for you, and vice versa.

as an example - my ferritin level at my last test was in range, but just barely.. and I am still experiencing deficiency symptoms - things like excessive fatigue, hair loss, and so on. I need to bring my ferritin level up to at least 4 times what it is to reverse those symptoms.

Should I still not worry about ALS?

Is your doctor concerned about it? Have any test results come up pointing to that as a possibility?
if not, then chances are you should not be stressing about it.
Have you asked your doctor what he/she thinks might be going on?
There are a LOT of things that have similar symptoms - worrying over something without any real indicators causes stress, and stress just makes things worse.
I would continue to pursue this, but I would try very hard to not stress over it without knowing something definitive is saying yes, this is/could be your problem.
Dr Web Search is a lousy way to get a diagnosis, and is wrong more often than not.

 

[seniorzala]

you can jump in front of a Car?

 

[sunkacola]

Should I still not worry about ALS?

Don't worry about ALS.
Any worry is wasting your limited energy, and is putting you into a negative place that is guaranteed to make all of your symptoms worse. Worry is about something you don't know or has not happened. So it cannot ever do any good, and for us fibro people it's very harmful.

Further, as cookiebaker said, you have no rational indications at this time that you have ALS. You need to let go of that worry. Talk to your doctor about it, but if the doc is not concerned, why should you be?

 

[Looby69]

you can jump in front of a Car?

Have I misunderstood this? You're suggesting he should jump in front of a car if he is worried?

 

[seniorzala]

No,no
I wordedit wrong ,so if someone has ALS they can't "Jump" in front of a Car or anything.
Sorry,English is hard to express..
Senior

 

[noryie]

this is not right.