ALS Scared Again

[Albert Aguilar]

Hello all, I have been having this fear of ALS for the past few years. Just to jump into it. I was home on Saturday napping on my couch. I get a call from my mom. We talked for a couple minutes. A few hours later I saw her, she asked me if I had been drinking because she said I sounded drunk. Since I had done all the research on ALS I saw that the first bulbar symptom is slurred speech and that others would notice before you did. Am I overreacting? I asked her yesterday over the phone if I sounded drunk, she said no that it was only that one time. Is it normal to slurr speech a little bit when waking up from sleep? Please help!! Thank you.

 

[Concernedgal]

Do you take anti -anxiety medication? If so. Then that's what it is. For example if you take a benzo like ativan,xanax.. just to name a couple then .. you also should know that it effects your central nervous system. And with that.. there is always the potential of slurred speech, disorientation, and all the good stuff that getting drunk can also do to you. So if you take a benzo... then ask your doctor if it's possible that he or she prescribed you too high of a a dose.

 

[Albert Aguilar]

Currently I'm not taking any meds. I thought that because I was sleeping my mom confused that with slurring. I had an alcohol problem that has gotten better but she assumed I had been drinking. Thank you.

 

[Concernedgal]

Your welcome. Wish I knew more about this.

 

[Rinka]

Hello all, I have been having this fear of ALS for the past few years. Just to jump into it. I was home on Saturday napping on my couch. I get a call from my mom. We talked for a couple minutes. A few hours later I saw her, she asked me if I had been drinking because she said I sounded drunk. Since I had done all the research on ALS I saw that the first bulbar symptom is slurred speech and that others would notice before you did. Am I overreacting? I asked her yesterday over the phone if I sounded drunk, she said no that it was only that one time. Is it normal to slurr speech a little bit when waking up from sleep? Please help!! Thank you.

Hi @Albert Aguilar welcome
I think you should not worry too much about this. Just imagine, you are sleeping, dreaming and then you get a call. Your brain needs to restart and before that happens, you will be slurry and confused. Happens to me a lot, even when I'm in not asleep , and I really do not have ALS.

Reading that you had an alcohol problem, your mom might be sensitive to any form of change in your behaviour because of concern over you and might have interpreted your sleepiness as being drunk.

 

[Concernedgal]

Good point rinka. I never thought of it that way. Your right. .. it does take your brain time to restart.

 

[Albert Aguilar]

Thank you guys for your input, it's been a hard few years for me. I lost my wife because of these issues I've had. I just feel super depressed too because I've realized that no one wants to be with a sufferer like me. I've alienade myself from everyone I know because of my high anxiety. I just sometimes wish I could be normal. I don't care if there was anything wrong with me as long as I thought like a normal person.

 

[janemariesayed]

Not many people actually speak the second of waking up. If they did the speech could be a bit slurred if the person was still in half a slumber. Do you remember if you felt dizzy at the same time? Maybe you moved your head a bit quick and you had a head rush, I think that can slur your speech a bit.

 

[Concernedgal]

Thank you guys for your input, it's been a hard few years for me. I lost my wife because of these issues I've had. I just feel super depressed too because I've realized that no one wants to be with a sufferer like me. I've alienade myself from everyone I know because of my high anxiety. I just sometimes wish I could be normal. I don't care if there was anything wrong with me as long as I thought like a normal person.

HI Albert, i'm sorry to hear about your wife . I am married right now but, we almost divorced. He never understood why I didn't go many places because of my amaxaphobia ( fear of being a passenger in a car). I'm OK for short distances but, the farther I go ... the more panicked I feel so we don't go many place together. But, 1 day ... my husband ran to me and claimed that he was dizzy and he felt weird so he started to freak out and I explained to him what was going on and he said ( is this what you go through? ) and I said (yep) now he is much more understanding of my anxiety. I wouldn't wish anxiety on my worst enemy but, I believe that the attack happen to him for a reason and I would like to believe that it was so he could see what it was like.

 

[Rinka]

Thank you guys for your input, it's been a hard few years for me. I lost my wife because of these issues I've had. I just feel super depressed too because I've realized that no one wants to be with a sufferer like me. I've alienade myself from everyone I know because of my high anxiety. I just sometimes wish I could be normal. I don't care if there was anything wrong with me as long as I thought like a normal person.

Hi Albert,
Anxiety can be a condition that controlls ones life and the ones of the people you love. Sadly enough being with someone who has those issues can be very stressful, draining and sometimes feelings of hopelessness can start breaking the relationship.
It is important for you, I think to work on getting the control over your life back. At the moment anxiety controlles your life with every step you take and everywhere to go.
I felt similar until I decided for myself to take control back.
This is something I think you might need to do too. Everyone who suffers from anxiety and depression needs to come to the point, I personally think, where you decide that you don't want to give up your life, that you want to control your life.
It's the only one we have, so take control and live your life that way you want it and not how anxiety and depression dictates it.

Easier said then done, but I think the fight is worth it.
I felt lost and alone for a long time until I have decided to fight back and now I start to take month by month more control over my life again. It's hard work, frustrating and has a lot of set backs, but what I have earned so far is all worth it.

 

[JohnM]

This past July I was absolutely terrified I had ALS. I was fudging my handwriting, slurring my speech, running words together, and, in general, exhibiting all the classic symptoms of ALS. All of these "symptoms" immediately dissipated upon reassurance from a doctor. Don't underestimate your neurological ability to manufacture illness. You'll be fine. Take comfort in this and the fact that ALS is breathtakingly rare.