Fear ALS

[Ow1984]

I'm having a bad afternoon HA wise. My story starts back in July where I was constantly testing my grip strentgh after reading about ALS on another forum. I then had hand pain which has continued for since then. From mid August I have had a twitching hand the muscle between thumb and index finger. After a few weeks I had twitching all over but a different type of twitching to that in my hand or so it feels

I have seen 2 GPs. 1 did bloods and all came back as acceptable. Both did smallstrength tests and said they were good and nothing to worry about.

The 2nd GP advised me to see a hand specialist which the hand specialist then advised a MRI. They picked something up on my MRI of which I see the hand specialist about Wednesday. But I cannot shift the belief that I have Als.

I have had 2 therapy sessions during this period but hasn't really gone into any CBT methods with me and has been trying to deal with my stress more.
Why has the twitching gone on for 3 months?

Why would this twitch last for 3 months. I can actually go all day without a twitch if I don't cross my fingers or spread them apart or get stressed.

Sorry for long post but am currently in a bad way again. Had a good day yesterday. Just fear that this pain which is causing me to be unable to do as much with my hand due to weakness is ALS.

 

[matisworried]

first and foremost, what you're describing sounds nothing like als. my former father-in-law died of als so i have seen it first hand. i also went through a year-long ms/als scare after an abnormality was found on a brain mri i got for something completely unrelated. in that time i did TONS of "research." i also developed a staggering amount of physical symptoms including twitching. these symptoms continued to get worse from an entire year. i was convinced i was going to be dead or be confined to a chair within two years. then i got my follow-up scan, which showed no new lesions. within a month, all of my symptoms were gone. my brain was behind almost every twitch and every perceived bout of muscle weakness. i say "almost every twitch" because sometimes it happens. people have random twitches once in awhile. it's normal.

if the odds help, als is incredibly rare. there are only 5,000 new cases per year in the US which has a population of almost 400 million. that means your odds of getting diagnosed with it are less than 1/10 of 1%. another way to look at it (and this is really true) you are three times more likely to get stuck by lightning than you are to get diagnosed with als... but i bet you aren't sitting at home worrying about that.

if that doesn't help at all, read this. it was written by a doctor:

is my twitching related to als?

if you're a googler, please stop by any means necessary. it will never help more than it hurts.

 

[Ow1984]

Thanks, I have read that article but the follow on articles confuse me as they say it you don't feel weakness then don't worry. But I do feel weakness in my 1 hand. It physically hurts when I grip stuff with index finger and thumb. Also if I cross my arms and grip my other arm. My hand and for arm begin to shake. Its very strange

 

[matisworried]

Thanks, I have read that article but the follow on articles confuse me as they say it you don't feel weakness then don't worry. But I do feel weakness in my 1 hand. It physically hurts when I grip stuff with index finger and thumb. Also if I cross my arms and grip my other arm. My hand and for arm begin to shake. Its very strange

it's not strange. you're so hyper-focused on your body that you're 1.) perceiving weakness that's not there 2.) experiencing sensations that your brain is creating and mistaking for serious symptoms or 3.) feeling sensations that are due to minor things like injury. possibly a combination of those. what you're describing isn't even considered true medical weakness. as the article states, weakness almost always begins in the leg, not two fingers on your hand.

 

[Ow1984]

Well today has been a better day HA wise. Still have the pain in my hand which I'm now thinking maybe tenosynovitis or something but can this cause twitching?

 

[liveinthenow]

Your hand sounds like a repetitive use injury - something almost definitely brought on by all the grip and strength tests. When I was going through my own scare, I would test myself by steering my car using only my thumb and one of my fingers - insane I know! - and my hand and wrist were stiff and sore for weeks, which like you sent my anxiety through the roof. Only after icing my hand, which improved things - did I make the connection that I had caused the pain in the first place. The twitching is just a random thing that happens to us anxious people (and regular people), and it also happens after muscle use/overuse/injury - if you have ever done weights, you might have noticed the muscles you work will often twitch. Every time you twitch, just flex the muscle and remind yourself that you wouldn't be able to do that if you were truly ill. Glad you are having a better day!

 

[Ow1984]

So just my first gym session since my anxiety started 3 months ago. Lifted weights. Twitching going mad after in my fingers but also some strange wrist feelings and forearm pain starting to think this maybe a nerve problem.

 

[JADIII]

I too went through a nightmare for a year with ALS fears. One thing that was pounded into me that was clear and present. ALS has nothing to do with feeling, it has to do with failing. So if you're having pain that's a "good" sign in that it's not ALS.

Hope that helps.

 

[matisworried]

it doesn't sound a nerve problem, though. it sounds like anxiety combined with injury/exertion/over-use.

i know your brain wants you to make this something sinister but it's really unlikely that's the case.

 

[liveinthenow]

As everyone else has said, this is almost certainly just anxiety mixed with fatigue from not having done weights in a few months. I definitely twitch all over after doing weights, as many others do, and have had crazy pain in my hands and forearms and wrists from incorrect technique and overuse. Keep in mind that if you were having nerve issues, you wouldn't have had the grip strength to pick up the weights in the first place.

 

[Ow1984]

When I said nerve problem I meant something like carpel or cubital tunnel. Have been having pain in wrists and hands whilst not doing weights also last few days

 

[Vandelsrock21]

I have had this two. Heck i get muscle twitches and vibrations often. Everytime als or ms comes to mind. But perceived weakness and pain is way different than clinical. One day i lost grip on a bottle and i thought omg clinical weakness when in reality it was a slip. Or pulling the trigger on a pressure washer wand same issue tired hand and fast. But i never use that muscle group. Anyway anxiety can make it all seem so much worse than it really is. You will fine my friend

 

[matisworried]

When I said nerve problem I meant something like carpel or cubital tunnel. Have been having pain in wrists and hands whilst not doing weights also last few days

a much more likely culprit than ALS for sure. there are some pretty simple tests for that as well.

 

[Ow1984]

Just seems that that as it twitches a lot more after I grip something that its quite possible to be 1 of the above. Although 2 doctors and a hand specialist have seen my hand and haven't said a word. Get the mri results later from the hand specialist regarding the pain I've been in for 3 nonths

 

[matisworried]

Just seems that that as it twitches a lot more after I grip something that its quite possible to be 1 of the above. Although 2 doctors and a hand specialist have seen my hand and haven't said a word. Get the mri results later from the hand specialist regarding the pain I've been in for 3 nonths

it's very excellent that you'll get some answers today one way or the other! best of luck and make sure to keep us updated. i really don't think you have anything to worry about though!

 

[Ow1984]

Right then here goes. He thought it was tendonsynvits originally that's why he sent me for an MRI. It turns out to be a muscle strain. He said the strain could be causing the twitching also and should calm down when the muscle calms down. Feel odd as this has been strained for 3-4 months with no improve net

 

[matisworried]

Right then here goes. He thought it was tendonsynvits originally that's why he sent me for an MRI. It turns out to be a muscle strain. He said the strain could be causing the twitching also and should calm down when the muscle calms down. Feel odd as this has been strained for 3-4 months with no improve net

well, that's great news!

try to remember a few things: first, you use your hand hundreds of times daily. you've likely done things that have aggravated it and caused a delay in healing. second, it's still a possibility that your anxiety is exacerbating your symptoms or that your anxiety is causing you to be hyper-aware of even the smallest sensations in your hand.

 

[Ageless50]

I too went through a nightmare for a year with ALS fears. One thing that was pounded into me that was clear and present. ALS has nothing to do with feeling, it has to do with failing. So if you're having pain that's a "good" sign in that it's not ALS.

Hope that helps.

Hello. Is numbness a symptom of als?

 

[matisworried]

Hello. Is numbness a symptom of als?

numbness is a symptom of hundreds of illnesses and injuries, many of which are minor. if you're experiencing numbness and you're concerned you may have ALS, there's a 99.99999999999% chance you're wrong.

 

[Ageless50]

Thanx!