Hello all. I am in the diagnosis process and thought I'd share a timeline...
September - went to neuro for left arm weakness and twitching. he diagnosed with carpal tunnel first and said second guess was slip disk in neck. he noted some thumb wasting in his exam but no weakness. i requested EMG but he gave me a splint and said to come back in 2-3 months
Unfortunately, I couldn't wait and got anxious regarding the situation after, of course, mister google (he isnt a doctor sine i see no PHd). I ended up in the ER twice with left arm issues...blood tests came back normal - they didnt test for vitamin deficiency or anything though. i have been taking b12 & magnesium though as i know these can sometime help the twitching.
Went to my GP to see what he thought and he noted a 1cm difference between left & right calf, said not to worry and perscribed me with anxiety meds.
October - after being unable to wait the 2-3 months from first neuro, i went to another one who did all of the regular clinical exams and such and noted no symptoms to be concerned about. he said he'd be happy to do an EMG and he did so the next week. He said that he noticed fasics (dont no correct spelling) in my left arm, but that was it. i asked about my thumb wasting and he said that there wasnt weakness, so not to worry. 2nd neuro along with my GP said no carpal tunnel. I had also been concerned about an odd feeling in my leg...felt kinda heavy and also had twitching but nothing on the EMG/NCV.
something was still going on though, so i continued to investigate seeking out answers through an orthopedic with Emory. an mri with them showed some cervical spine issues in my c4-c5 area and some joint arthritis. it explained upper arm weakness, but didnt explain my hand issues, which were getting worse. i went to PT for 6 weeks and it didnt do much so i was referred to a specialized orthopedic doc who does the epidural shots. he did a lot of the strength tests as well and noticed weakness in my pinky (first time clinical weakness was recognized). It seems to shake when pressure is applied to it. This concerned me. The doctor said he was "very surprised" that nothing showed up on the EMG with the amount of thumb wasting I am showing, but said another one wasn't necessary. He tested reflexes which were all in normal range.
He ordered a brain MRI...which is pending approval from my insurance. I assume to rule out something like MS.
Current symptoms:
-Left arm weakness (perceived for the most part by arm shook during yesterday's clinical exam). I'd say i begun to notice my left arm issues in late august/early sept. It is mostly my upper arm.
-Twitching (most of it occurs in my left arm by my elbow area..inner elbow and also at the top of the elbow. I also get some jumps in my legs)
-Clinical weakness in the left hand and noted atrophy
-Full/heavy feeling in right leg.
-Dry mouth/hoarse voice - some days i feel like my voice doesnt project. No slurring, but the occasional stumbling over words.
-Thumb atrophy, which yesterday's doc said was "classic" for carpal tunnel, but that was ruled out in my October EMG.
I had a brain MRI that showed over 20 lesions and now I need further testing for demylination and such. Can MS cause this twitching and atrophy? I am worried about ALS but I am 27 so that is extremely unlikely. Any thoughts would be great...
In the diagnosis process...here's my timeline...
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Re: In the diagnosis process...here's my timeline...
hi and welcome to the forum hunter sorry to hear about your symptoms. hope you enjoy reading on the forums - all kinds of discussion topics to explore.. there will be something that grabs your interest and spurs further inquiry.
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Re: In the diagnosis process...here's my timeline...
I have a third neuro appointment today. I'm terrified my atrophy in thumb is being caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Re: In the diagnosis process...here's my timeline...
hi again i know this is not at all easy. but do try not to freak out about all the different possibilities while waiting for the diagnostic process to play out. even in the unlikely event that you got an ALS dx, 10% of those patients have their dx changed to something else later. while things are up in the air on the docs' end, you can do everything in your personal control to live well, and focus on taking the best care of yourself that you possibly can. so with that said, what can you share about your diet and lifestyle up to this point? anything you can see that might benefit from some modification? have you been on any kind of medication long term? what's your activity level like, on the sedentary to athletic spectrum?
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Re: In the diagnosis process...here's my timeline...
Anyone ever have a mute babinski on one side?
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