worried - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Message Board

kirkcoachk · 04-01-2005, 04:48 PM

I am a worrier by nature, but about two weeks ago I started feeling really weak all over as well as a loss of appetite, a little nausea, and some small occasional spasms in my feet. I started working out after a long period of not working out and i have been doing a lot of running walking and lifting for these past two weeks. I can still exercise and lift, but after i lift i feel really weak and jittery for a long period of time. I have been on the net and have read about some symptoms of ALS and i am worried. I am not tripping or anything, but this chronic feeling of weakness and fatigue have me losing my mind with worry about this. The more i read about spasms and faciculations (whatever that is) the more i worry. Please advise. It is captivating my every thought.
My name is Kirk

5labudas · 04-02-2005, 08:27 AM

als usually affects one limb at a time. i'm not a doctor, but your symptoms dont sound typical of als. search the web and you'll find some good definitions and syptoms of als.

laurajh · 04-02-2005, 07:40 PM

I'm sure you feel weak and jittery because of sudden excercise that you're not used to doing. It makes perfect sense. Als doesn't hit that fast either. When you hadn't been working out and then suddenly you do, your body is going to react (or protest). Try slowing down a bit and ease yourself into heavy workouts more gradually and you'll probably feel better afterwards. But do yourself a favor and don't go online looking up symptoms. You'll just worry yourself over nothing. Als doesn't hit that fast, either.

I know that jittery feeling you're talking about. I'm not the most in shape person in the world so when I exercise too much I feel it too, it's just my lazy muscles saying "nah, I don't THINK so!" :-)

I'm a worrier by nature too (I have an anxiety disorder even) and when I start worrying about things it makes me twitch all over the place. I know I don't have "it" but I come to these boards because I worry about my husband's family who is at risk, and I get myself all worried every time someone has a health problem. But when I see people asking questions on these boards getting themselves worried and they say they start twitching - I'm probably 99% sure the twitching is stress related from reading about symptoms and it's a vicious cycle. I know, I make myself twitch all the time :-)

kirkcoachk · 04-02-2005, 08:47 PM

thank you for that post. It is nice to know that i am not the only one that goes through this stuff. Come to think of it all of these symptoms started after i read a little out of that new book about lou gehrig. now I am weak and cramping and twitching and tired and all kinds of things. Thanks for your help i would like to hear from you again.

laurajh · 04-12-2005, 06:32 AM

I'm sure that's all it is. Stress is known to cause wacky symptoms. I do it to myself all the time. I worry not for myself, but for my father in law. And that's because he's already got a 50% chance of having inherited a screwy gene because his father had als, 3 of his sisters, and 2 of his nephews. I love and care about him but worry not only for him, but also because I see him as a gauge for my husband's health. If his father is ok chances are he'll be ok too. Whenever anyone in their family has a health issue I immediately think the worst. And that's where the internet research and it's resulting terror comes in.

I came to these boards hoping for reassurance and I'm just not finding it. The first thread I started has over 200 views, but not a single response. I feel like either nobody cares, or nobody wants to confirm my fears by saying "yep that's what it sounds like alright," but either way I'm not helping myself by coming here I guess.