Hand Issues Getting Worse - Need Advice

Hi Guys,I have asked before, but my hand issues seem to be getting worse. It feels awkward when I am grabbing things and I get a feeling of weakness when I am doing things with my right hand (it is like a ticklish sensation inside with perhaps a slight numbness sometimes with pressure). I have been doing a lot of strength tests and such and could this be making my hand feel worse? I have been twitching for a year, clean EMG in December and already had some mild hand symptoms. The feelings seem to get worse after I have been using the computer. I also drove for 3 hours x 2 on Saturday and also wrote notes in class for 2 hours yesterday also.It is the sensation and feeling like I am going to drop something when I am first picking it up or moving it in my hand, but once I have the object there it seems better. I seem more uncoordinated though such as when I am typing and when I push with the back of my hand or try to push upwards with my fingers that it feels bad. I did have numbness in my ulnar nerve regions last year when I woke up, but don't get that often now. I do not get much pain at all.Any suggestions? Could it be slow progressing ***? My speech still seems weird too, some sounds are difficult in fast succession, but some words have become straighforward again for me, which I assume is a good sign. Can BFS, anxiety and may be a little too much computer or strength tests do all this? My hand just feels really weak and I dropped a spoon the other day when scraping out a container. Any thoughts would really help.Thanks so much. I am just starting as a grad student at the tender age of 38 and I would hate to have this worry spoil it.

I'm no expert, but it would seem illogical that you might have you know what coming on in your hand and bulbar symptoms as well. I suppose it could start that way, but everything I've read suggests it is typically one or the other and most frequently in a limb. The perceived weakness and preceived speech issues are pretty common and typically tied to the CRAZY anxiety you are probably going through right now. I would suggest you try the search function. I'll bet you find hundreds of answers to your question.Type "bulbar" or "hand" or "perceived weakness" into the search box and read some old posts. I find it very reassuring to see the same basic posts repeated over and over from year to year. Most people on here have had similar symptoms. I know I have. There is a definite pattern if you read enough. The bulbar fear is probably anxiety and the hand thing is probably anxiety combined with a little fatigue from too much keyboard and mouse time or strength testing.

Thanks for your reply. But can perceived weakness make objects feel heavier and as if you could drop it at any moment. A sense of tiredness in the limb and needing to concentrate and work more to do a task?

I really can't say. Everybody is different and it seems like most people here have a lot of symptoms in common along with some that seem really weird and not so common. I think we all have variations on a similar theme.When my anxiety was off the charts, I was pretty much convinced my hands were getting weaker-especially my right hand. They felt tired and it seemed like little things took a lot more effort than they should have. Well, they probably were a little bit fatigued (I was doing a LOT of work on the computer at the time in addition to not sleeping and having anxiety levels of about 8.5 on a scale of 10). I would wiggle my pinky constantly as a strength/dexterity test...that just made thing worse. As the anxiety subsided, so did my perceived weakness. At this point, my hands still feel fatigued after I do a lot of work on the computer, but at this point I think it is really no different than the way your feet feel after standing all day or having a sore back after working all day...it just happens..especially as we get a little longer in the tooth . The fact that it happens in conjunction with some random muscle twitching makes it seem especially insidious because of the things we have read on the internets. I think the mind is an incredibly powerful thing. I think that fear and anxiety can make a perceived symptom seem much worse than it actually is and YES I do think what you are experiencing could be nothing more than anxiety/perceived weakness. However, if you TRULY believe you are getting weaker, you should see a doctor ASAP.

Have you been tested for carpel tunnel syndrome? It is caused by repetitve movements and if you do a lot of typing, it can cause all the symptoms you describe and more.Sandra D

I don't think I use the computer as much as other people, but it does seem to affect it. It was after using the computer for a few days that the symptoms seemed to come back and get worse. I don't have pain though (only the occassional twinge) and only a little feeling of internal numbness, although both hands were going a little numb when driving the other day. I bought a wrist support that I am trying to use when on the computer, but the problem is it seems quite restrictive and makes my hand feel weaker as it causes more resistance to my movements. It is more a feeling of things feeling like more effort when I do them, and things such as my textbooks feel heavier, but I can lift my 17" widescreen laptop with just my thumb and each finger in turn (laptop hanging vertically, not horizontal or I would be wonderwoman), so am not sure if I had true weakness I could really do this... also I have been constantly stretching and pushing and pulling so hope that as BFS can cause exercise intolerance, maybe I am fatiguing my own hand.I really don't want to go to the doctor as I have just started college and really don't feel like going through all the worry and waiting. I did have an NCV and EMG in December and everything was fine. As mentioned, I did have a lot of numbness on waking in my little finger and ring finger later last year which can signify ulnar nerve issues, which also affects grip. I have also heard that people with RSI can experience a feeling of useless hands, so I know that automatically worrying about the worse case scenario seems a little much.I will see how it goes.

Try to remain rational about it. I think we all tend to get really irrational when we realize that twitching probably means absolutely nothing, but COULD mean something really bad. I'll bet your symptoms improve the less you focus on them.

First off, the symptoms you're experiencing in your hand really do sound like carpal tunnel syndrome.Second, when I was in the "constantly testing myself" phase of my scare, I was causing all kinds of problems. I was doing the heel-walk a few times per day and man I started having serious foot pain. Testing yourself is a waste of time and will not make you feel better.Millions of people have carpal tunnel syndrome; only thousands have ALS. Which do you think is more likely?

Rachel,In my early months with this I experienced the same thing with perceived weakness....things hard to lift and hold etc...I think a lot of it is our health anxiety over these strange symptoms that we all enjoy.It has been 10 months for me and I am finally coming to terms with it and trying to heal...Unless you are completely dropping things and can't pick them up.....don't worry...easier said than done I know. Hang in there!!! Most of us have been there as well!Steve

Thank you for all of the support. My typing seems off, but I know that I was getting that a lot a year ago after using the computer a lot, so the fact that it went away before if very hopeful. I know how irrational I can be so I just need to relax, not test so much and hopefully it will go away. It is strange how in our circumstances extra issues can be a relief; for example, I was quite happy when I woke this morning and my right hand felt partly numb! Strange huh?Thanks again and don't mind me if I am back here in another month; it seems to be taking me a long time to really get over my fears... maybe in 5 years...