ALS Fear After Lifting Weights

[PascalXlV]

Hi All,If you read my past posts you will probably know that i am suffering for ALS fear for around 1.5 years and i had muscle twitching but also many clean EMGs in all parts of my body.10 days ago i went to the gym and lifted weights, after that to the pool and after only 200 meters my right arm felt very fatigued.This arm had an operation 8 years ago (humeral fracture).Fast forward i have pain and weakness on my back and right arm since then. In addition i have something like a hole in the supraspinatus muscle which a doctor in the past believed is just anatomical because of my humeral operation (a screw on the shoulder) - My right shoulder is lower than the left so at my back it seems that there is hole...I went for an EMG last Thursday. I was scared because he looked at my back and was concerned about atrophy... made the EMG and all was clean so he said "a needle is never wrong"!Anyway i am very worried because i really feel weaker on my right arm and back... I also have a sharp pain (like the muscle is tired) whenever i make movements in that side.Concerning the "hole" in the supraspinatus area i found some photos from last year when i had similar concern and gladly it seems that its exactly the same like now. But what about the weakness?Its clear that this started after my extensive exercise but could that be a trigger point for ALS?I really want to hear your opinion and advice

 

[Gracer]

As the people here said already, the fact you have weak feeling anf pain in the back and arm means you got your nerve compressed somwhere at the neck level, which is common fate for people in the gym. Massage, time, less workouts, NSAIDS should help.it might be very serious, but it is not ALS.

 

[PascalXlV]

Hi d4twitch,- With regards to the weakness and "pain" what makes me comfortable it is that it started after this extensive workout- The "hole" on my back is between the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscle. It's probably there for a long time but my concern is that now looks bigger and its on the exact same spot I'm having those issues. I firstly saw this "hole" 1 year ago when i was searching my body and then the doctor said that its an anatomical issue because of the operation i had 8 years ago on my shoulder. My right shoulder bends a bit so that creates this empty space on my back which seems to me like a "hole"...- Last Thursday during my EMG the neuro commented that he thought this "hole" is an atrophy so he had to put the needle to this muscle and check "supraspinatus". Gladly there was nothing there so he was convinced that all was fine. At the same time i explained to him about the dislocation of my shoulder and this also made sense to him about the "hole".Anyway i really don't know what to do in order to get rid of those scary thoughts concerning my back. I would probably order an MRI and see if there is a sprain. That would ease my mind. I would also book an appointment with an orthopedic. I can't let this issue grow dangerously. I was cool during the past months and my ALS fear was under control. Funny thing. I haven't felt a twitch for quite a long time... More than a week.Hi Yulia,Thanks for your input. I hope you are right,

 

[BFSDiner]

This isn't serious my friend.You're exerting yourself too much. Half of us got here by doing that in the first place. I have strong suspicions that over-training is a factor with BFS. You will notice how many distance runners, cyclists, and bodybuilders are on here. You don't go to a celiac forum and see a bunch of fitness freaks. Here, you do. I was one of them. Stop exercising so hard. Your body is trying to tell you that it needs a break. You may need to pick up the pink dumbbells and workout with the girls, but you need to stop doing "extensive workouts".Just stop.Kick it back about 20 notches. Kick the weights down about 20 lbs. Kick the swimming down to one lap. And rest. When this all started, I was pulling muscles that I never pulled before. I had joint pain and extreme pains all over my shoulders, legs, and other areas. These are a result of inflamed nerves. BFS is without a doubt an inflammatory condition of some kind. It results in pains you've never had before, cracking joints like your grandma, and exercise intolerance. You must rest.-B-

 

[SparkleKid]

Sorry you are in such despair. These aches and pains and weird symptoms really can get our minds going into dark places if we let it. Just because the doctor can't identify the root cause does not mean you have a serious condition. The fact that you have had this for a while and they have not found anything is very promising this in a "benign" condition. As my doctor said, bad diseases don't usually hide for very long.

 

[RhinoWebster]

The real logic answer is -- this was brought on by exercise. Maybe you exercised more than normal? Maybe it was normal and you just had an off day in which your technique failed you.. maybe maybe maybe...That's just logic -- you noticed this after your workout -- logical.You had surgery in the same area as the "hole" in your shoulder that you are just NOW focusing on. But I bet its been there ever since surgery.But with BFS - logic is ALWAYS thrown out the window --so lets look at facts --1.5 years of twitching You can still walk, talk, swim, lift weights.MND would have surely presented itself in more ways than atrophy by now.Sorry you're in that mental state - good news is -- you don't have MND -- bad news is that no one else can convince you that you don't except you.good luck -- head up!

 

[PascalXlV]

Thanks to everyone for the responses...You have been very helpful.I couldn't wait longer and had an EMG yesterday evening in the body area which i felt the "weakness" and the possible "atrophy".Firstly the Neuro confirmed that there is no atrophy - This "hole-like" on my back is there because anatomically my right shoulder is a bit lower than the left due to the humeral fracture operation and the addition of a screw on my right shoulder... It was "probably" there ever since i had the operation in 2006. And by the way. Its very difficult to spot it unless you are told and look carefully.Nevertheless he performed an EMG on all the surrounding muscles. Supraspinatus, Trapezius and Deltoid. Even though he was very quick with the EMG (30-60secs per muscle) there was no pathology in any muscle.I feel really sorry for myself that i am in such mental state and i spend so many hours every day over the last 1.5 years for this fear.I decided to move on and leave everything behind.BFS is a reaction of our body to stress. The only way to get rid of it is to ignore it. Funny enough, during the last 10 days when i was dealing with my possible weakness and atrophy i really forgot about the twitches. And guess what - I don't remember i even felt a single twitch on my whole bodyToday i was devastated by the crash of Germanwings - This is an airline that i am very frequent flyer and i was considering it as one of the safest in the World. Our life is full of dangers. Every day. We can't keep trying to protect ourselves from ALL those dangers because that way we will lose the real life.I look at my Username "PascalXlV", i was 35 when i tried to firstly register to this forum.Next month i am turning 37.... Long time here. I am blessed and happy for what life gave me and i intend to finally start again to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.I will stop living in fear and i will try to motivate many i know to do the same... You too!