I posted a few months ago and I have talked to a few people on here but I am a mess. Here's why:20 months ago (yes, I am counting like a nut, lol) I had this weird feeling that I was having to work harder than usual to pronounce words, especially words with an "s" sound. I am a nursing student, came across the word "dysarthria", googled it, and it has been a rough, downhill slope from there. My grandma died of ALS (in her 70's, but still) and every site pointed to "bulbar ALS". Especially the sites where people who actually do have ALS share their stories. They scare the bajeeses out of me. Anyways, here I am 20 months later with a twitching tongue and STILL can't talk. I can't tell if it's progressive or if I just have good and bad days and nothing is really changing. I am having a hard time dealing with it (REALLY hard). I literally look at my tongue numerous times each day and every time I look, my tongue looks like it's getting skinnier. I have tongue twitching almost every night now, or a weird sensation that I can only describe as twitching. When I stick my tongue out and flex it, it pulls to the left. However, my major issue is that I cannot speak without the sensation of difficulty. I cannot say "s" words. I must mention that I have always had a slight lisp, but it seems exaggerated. And when I say I cannot speak, I mean....this sensation is here and has been here every day, every time I speak for the past 20 months. Sometimes it's more pronounced and sometimes it feels clearer but I never ever get a break from it. I don't know what to do anymore. I have been to a few neuros (4 to be exact), had ck levels (twice), aldolase levels, sed rate levels (not sure why) and these were all normal. About 6 months ago, I had an EMG of my right arm and right leg and that came out clean (and have asked 2 neuros to do one of the tongue but they refuse) . I have been to 2 ENT's and had a (normal) swallow eval. The neuros I have seen are convinced nothing is wrong with me but I feel there is. It's so frustrating for this feeling the be present EVERY time I talk. I want to relax and not think about it but talking is something I do all day every day and every time I talk, I feel my tongue is weak and the panic cycle begins again.I have tried Zoloft, am on Xanax (which improves the panic but not the speech...and also makes me very tired), tried therapy, yoga, vigorous exercise, swimming, reading...everything. I am a complete mess. Does ANYONE have any advice? I'm afraid I am on a slow path to death. I have read that bulbar als is quite aggresive but stupid google tells of stories of people who have had bulbar als for a long time. I am afraid I am just really slowly progressing. I can't enjoy life like this. HELP 
) There are 2 things which can very easily cause what you are experiencing and that is ANXIETY and TMJ. And you cant tell me you dont have both. Anyone who has anxiety on a level like you, me and several others do, has to have some level of TMJ, it just comes with the territory. TMJ causes many people to slurr, I'm one of them, and anxiety can cause many to slurr or think they are, and guess what the most popular letter is, yep, S's, I swear, we all sound hissy and lispy when we have that crap. Or we think we do any way because we can feel it when it happens.Also, I cant understand why your doctor would have told you that the fact that you had a tooth pulled would have nothing to do with it, that is bull. If you have a tooth pulled, especially a back tooth, it changes your bite, ask any dentist out there. Which in turn would aggravate TMJ or even cause it in some cases. How do I know, it happened to me, and I ask way to many questions, and I have or feel like I have slurring issues. To be honest, slurred speech is a common topic with others on here I have spoke to and others on certain anxiety sites, so you are far from a rarity with this one.Ok this is the part I shouldnt say but I'm going to, S's are the popular letter with BFSers, Anxiety sufferers, and TMJers, but with bulbar patients, G's and T's are often the problem letters. If you have seen all these docs and specialists and they all say you are fine, then trust me, you are fine, they are not going to chance a law suit with missing a deadly disease diagnosis, and take a chance on you showing up in a wheelchair a year later crying, saying "you said I was fine". They are not there to lie to you or hide a diagnosis from you. Come on now.If you are truly worried about your speech, then go see a speech pathologist. They are often the first ones to pick up an issue. They know exactly what to look for and listen for when it comes to Bulbar, as they work with many ALS patients. Its a fact.You said this has been going on for 20 months with out a break, hmm, if this was really happening, I mean really happening, everyone around you would be hearing it, not just you, in many cases ( not all) the person with bulbar cant hear what others are hearing. You dont have Bulbar puggles, stop torturing yourself please. Please dont waste anymore time on this. You are too young anyways.I am sure many will think I am a b**** for this response, but I cant help it, I have seen and heard too many like you and it just kills me to see young adults waisting there lives worrying about a disease that they dont have and may very well never get.Please take careRobynn 
.Thanks again!