Quack Attack: Worried About ALS?

[AndyStreams]

This may sound absolutely idiotic, but it’s making me worry about ALS more than I have in a long time. I could always hold air in my cheeks, even with my mouth half open. It’s a dumb thing that most people can do. When I would push out the air, it would sound like a duck call. Needless to say it’s not something I do often. The last time I remember doing it before today was about 2 months ago to make my baby cousins laugh.

Today when I did it, my left cheek wouldn’t hold up. My left cheek “deflates” while my right check can hold in the air like normal. I know when some neuros check for als they ask you to puff out your cheeks. My cheek muscle is not behaving correctly.

I have also been dropping things. As I pointed out in an earlier post, I don’t know if I am dropping things more or simply dropping the same amount of things that I always have and only noticing it more. And I have been ignoring it, because I’ve been telling myself I don’t have als. And I have been believing myself. But what if I’m wrong? My cheek muscle isn’t working the way it has since I was a little kid.

 

[beensuggested]

Can you puff out your cheeks with you mouth closed? Can you smile evenly? Can you grit your teeth? Can you clench your jaw? Can you stick out your tongue and hold it out for a minute and when you do this is it in the midline? Can you shrug your shoulders? Can you hold your arms out in front of you for 1 minute? If you can do all of these things, you are ok. Sometimes you can have lots of little things that can create issues. Not to be smart but duck calls generally are not clincal tests but I appreciate your concern. I have a patient with ALS (yeah I know, and I still get myself all crazy now and again ) and when he "dropped things" it was everything, not just now and again and he couldn't get enough strength in his fingers ot pick up a pencil.

Let me know how your self testing goes. Take a deep breath, I am sure you are fine.
Kit

 

[MarksmanS]

Kit, you're going to have everyone self-testing like crazy. I think holding air with your mouth open or whatever is not a serious concern. In fact, I was worried once because it seemed like at times I couldn't whistle...then I realize that i needed to wet my lips a tad. That was months and months ago...I thought bulbar for sure. Still fine...this syndrome messes with your head.

 

[ZekesTraveller]

Holding air with your mouth open sounds like science fiction to me. This sounds weird.

I guess what you mean is that your cheeck muscles would expand / contract when you commanded them to do so. Now, they don't seem to do this for you...correct?

I went around the house asking my wife and kids to try to do this and none of us can do this. This must be some kind of trick I just don't know about. Sounds like muscles that need to be trained and maintained to do this.

People drop things more often than they realize. But you like most of us here probably have health anxiety. Maybe we focus more on those little things. What do your neuros say? I would be worried about your left cheek muscle disappearing. Not if it deflated. Maybe you need to work on strengthening it. Have you had an EMG?

 

[beensuggested]

Sorry Sorry Sorry about the self testing stuff. Long day, my bad! I hope I have not caused too many to stand around sticking out their tongues and quacking like ducks.

Sooooo sorry!

Kit