Seeking Help: Neck Stiffness

[mightymorrigan]

Hi. I have not been diagnosed with anything yet. I guess I should tell you how it started. I am 30 years old and female.

I noticed a lymph node sticking out behimd my ear and then my neck was very stiff. I couldnt move it for 3 days. I went to the doctor and he told me it was a muscle spasm. I do have buldging discs in my neck. He gave me an antiinflamatory and sent me home. 2 days later I had a tingling sensation in my left leg just in one spot all day and night. I went back to the doctor and he said it was anxiety but sent me to a neuro for precaution.
At this point I did have muscle twitches along with everything else. He did the electricity thing on my arm reflexes and an EMG stick test on my arms. He also did an EEG. He said that my EMG was fine and that the EEG was normal. I was given xanax and paxil.
I took tha paxil for awhile and then i stopped. I started to feel great. The symptoms were gone except for the shaking and the ringing in my ear and slight twitching.
Well fast forward to today. I decided to look up the twitches. I was reading something about ALS and I started to freak. I was checking my body for atrophy and i notice that my right calf and thigh are thinner than my left. I am so freaked out. Would atrophy in my leg begin 7 months after my symptoms started? I dont have profound weakness in my leg. I can still walk on my toes and heels and i can run jump and everything. I do get mild aches and pains but not cramps or spasms.
I wonder if you can tell me what this sounds like. if I had the twitches in my legs when it first started and he did an EMG on my arms, would it show up?
I cant believe how terrified i am that i am going to miss my kids growing up. Woul i be able to do the normal things with my legs if i had atrophy? I do get shakey musclea when i do things but i can still do them. and would an emg on my ARMS show abnormalities if the symptoms are in my LEGS?
I am sorry i am rambling, but iam so scared right now.
thanks
lori

 

[vera]

Hi Lori!

Stop right there! First of all, you got a clean EMG. That means NO ALS! I know it was only in your arms, but your Dr. would have tested further if he thought anything was abnormal. Secondly, you said you felt better on the Paxil. ALS does not come and go.

Please stop torturing yourself. I know these twitches stink. But living in fear stinks alot worse! My advice is to go back on the Paxil, work on your anxiety, and most importantly, STAY OFF THE INTERENET! You will find a plethra of horrifying statistics that you could conclude are your fate. But the truth is, you are going to be just fine! Focus on your happiness, and you beautiful family. Life is too short, be happy.

If you need a frien, or want to talk further, you can PM me anytime.

Kim

 

[JennFiction]

Oops, I guess I wasn't logged in before, and I came up as a guest.

You should be able to get my info from my profile now.

Kim

ps My anxiety caused me to have "percieved weakness", my legs felt like jello, pins and needles, and a bunch of other stuff that popped up after reading about ALS on line. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss!

 

[mightymorrigan]

Hey Lori...

I noticed my right leg's muscles were smaller than the left's as well...that is what finally made me go to the neuro. Well, she measured it, and it is smaller....she said that it is usually a problem with the back that can cause that...she didn't seemed too worried. If you had atrophy from ALS it would be caused by non-use of the leg. If you can still do everything you could before, forget your ALS worries. ALS leads to the inability to move your voluntary muscles....therefore if you still have muscle control, you shouldn't worry. You are pretty young to be struck by ALS anyway....so put your worries behind you and go out and enjoy your kids and your life.

If you need further comfort, try reading the post of Alonzo's entitled: BFS in a nutshell. It describes a lot of what you are quoting as your symptoms. They sound like typical BFS. The sooner you get over the anxiety about ALS and learn to live with BFS, the less you will be twitching. After seven months I think you are pretty much in the clear, EMG or no EMG.

Take care!

Jen