Hi Everyone,
I wanted to share that we should be careful about
what we expose ourselves to. There was an earlier post where one or more of our members mentioned they have fasciculations. Fasciculations are like flickers of movement under the skin which are sometimes visible or can also be described as small, involuntary muscle twitches.
My husband was recently diagnosed with ALS due to the fasciculations in his body. He was told by a local neurologist that he had 2 to 4 years to live. Imagine how shocked and unhappy we were. But I held out hope that he might be wrong.
Luckily this doctor suggested that we get a second opinion from a doctor whose office is located a few hours from us. To make my point, this new neurologist performed a thorough examination and he found no other symptoms of ALS. He said the diagnosis was incorrect and that my husband does not have ALS.
Even though most doctors are great, keep in mind they are not always correct.
What I also wanted to share is this second doctor does not believe in natural remedies and avoidance of possible irritants that might be causing or irritating the fasciculations.
My husband and I did some reading before this second appointment in reputable websites. We found information such as this: having a laptop on her legs can cause fasciculations. We recently purchased barrier boards that are specifically made to protect our legs from what our laptops emit. But I've noticed when I use mine, it's causing nerve pain in my head. I placed a pillow between the board and my laptop and it's helping. My point is to those of you who are having nerve pain in your head or anywhere else in your body, does it become worse when you're on your computer?
My husband is also giving up his occasional cup of coffee because caffeine can be an irritant. Plus dairy products and wheat can be irritants. He has a re-check with this second doctor in a few months. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could lessen his fasciculations before then?
One thing I've noticed recently is when my husband wears his watch, which he has been wearing for many years, it makes his arm feel like it has electric charges running through it. If I touch his arm, I get that irritating sensation in myself too for several minutes even when we're not touching anymore. Only wearing the watch on occasion has helped. I no longer feel the sensation.
Finally, he is currently getting an idea of what fibromyalgia can feel like. He says, now he understands. He is feeling very weak, he has a cough, he's tired, and he feels like a truck has run him over. I'll be calling the doctor this morning. This all started when he ate dairy products for a few days in a row. We've found in the past that he's sensitive to dairy. Best to get it checked out though...
Cold or allergies, it's hard to tell. We need to be our own best detectives. Our doctors can not be with us 24/7.
Post Edited (almost medfree) : 9/29/2015 2:29:39 AM (GMT-6)