I'm scared of ALS..please help

[[Si...]]

Hello benzobuddies

Iam really scared i have ALS. I dont know what to do. Just used 2 weeks of .5 clonazepam and it is 5 months i have weakness in my legs(jelly legs and lack of coordination balance) and right hand and they are really shaky. Also i have muscle twitching in my right arm non stop for 2 months. it doesnt stop even for 10 seconds. I did EMG AND NCV 4 months ago and it was clear. I did MRI and it came back clean. I scare about ALS. My whole body is weak and shaky.

please if you have such these symptoms, share.

[[Ma...]]

Hi silent singer,

 

From what i understand, if your EMG came back clean, it is not ALS. I also went through a phase where I was very scared of ALS about a year ago and I did a ton of googling (Not a good idea) but the one thing that was clear was that a clean EMG means no ALS...

 

If your symptoms started right after your cold turkey, it's probably that. You can always talk to a neurologist if you have any other concerns...

[[me...]]

The symptoms you describe are classic benzo withdrawal symptoms, and if the medical test(s) found nothing, they're withdrawal for sure. Rampant health anxiety is also a very common symptom.  Muscle twitching and all kinds of related symptoms are extremely common.  Here's why from section III of the Ashton Manual, which has a long but partial list of symptoms you should familiarize yourself with:

 

 

Muscle symptoms. Benzodiazepines are efficient muscle relaxants and are used clinically for spastic conditions ranging from spinal cord disease or injury to the excruciating muscle spasms of tetanus or rabies. It is therefore not surprising that their discontinuation after long-term use is associated with a rebound increase in muscle tension. This rebound accounts for many of the symptoms observed in benzodiazepine withdrawal. Muscle stiffness affecting the limbs, back, neck and jaw are commonly reported, and the constant muscle tension probably accounts for the muscle pains which have a similar distribution. Headaches are usually of the "tension headache" type, due to contraction of muscles at the back of the neck, scalp and forehead - often described as a "tight band around the head". Pain in the jaw and teeth is probably due to involuntary jaw clenching, which often occurs unconsciously during sleep.

At the same time, the nerves to the muscles are hyperexcitable, leading to tremor, tics, jerks, spasm and twitching, and jumping at the smallest stimulus. All this constant activity contributes to a feeling of fatigue and weakness ("jelly-legs"). In addition, the muscles, especially the small muscles of the eye, are not well co-ordinated, which may lead to blurred or double vision or even eyelid spasms (blepharospasm).

 

None of these symptoms is harmful, and they need not be a cause of worry once they are understood. The muscle pain and stiffness is actually little different from what is regarded as normal after an unaccustomed bout of exercise, and would be positively expected, even by a well-trained athlete, after running a marathon.

 

There are many measures that will alleviate these symptoms, such as muscle stretching exercises as taught in most gyms, moderate exercise, hot baths, massage and general relaxation exercises. Such measures may give only temporary relief at first, but if practised regularly can speed the recovery of normal muscle tone - which will eventually occur spontaneously.

[[Si...]]

Thanks for the replies

Do you ever experience these symptoms?

And if yes how many months it took to be faded away?

[[...]]

I also thought I had ALS. Turns out it was likely interdose WD as I was taking Ativan "as needed".

 

My hands get very tight and stiff, I'm always stretching them. My shins tingled with numbness for about a month then went away. My jaw hurt, I because aware that I was always pushing my jaw forward (as to create an underbite?) -this went away too.

 

For me, symptoms leave and new ines appear. I'm 3.5 months out.

 

I hope this helps you calm down, as when I learn that others have similar symptoms/fears - it makes me feel normal.

 

I hope you're doing much better now.

[[Si...]]

I know that ALS symptoms are constant and they never become better but worse. my hand gets weak in the morning when i wake up and then after some minute my strength comes back. but what scares me is my balance problem. i never fall but i swing and i always be careful of falling forward or backward. i dont have problem in walking but just standing. it is about 5.5 months after starting klonopin and after stopping cold turkey it has gotten worse and worse. on the other hand what scares me is the twitching in one specific area. i had twitching in all of my body. but it is around 2 months that these twitching are on just my right arm. they are so little and just seen when i am laying down or sitting without any movement. then i can feel them non stop. they are really mimic ALS. that's why it scares me a lot.

HOW LONG I SHOULD BE PUNISHED BECAUSE OF 2 WEEKS USING THESE DRUGS? 1 YEAR, 2 YEARS?