20 years
Dr.Zakia m experiencing twitching in my right leg from behind (batit el ejer) and sometimes I feel its weak could it be ALS? IS THERE ANy test and how much does it cost. Im 20 years old
Dec 28, 2014
Taking into account your young age, and the rarity of ALS, I would say naaaah! The odds of you having ALS are extremely low, and ALS is definitely NOT the 1st possibility to think of. Muscle cramps are very common and usually affect a single lower extremity, mainly involving the calf muscles.
Things that you need to remark:
1- When do they occur (with strenuous exercise? at rest? if you're fatigued?)
2- How often do you get those twitches? And how long do they last?
3- Are you on any medications that may alter your calcium levels in the blood (athletes resort to diuretics to dry up their bodies - diuretics cause hypocalcemia, or low calcium in the blood, which in turn leads to muscle cramps)
4- Sports: are you overworking your muscles?
Here’s what I recommend you should do:
For reassurance, take a serum electrolytes (BUN, creatinine,
calcium, magnesium) levels; if you have deficiency, then you will need
supplementation – talk with your doctor for this matter.
A few tips that could also help include:
- Passive
stretching and massage of the affected muscle: this will help ease the
pain of an acute attack. So what you need to do is to straighten the
affected leg while bending the ankle upward (dorsiflexion), or heel walk
until the acute pain fades. - Regular
stretching of the calf muscles throughout the day: may help to prevent
acute attacks. You could do stretching three times daily or before going
to bed. - Use a
pillow to raise your feet while you sleep, or raising the foot of the bed,
these may help prevent attacks.
Should your symptoms persist or
worsen, then you should be examined by a physician.
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