Lubbock, TX
A 32-year-old male asked:
been 3 month since i start feeling weakness. emg, ncv, bloodwork, mra, mri all neg. is it safe to say als is off the table for now? still good strengt
4 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in
Dr. Patrick Roth answered
Neurosurgery 34 years experience
Hard to say: Certainly, the negative EMG is a good sign. Als can sometimes be elusive early on and it comes in different forms- some more rapidly progressive than others. The negative imaging is not important other than to exclude other causes of the weakness. In your case, there is no substitute for time and in the very unlikely event that it is als, it will be more evident later on.
4299 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Dariush Saghafi answered
Neurology 33 years experience
ALS: That's great news that the EMG was negative with respect to detecting anything serious related to your symptom of weakness. Just to help clarify that neither bloodwork, mri, or mra will help rule in or rule out als. But it is excellent news that the EMG and ncv's were negative in this case. Best to you. Stay in touch with your dr. Though if anything changes as they may wish to retest you.
4299 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Walter Husar answered
Neurology 33 years experience
Yes: Based on the information provided, yes ALS appears to be off the table.
4299 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Andre Panagos answered
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 22 years experience
Yes, for now: There are many causes of weakness and if all the tests were done properly and are negative, you could say that ALS is off the table. You should keep searching for the possible causes.
4299 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
Last updated Feb 9, 2017
People also asked
Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere.
24/7 visits
$15 per month
Disclaimer:
Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.