What is ALS?
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a degenerative disorder affecting upper motor neurons in the brain and lower motor neurons in the brain stem and spinal cord. Symptoms include progressive weakness, atrophy, fasciculation, dysphagia, and eventual paralysis of respiratory function.
What is it like to have ALS?
| Common Symptoms | Patients' Latest Severity | My Current Severity |
|---|---|---|
|
||
| Constipation | None Mild Moderate Severe | |
| Emotional lability | None Mild Moderate Severe | |
| Excess saliva | None Mild Moderate Severe | |
| Excessive yawning | None Mild Moderate Severe | |
| Fasciculations | None Mild Moderate Severe | |
| Stiffness/Spasticity | None Mild Moderate Severe |
What do patients take to treat ALS and its symptoms?
Commonly prescribed and frequently used treatments
| Efficacy | Overall rating of side effects | # of Evaluations | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Riluzole
(Rilutek)
|
256 | ||
|
Lithium Carbonate
(Teralithe, Maniprex, Lithionate, Eskalith CR)
|
87 | ||
|
CoQ10 (CoEnzyme Q10)
(Nutri-Dyn CoQ10, Whole Foods CoQ10 Chewable Tablets, Pure encapsulations CoQ10, Q Avail Nano powder)
|
49 | ||
|
Vitamin E
(Gamma E, Vitamin E topical, E 400iu Natural Source, Vitalady Tender Dry E)
|
32 | ||
| 27 | |||
| 22 | |||
| 22 | |||
|
Baclofen
(Kemstro, DOM-Baclofen, Gabalon, Spinax)
|
20 | ||
|
Non-invasive Ventilator
(Elisee 150, SmartAir Plus, BiPAP w/humidifier, Trilogy 100)
|
17 | ||
|
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
(Usana PolyC-6, Esther-C, Kirkland Vitamin C, Natural Factors Vitamin C)
|
17 | ||
|
Creatine Monohydrate
(Jarrows Formulas Creatine Monohydrate, Pure Creatine)
|
16 | ||
|
Naltrexone
(ReVia, Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN))
|
15 | ||
|
Acupuncture
(Forever Needle implants, East Asian therapy, 4 needle technique, Acupuncture low-concentration alkali injection therapy)
|
15 | ||
|
Alpha Lipoic Acid
(Ciagen, Solgar Alpha Lipoic Acid, Planetary Herbals Alpha Lipooic Acid, Tiobec)
|
14 | ||
| 8 |
These charts show data from ALS patients' latest treatment evaluations
Who has ALS at PatientsLikeMe?
- 4,985 patients have this condition
- 90 New patients joined this month
- 4,951 say ALS is their primary condition
| <20 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Age | ||||||
| Gender | |
| 42% | Females |
|---|---|
| 58% | Males |
| Age at first symptom | # of patients | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| 0-19 yrs | 26 | |
| 20-29 yrs | 158 | |
| 30-39 yrs | 488 | |
| 40-49 yrs | 872 | |
| 50-59 yrs | 986 | |
| 60-69 yrs | 594 | |
| 70+ yrs | 129 |
| Diagnosis status | # of patients | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosed | 3453 | |
| Not Officially Diagnosed | 135 |
These charts show data from ALS patients who have completed their condition history