Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
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- help each other live better and uncover the best ways to manage your health today
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How much good can your data do? A whole lot, as co-founder Jamie Heywood explains in this video.
What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a degenerative disorder affecting upper motor neurons in the brain and lower motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord. Symptoms include progressive weakness, atrophy, fasciculation, dysphagia, and eventual paralysis of respiratory function.
Common symptoms reported by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Common symptoms
How bad it is
What people are taking for it
Reports may be affected by other conditions and/or medication side effects. We ask about general symptoms (anxious mood, depressed mood, fatigue, pain, and stress) regardless of condition.
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Treatments taken by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Treatment name(s)
Type
How many have tried
Tried for
Type
Prescription Drug
How many have tried
112
Tried for
stiffness/spasticity
(107)
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(10)
1 more
Type
Prescription Drug
How many have tried
60
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(58)
excess saliva
(3)
Type
Supplement
How many have tried
33
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(32)
constipation
(1)
Treatment name(s)
Deanna Protocol
Type
Supplement
How many have tried
33
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(33)
Treatment name(s)
L-Serine
Type
Supplement
How many have tried
25
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(25)
fatigue
(1)
1 more
Data from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, who reported starting treatments within the last 5 years.
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Compare treatments taken by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Treatment name(s)
Perceived effectiveness
Side effects
Total evaluations
Tried for
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (394 evaluations)
Total evaluations
397
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(432)
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (555 evaluations)
Total evaluations
556
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(154)
Perceived effectiveness
for stiffness/spasticity (94 evaluations)
Total evaluations
102
Tried for
stiffness/spasticity
(107)
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(10)
1 more
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (63 evaluations)
Total evaluations
63
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(83)
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (55 evaluations)
Total evaluations
63
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(58)
excess saliva
(3)
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (26 evaluations)
Total evaluations
27
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(32)
constipation
(1)
Treatment name(s)
Deanna Protocol
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (41 evaluations)
Total evaluations
43
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(33)
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (13 evaluations)
Total evaluations
16
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(29)
fatigue
(6)
Treatment name(s)
L-Serine
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (24 evaluations)
Total evaluations
24
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(25)
fatigue
(1)
1 more
Perceived effectiveness
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (11 evaluations)
Side effects
Total evaluations
13
Tried for
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(24)
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
- Severe
- Moderate
- Mild
- None
Data from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, who reported starting treatments within the last 5 years.
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Who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on PatientsLikeMe?
- 13038 patients have this condition
- 69 new patients joined this month
- 12527 say ALS is their primary condition
Age | Proportion | # of patients |
---|---|---|
<20 | 5 | |
20s | 122 | |
30s | 531 | |
40s | 1255 | |
50s | 2743 | |
60s | 3393 | |
70+ | 2719 |
Age at first symptom | Proportion | # of patients |
---|---|---|
0-19 years | 40 | |
20-29 years | 232 | |
30-39 years | 735 | |
40-49 years | 1461 | |
50-59 years | 1854 | |
60-69 years | 1272 | |
70+ years | 328 |
Distribution of sex
Sex | Proportion | # of patients |
---|---|---|
Male | 5607 | |
Female | 4528 |
Diagnosis status | Proportion | # of patients |
---|---|---|
Diagnosed | 6575 | |
Not Diagnosed | 297 |
These charts show data from ALS patients who have completed their condition history
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