Need diagnosis help
TerriWill posted:
Hello, I need help. I have had pretty close to continuous symptoms of one kind or another since April 2012. I have been to multiple doctors, specialist, neurologist and no one knows what is wrong. My symptoms sound to me a lot like MS. April 12,2012 sudden arm and hand numbness/tingling for about 2 weeks. That started subsiding and 3 toes on my foot and both legs started getting numb/tingly. Feels weird, scary to walk, like legs want to give out. More symptoms that have come and gone now since April, arms and chest feel fluttery too, weird chills upper body and head, face numb very scarey and weird. Not sleeping well,can't fall asleep, headaches. There was a period of time that my arms and head feel like they were vibrating, terrible feeling in the head. Felt nauseous for about 2weeks pretty continuously. Very tired with just a little exertion. A long period of feeling weak and shakey constantly. One day felt like something in my eye but nothing there for 2 days then a red blood spot showed up. Eye felt weird but the spot went away after a day or two. About a week before this eye thing my eye had actually been twitching and had bad pain behind my ears and lower back of head. Then started having a lot of pain in the base of my skull for a few days, lots of headaches.I just feel very yucky some days, naseous, sick, tired. Jun 26 out of no where my right leg started hurting and before I knew it i was crying in pain and I couldn't even move my leg. When i was in bed i couldn't even raise. The next day it was pefectly fine, i have no idea why that happened. Mri pretty normal, neuro says small bulging in cerivcal spine would not cause these symptoms. I have had lots of blood test which were all normal, RA, ANA, B12, Vit D, all the basic CBCs, Thyroid, Comprehensive Metabolic, Celiac.
I was a healthy 38 year old female until this started and had been exercising and eatiing well since January. After seeing multiple doctors, just today I realized that back in October my arms and hands were numb/tingly and my vision was blurry. I thougth it was from steriod I was taking to treat back pain but I think it may all be realated to what flared up in April. Please give me advice, I am at my witts with this.
I was a healthy 38 year old female until this started and had been exercising and eatiing well since January. After seeing multiple doctors, just today I realized that back in October my arms and hands were numb/tingly and my vision was blurry. I thougth it was from steriod I was taking to treat back pain but I think it may all be realated to what flared up in April. Please give me advice, I am at my witts with this.
7 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Need diagnosis helpHello, I need help. I have had pretty close to continuous symptoms of one kind or another since April 2012. I have been to multiple doctors, specialist, neurologist and no one knows what is wrong. My symptoms sound to me a lot like MS. April 12,2012 sudden arm and hand numbness/tingling for about 2 weeks. That started subsiding and 3 toes on my foot and both legs started getting numb/tingly. Feels weird, scary to walk, like legs want to give out. More symptoms that have come and gone now since April, arms and chest feel fluttery too, weird chills upper body and head, face numb very scarey and weird. Not sleeping well,can't fall asleep, headaches. There was a period of time that my arms and head feel like they were vibrating, terrible feeling in the head. Felt nauseous for about 2weeks pretty continuously. Very tired with just a little exertion. A long period of feeling weak and shakey constantly. One day felt like something in my eye but nothing there for 2 days then a red blood spot showed up. Eye felt weird but the spot went away after a day or two. About a week before this eye thing my eye had actually been twitching and had bad pain behind my ears and lower back of head. Then started having a lot of pain in the base of my skull for a few days, lots of headaches.I just feel very yucky some days, naseous, sick, tired. Jun 26 out of no where my right leg started hurting and before I knew it i was crying in pain and I couldn't even move my leg. When i was in bed i couldn't even raise. The next day it was pefectly fine, i have no idea why that happened. Mri pretty normal, neuro says small bulging in cerivcal spine would not cause these symptoms. I have had lots of blood test which were all normal, RA, ANA, B12, Vit D, all the basic CBCs, Thyroid, Comprehensive Metabolic, Celiac. <br />I was a healthy 38 year old female until this started and had been exercising and eatiing well since January. After seeing multiple doctors, just today I realized that back in October my arms and hands were numb/tingly and my vision was blurry. I thougth it was from steriod I was taking to treat back pain but I think it may all be realated to what flared up in April. Please give me advice, I am at my witts with this.
hackwriter responded:
Dear Terri,
Though several of your symptoms are consistent with MS, there are many other conditions that can cause them, too. Very few neurologists will diagnose MS without the presence of brain or spine lesions, and lots of other causes would need to be ruled out first.
The only advice I have is to be persistent, keep a symptom log, and see your doctor on an ongoing basis to drive home the fact that your problems are chronic and authentic. It will take some time to get the answers, so hang in there.
Kim
Though several of your symptoms are consistent with MS, there are many other conditions that can cause them, too. Very few neurologists will diagnose MS without the presence of brain or spine lesions, and lots of other causes would need to be ruled out first.
The only advice I have is to be persistent, keep a symptom log, and see your doctor on an ongoing basis to drive home the fact that your problems are chronic and authentic. It will take some time to get the answers, so hang in there.
Kim
Report This| Share this:Need diagnosis helpDear Terri,<br /><br />Though several of your symptoms are consistent with MS, there are many other conditions that can cause them, too. Very few neurologists will diagnose MS without the presence of brain or spine lesions, and lots of other causes would need to be ruled out first.<br /><br />The only advice I have is to be persistent, keep a symptom log, and see your doctor on an ongoing basis to drive home the fact that your problems are chronic and authentic. It will take some time to get the answers, so hang in there.<br /><br />Kim
swampster1952 responded:
Terri,
Have you had any MRI's done? How about a spinal tap? You didn't mention that you had this done in your email.
If you think you have MS, then find a neuro that specializes in treating people with MS. No point in seeing any other type of doctor if you have decided that MS is the cause of your discomfort.
Dave
Have you had any MRI's done? How about a spinal tap? You didn't mention that you had this done in your email.
If you think you have MS, then find a neuro that specializes in treating people with MS. No point in seeing any other type of doctor if you have decided that MS is the cause of your discomfort.
Dave
Report This| Share this:Need diagnosis helpTerri,<br /><br />Have you had any MRI's done? How about a spinal tap? You didn't mention that you had this done in your email.<br /><br />If you think you have MS, then find a neuro that specializes in treating people with MS. No point in seeing any other type of doctor if you have decided that MS is the cause of your discomfort.<br /><br />Dave
rickander responded:
a spinal tap is a tell all to see if you have MS from what I've benn told.. Lesions can be caused by a couple of factors which my not be MS related. It happened with me after getting really sick amd runs in my family on my mothers side.
A MRI showed I had about 18 lesions on the top of my brain, but am lucky so far. Some of what you describe could attribute to MS., Do you have pins and needles effect or visual issues?? Balance or memory?? I'd get the spinal tap to be sure and seek more than one doctor.
A MRI showed I had about 18 lesions on the top of my brain, but am lucky so far. Some of what you describe could attribute to MS., Do you have pins and needles effect or visual issues?? Balance or memory?? I'd get the spinal tap to be sure and seek more than one doctor.
Report This| Share this:Need diagnosis helpa spinal tap is a tell all to see if you have MS from what I've benn told.. Lesions can be caused by a couple of factors which my not be MS related. It happened with me after getting really sick amd runs in my family on my mothers side.<br /> <br />A MRI showed I had about 18 lesions on the top of my brain, but am lucky so far. Some of what you describe could attribute to MS., Do you have pins and needles effect or visual issues?? Balance or memory?? I'd get the spinal tap to be sure and seek more than one doctor.
TerriWill replied to swampster1952's response:
Thank you Dave. I had an MRI in April, when my symptoms began and it was normal. I think my symptoms actually began in October but that episode was very short lived, nothing like what I have started experienceing in April until now.I have not had a spinal tap and no doctor has suggested it. I am scared to get one but I think it would be a good idea. I have an appt. to see an MS specialist, appt. is Aug 22.
Report This| Share this:Need diagnosis helpThank you Dave. I had an MRI in April, when my symptoms began and it was normal. I think my symptoms actually began in October but that episode was very short lived, nothing like what I have started experienceing in April until now.I have not had a spinal tap and no doctor has suggested it. I am scared to get one but I think it would be a good idea. I have an appt. to see an MS specialist, appt. is Aug 22.
Thanks. Yes, I should probably get a spinal tap as it has been suggested here although no doctors have suggested it. I have tons of the pins and needles effects and numbness. My vision did get blurry back in October and sometimes seems blurry to me still. Yes, my balance is off at times as well and my memory is TERRIBLE. I have gone to mulitple doctors, 2 of them were neurologist. I have an appt with an MS specialist in August.
Report This| Share this:Need diagnosis helpThanks. Yes, I should probably get a spinal tap as it has been suggested here although no doctors have suggested it. I have tons of the pins and needles effects and numbness. My vision did get blurry back in October and sometimes seems blurry to me still. Yes, my balance is off at times as well and my memory is TERRIBLE. I have gone to mulitple doctors, 2 of them were neurologist. I have an appt with an MS specialist in August.
TerriWill replied to hackwriter's response:
Thank you for your response and advice. I know, I am so tired of all of this run around I have been getting. I do not have lesions but a neurologist should be the first to know that you don't have to have lesions to have MS. A lot of other things have been ruled out already, Rheumtoid, Lupus, lots of blood test came back normal so nothing seems off. I have 6 pages of a symptom log so far. I keep doctor hopping in hopes that I will come across just one that can figure this out. I thought that was a doctors job to help people find out what's wrong and help people but so far no one has helped me. I have been to probably 8 doctors since April, I am trying to hang in there. Maybe it is MS, maybe it isn't, I just want answers.
Terri
Terri
Report This| Share this:Need diagnosis helpThank you for your response and advice. I know, I am so tired of all of this run around I have been getting. I do not have lesions but a neurologist should be the first to know that you don't have to have lesions to have MS. A lot of other things have been ruled out already, Rheumtoid, Lupus, lots of blood test came back normal so nothing seems off. I have 6 pages of a symptom log so far. I keep doctor hopping in hopes that I will come across just one that can figure this out. I thought that was a doctors job to help people find out what's wrong and help people but so far no one has helped me. I have been to probably 8 doctors since April, I am trying to hang in there. Maybe it is MS, maybe it isn't, I just want answers. <br />Terri
swampster1952 replied to TerriWill's response:
All Right Terri!
That is good to hear. Did they do a complete MRI of your spine also? Personally, I have the majority of my lesions in my spine. I do have some of the dang things in my brain too. I hope your MS neuro can get things figured out for you and get you started with one of the MS meds currently available.
Best,
Dave
That is good to hear. Did they do a complete MRI of your spine also? Personally, I have the majority of my lesions in my spine. I do have some of the dang things in my brain too. I hope your MS neuro can get things figured out for you and get you started with one of the MS meds currently available.
Best,
Dave
Report This| Share this:Need diagnosis helpAll Right Terri!<br /><br />That is good to hear. Did they do a complete MRI of your spine also? Personally, I have the majority of my lesions in my spine. I do have some of the dang things in my brain too. I hope your MS neuro can get things figured out for you and get you started with one of the MS meds currently available.<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />Dave
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