just a few questions

[steff642]

Hi all, I'm a newbie - just joined here a couple days ago. I'm in MS limbo - I was just wondering 1. What is the correlation between heat and worsening of MS symptoms? and 2. What other diseases can mimic MS (my doc's have already ruled out fibromyalgia, lyme disease, diabetes and due to the parasthesia I have in upper and lower extremities, no disc issues in my spine)?

[22cyclist]

Hi Steff:
The connection between heat and MS is that when myelin is damaged by an MS plaque, it causes the nerve to "short out" kind of like when a wire is stripped of its outer covering. In the heat, signals travel even more slowly and make symptoms more prominent. Other diseases that are neurological in nature also get worse in the heat. Multiple sclerosis is not alone in this phenomenon. The name of it in MS is Uhthoff's sign, and is not only for symptoms of optic neuritis. It pertains to any symptom of numbness that gets worse in the heat.

Mimics to MS contain literally about 400 other diseases or conditions. That is why the ratio for having MS is 1 in 400. Some of the more common ones you have listed. Some others are:

1. Hyperparathyroidism
2. Hypoparathyroidism
3. Hypocalcemia
4. Low vitamin D levels
5. Low vitamin B12
6. Myasthenia gravis
7. Gluten allergy
8. Inner ear disease/tumor

There are so, so many that you really need a comprehensive work up if your MS work-up turns out to be negative.

Don't give up if you do not get an answer. If you know something is wrong, keep looking. My best friend had all of the symptoms of MS. I thought she had it too (I have had it for 8 years). Turned out she had calcium problems after hyperparathyroid surgery and a severe case of mastoiditis that had invaded her brain stem. Completely treatable.
Best of luck.

[steff642]

Thank you cyclist for your answers. I go to my neurologist today, and I really hope to get some answers. I just want some sort of diagnosis as to why I have felt like this for so long, and I want some relief. It has gotten to the point where the pain and parasthesias are effecting my daily activities. I have had to take a LOA from school (I am one semester away from getting my degree).

I have had MS-like symptoms for at least 9 years....one of the problems is, when they first started I lived in a different state then I do now, then when I move back to NY, I had a horrible PCP and an even worse neurologist. I think if my current doctors had all of my medical records, it may help my neurologist come to some sort of conclusion. (As I said, my old PCP was horrible and has yet to send my current PCP my medical records, it's been a year and I as well as my current PCP's office have faxed many record request forms).

Another factor is that before, my symptoms would come and go, I'd go to the doctor when they would flare up, then by the time I went back for a follow up I was feeling better.

I was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia and I thought THAT was my diagnosis. I had a sub-total parathyroidectomy back in March. All of my blood levels (aka calcium, VitD, potassium, magnesium etc) have all returned to normal, but my Sx still persist and are worse.

I do suffer from migraines and have had MRI's in the past which were abnormal, but my neurologist said the abnormalities where not typical of migraines. My most recent brain MRI (done in the ER) showed several "lesions" and a repeat MRI is recommended in 2 months. As I explained in a separate thread....while my current PCP is amazing, he didn't want to try to explain the MRI results to me, as he is not a specialist, and would rather that my Neurologist take a look at the report and explain it.

I'm hoping for the best.........and some answers.

[22cyclist]

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[mommyto3angels]

I know aspertine (not sure if spelled correctly) can mimmic MS... I know a friend of mine had aspertine poisening. It's the artificial sweetener in sweet n low and also found in alot of diet drinks, and in her case the diet energy drinks she drank like water. She was sent to my Nuero because her primary Dr was concenerned she had MS but after lots of test she was diagnosed with aspertine poisening. I'm not sure how they diagnosed it tho but I can ask if your interested.