Hi, I'm new to these boards and MS.
I'm really looking for advice, I've been having a lot of health issues since I was 17. I am now 23 and continue to experience them, and some have progressed. I was recently talking to a former colleague who has had MS most of his adult life. I admittently didn't really know much about MS so I asked him questions, wanting to be able to understand it more. The more he told me, the more the piece's seemed to fall into place. At this point I'm not sure if it's just a simple coincidence and my 'needing' to finally know what the cause of all my problems have been.
When I was 17 I had a 'funny' turn on the stairs one morning before college, which resulted in me falling down one flight. My right foot had been 'tingling' for a few weeks and I put it down to over walking. Thankfully I did no real damage, my foot however decided to go totally numb for 10 mins. I seen my GP and he said I'd just damaged my ligaments. However the numbness continued.
Over the course of a few months, the pain didn't disappear and the period of numbness lengthened. I was given painkillers and suggested I go to physio. Nothing seemed to work.
Eventually I was referred to a neurologist and had loads of blood tests done and a MRI all came back clear, there was a mention of MS, but nothing further. I was then left in limbo, then numbness continued, but seemed less aggressive? I didn't want to push my GP so left it at that.
Then November 2008 I began to get 'pins & needles' type pain (?) on my right foot/lower leg. After my previous experience i ignored it. A Month or so later I got really bad pains in my right side, just above my hip bone and up under my ribs. i eventually went to my GP;
I had issues with constipation and IBS so eventually a gaestro doctor ordered an barium swollow test - which as negative. He suggested via the X-rays I'd had that the issue lay with my kidneys.. so off I go to the kidney specialist i had had previous issues when I was a child. He thought it was something to do with regurgitation of my right kidney, which had bothered me when I was wee. CT scan later, my kidney's are 'ok' but he spotted a mass in my lower right side and said it was a ovarian cyst.. So next stop Gynae. had an ultrasound, consultant found nothing there.
Suggested I see an orthopedic doctor, that in his opinion my 'problem' was 'positional'! Seen him in April this year, had an X-ray done and he diagnosed bursitis and referred me to physio. he also suspected scoliosis and I was sent for a MRI - which only showed a slight curve of my spine. I have since came to a 'dead end' with physio - nothing seems to work/take away the pain entirely. The numbness that originally started in my foot has worked it's way up my leg, not continuously; but i feel it there 70% of the time. Cramps & muscle twitches also plague my right foot..
I was on amytriptline for two years to help with the pain, recently I began to experience breathing problems while sleeping, so via the phone my GP said I was to come off it. I had Horrendous withdrawals, which eventually passed. I’ve had some real issues with ‘sleeping’ over the years, sometimes I’d be awake for 40 hours at a time. Then i’d go through bouts of sleeping 18 hours a day.
Since I was about 19 I started having trouble with my eyes, not being able to 'focus' properly. I have had glasses since then, coming off this drug I experience a brief stint of not needing my glasses at all. Then I started experiencing pressure behind my right eye. I saw my GP and she basically dismissed me. The last 2 months I’ve been having problems filling up cups/seeing things right infront of me.. At times it’s like two people are infront of me instead of one.
I don’t know, I just really want answers and I’m perhaps looking for something that isn’t there. I went from studying in college easily to not being able to ‘think/concentrate’. In high school i had brilliant grades, then it all seemed to slip away. I couldn’t focus on my studies no matter how much I tried. This was put down to depression. No matter what the ‘foggyness/clumsyness’ is still there.
I suppose I should say that one of the real reason I’m ‘scared’ is that over the last 7-10 days at night when I’ve been lying in bed, just before I fall asleep I’ve been experiencing total numbness of my entire right side.. like i can’t move anything. It feels like it lasts for forever, not having a clock beside my bed I have no idea. I spoke to my Mum about it and she suggested it was my ‘body getting used to sleeping without the amytriptline and it was probably a ‘falling off a bridge/pavement’ type ‘dream’ - I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone. I thought she was probably right until tonight when I came in from work. I have somehow managed to hang onto this job for three years, through this; due to amazing employers. I got in the door and sat down on my bed, from nowhere my toes went numb all the way up my leg to my hip. I couldn’t move it at all it scared me. I’ve never ‘consciously’ experience that before, it’s made me think that perhaps my continuing dreams aren’t that at all? That they are real.
I don’t know, perhaps I’m making no sense.. I’m just scared/wary of approaching my G.P. with anything, but this is seriously starting to get me down. It’s getting worse if anything.
I would appreciate any advice anyone could share? Even if it’s “don’t be silly”
thank-you for reading this MASSIVE post
Flick x
I'm really looking for advice, I've been having a lot of health issues since I was 17. I am now 23 and continue to experience them, and some have progressed. I was recently talking to a former colleague who has had MS most of his adult life. I admittently didn't really know much about MS so I asked him questions, wanting to be able to understand it more. The more he told me, the more the piece's seemed to fall into place. At this point I'm not sure if it's just a simple coincidence and my 'needing' to finally know what the cause of all my problems have been.
When I was 17 I had a 'funny' turn on the stairs one morning before college, which resulted in me falling down one flight. My right foot had been 'tingling' for a few weeks and I put it down to over walking. Thankfully I did no real damage, my foot however decided to go totally numb for 10 mins. I seen my GP and he said I'd just damaged my ligaments. However the numbness continued.
Over the course of a few months, the pain didn't disappear and the period of numbness lengthened. I was given painkillers and suggested I go to physio. Nothing seemed to work.
Eventually I was referred to a neurologist and had loads of blood tests done and a MRI all came back clear, there was a mention of MS, but nothing further. I was then left in limbo, then numbness continued, but seemed less aggressive? I didn't want to push my GP so left it at that.
Then November 2008 I began to get 'pins & needles' type pain (?) on my right foot/lower leg. After my previous experience i ignored it. A Month or so later I got really bad pains in my right side, just above my hip bone and up under my ribs. i eventually went to my GP;
I had issues with constipation and IBS so eventually a gaestro doctor ordered an barium swollow test - which as negative. He suggested via the X-rays I'd had that the issue lay with my kidneys.. so off I go to the kidney specialist i had had previous issues when I was a child. He thought it was something to do with regurgitation of my right kidney, which had bothered me when I was wee. CT scan later, my kidney's are 'ok' but he spotted a mass in my lower right side and said it was a ovarian cyst.. So next stop Gynae. had an ultrasound, consultant found nothing there.
Suggested I see an orthopedic doctor, that in his opinion my 'problem' was 'positional'! Seen him in April this year, had an X-ray done and he diagnosed bursitis and referred me to physio. he also suspected scoliosis and I was sent for a MRI - which only showed a slight curve of my spine. I have since came to a 'dead end' with physio - nothing seems to work/take away the pain entirely. The numbness that originally started in my foot has worked it's way up my leg, not continuously; but i feel it there 70% of the time. Cramps & muscle twitches also plague my right foot..
I was on amytriptline for two years to help with the pain, recently I began to experience breathing problems while sleeping, so via the phone my GP said I was to come off it. I had Horrendous withdrawals, which eventually passed. I’ve had some real issues with ‘sleeping’ over the years, sometimes I’d be awake for 40 hours at a time. Then i’d go through bouts of sleeping 18 hours a day.
Since I was about 19 I started having trouble with my eyes, not being able to 'focus' properly. I have had glasses since then, coming off this drug I experience a brief stint of not needing my glasses at all. Then I started experiencing pressure behind my right eye. I saw my GP and she basically dismissed me. The last 2 months I’ve been having problems filling up cups/seeing things right infront of me.. At times it’s like two people are infront of me instead of one.
I don’t know, I just really want answers and I’m perhaps looking for something that isn’t there. I went from studying in college easily to not being able to ‘think/concentrate’. In high school i had brilliant grades, then it all seemed to slip away. I couldn’t focus on my studies no matter how much I tried. This was put down to depression. No matter what the ‘foggyness/clumsyness’ is still there.
I suppose I should say that one of the real reason I’m ‘scared’ is that over the last 7-10 days at night when I’ve been lying in bed, just before I fall asleep I’ve been experiencing total numbness of my entire right side.. like i can’t move anything. It feels like it lasts for forever, not having a clock beside my bed I have no idea. I spoke to my Mum about it and she suggested it was my ‘body getting used to sleeping without the amytriptline and it was probably a ‘falling off a bridge/pavement’ type ‘dream’ - I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone. I thought she was probably right until tonight when I came in from work. I have somehow managed to hang onto this job for three years, through this; due to amazing employers. I got in the door and sat down on my bed, from nowhere my toes went numb all the way up my leg to my hip. I couldn’t move it at all it scared me. I’ve never ‘consciously’ experience that before, it’s made me think that perhaps my continuing dreams aren’t that at all? That they are real.
I don’t know, perhaps I’m making no sense.. I’m just scared/wary of approaching my G.P. with anything, but this is seriously starting to get me down. It’s getting worse if anything.
I would appreciate any advice anyone could share? Even if it’s “don’t be silly”
thank-you for reading this MASSIVE post
Flick x
Comment