One lesion on Cervical spine why am I experiencing more symptoms

[Terri Lynn]

I was diagnosed with MS a year ago with total arm, breast and shoulder numbness. After steroid treatment feeling is back. I have one lesion on my cervical spine. I'm having fatigue, burning in my arm, my teeth ache all the time and now muscle spasms in my left calf and lower back. If there are no new lesions why do I have more symptoms? I have a new MRI scheduled for tomorrow, if there is not change why do I feel worse?

[buckfield]

I was diagnosed with MS a year ago with total arm, breast and shoulder numbness. After steroid treatment feeling is back. I have one lesion on my cervical spine. I'm having fatigue, burning in my arm, my teeth ache all the time and now muscle spasms in my left calf and lower back. If there are no new lesions why do I have more symptoms? I have a new MRI scheduled for tomorrow, if there is not change why do I feel worse?

TerriLynn
Having read your symptoms it is like I am reading the same symptoms that have surfaced with my MS. I have a lesion on my cervical spine that has quadrupled in size since my initial MRI. Has your doc redommended anything that has helped with your arm pain? This seems to be my "thorn in my side." Thank you for sharing your story

[Redwings]

Hi Terri Lynn:
You'll have to wait for your new MRI to know whether or not there are any new lesions. New lesions make it easier to understand why someone has new symptoms. But there's more to it than that.

New symptoms can come from a reactivation of old lesions. So new lesions aren't necessary for the onset of new or worsening symptoms.

But new symptoms can also come from new lesions that are too small to be seen on MRI. And fatigue in MS isn't tied to any particular lesion in any particular location. So there isn't always a one-to-one correlation between symptoms and lesions as seen on MRI. Because of that, it's important for a doctor to treat the patient and their symptoms, not their MRI. You and your doctor will have a better idea of what's going on after your MRI.

[mjan]

HI Terri, its Jan (Mjan) from the chat room tonight.

You left w/o saying goodbye.. I was writing to you. I Hope you weren't overwhelmed or scared off.

Just know that I am thinking of you and if you ever want to talk privately, my email is in my profile.

Take good care.. hope you continue to be well.

Warmly, Jan

[jenphilly]

TerriLynn -

All my lesions are in the cervical and thoracic areas of my spine. I have no lesions on my brain.

I am new to MS and don't know if where the lesions are located have any impact on how we're affected for symptoms. But, I have found my 'bad' days can be directly linked to not sleeping well or what I eat. And obviously when I over do things, I am tired or sore the next day, but guess that's true for most people, MS or not!

I was keeping a log of what I ate and sleep history to come up with patterns to go over with my doctor. I found a very clear pattern show up relating to gluten, I have pretty much eliminated gluten from my diet and find I have elminated most of my leg crampy / discomfort in the left calf.

Would not suggest your problems are the same as mine, but I would definitely suggest keeping a log of what you do, what you eat, how you sleep, etc. Hopefully you will also find a pattern emerge for something fairly simple that you can modify to help reduce the symptoms.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Jen