Is it MS?

[astro541]

Hello everyone! This is my first post to anything like this, but I am so glad I found it. It's nice to know that I'm not alone. I'd like to give some background as to what I've been experiencing and see what you think. About 14 years ago, is when I experienced what I believe to be my 1st symptom. I had a problem with my vision, it was only one eye, and there was what I would refer to as a "blind spot". Best example, is when I tried to read something there was an area on the paper I could not see.

This didn't last very long, but was extremely scary. I went to the ER, the kept asking me if I had a headache....and I kept telling them no. One Dr. mentioned MS in passing, but they didn't do any tests. I was sent home and told to follow up with my PCP. Throughout the years, I have experienced dizziness, and often times have felt "off balance".

Moving forward to my most recent experiences: I have had significant pain in my legs...it started in my thighs, and is now throughout my entire leg (both). I have burning, tingling, pins and needles in my feet. Around Thanksgiving, the pins/needles/burning started in my fingers and hands, I had pressure in my rib area ( best described as if I had done alot of sit-ups, the feeling you get afterward) episode of double vision. I went to see a neurlogist and he sent me for bloodwork, the only test that came back abnormal was my ana. Upon physical exam, I had a decreased achilles reflex. I am scheduled for a MRI on Jan. 6th. Please give me your input on what you think may be going on. Oh yeah, I also had an EMG that was normal. Thanks everyone

[MarkLavelle]

Your recent symptoms could be from MS, but could just as easily be a 'mechanical' problem in your spine. I would ask for a referral to a back doctor, preferably a physiatrist.

Good luck,
Mark

[astro541]

symptoms

I have seen an orthopedic doctor who sent me for an MRI of my lower spine that showed bulging disc w/ mild arthritic changes. When I said I felt off balance, I meant that there have been times when I'm walking and lose my balance. Muscle/joint pain, double vision, and a band-like pain that is located in my rib area, pins/needle feeling in my hands/fingers, and legs, depression/anxiety. I had an ANA blood test that was positive. I'm hoping my MRI will give me a better idea of what is going on. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but wanted to know what symptoms other people have experienced prior to being dx with MS.

[Redwings]

Hi astro:
Although it might be interesting to know what symptoms people had before they were diagnosed with MS, it's important to note that there are no symptoms that are unique to MS. No matter what symptoms a person with MS had or has, ALL of them can be caused by something else. Another poster here a while back posted a source that listed about 900 different possible causes for that tingling/pins and needles feeling.

And in case your doctor or your own research didn't tell you, elevated ANA isn't associated with MS. In fact, elevated ANA has been found in healthy people who have no known disease. So what the abnormal ANA means in your case depends on how elevated it is. Slightly elevated may mean nothing at all. Highly elevated may mean a different disease than MS or another disease in addition to MS. Or, without any other specific findings, the cause for even a highly elevated ANA may not be found.

Remember, MS shares some symptoms with literally dozens of other conditions. Just because someone with MS has 10 symptoms that you also have, it doesn't mean that yours are from MS. I'll note here that when I said the same thing to another poster, she came back with a complaint that I was being "too rough" on her. Really, I'm just the messenger here. You should be sure to verify all of this with your own doctor(s).

An MRI can give you a better idea of what's going on. In fact, the diagnosis of MS relies heavily on MRI findings. You can find the diagnostic criteria for MS by googling the McDonald diagnostic criteria for MS, 2010 revision. You'll see that the diagnostic criteria repeatedly refer to MRI findings. There are no specific symptoms mentioned (because really, they're generic neurological symptoms), only that the symptoms must be characteristic of those generally seen in MS.

In addition to meeting the diagnostic criteria, there are other tests that can support a diagnosis of MS (such as a lumbar puncture and various evoked potentials), AND all other possible causes for the symptoms must be ruled out. (That's where your ANA findings may or may not be important.) The one thing that can be said with certainty is that a bulging disc in your lower spine is not the cause of your double vision -- that's anatomically impossible. Again you can verify this with your own research and with your own doctor(s).

If you'd like more information about MS and how it's diagnosed, the website of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is a good place to start:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/abo...sis/index.aspx
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/abo...-ms/index.aspx

I had an astronomically high ANA titer, along with some symptoms that are characteristic of MS. However, I was misdiagnosed with MS -- time, MRI and lab tests later didn't support an MS diagnosis and instead led to a different condition. So, if nothing else, my experience shows that it's important to follow the diagnostic criteria -- for any condition -- as much as possible and not rely on symptoms alone.

Please do come back and let us know what happens.