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Possible MS according to my doctor.

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    Possible MS according to my doctor.

    Hello. My name is Tabitha. I'm 29 years old. I'm engaged and have 3 beautiful children and I'm planning to adopt my sisters newborn girl unless it becomes physically impossible to do so. I don't have medical insurance so I've been self pay for a while now. Only seeing the doctors that my PC tells me to see. I recently visited a rheumatologist because my doctor thought I might have rheumatoid arthritis. I'm currently waiting for blood test results.*

    Anyway, at my last visit to my doctor, he said that he thinks I might have MS because of a few of my symptoms. I haven't even had the chance to tell him all of my symptoms but I hope to some day. I'd appreciate any thoughts you'd like to share Thank you!

    My symptoms:

    - When I stand up (whether it's fast or slow) I get a really strange sensation in my legs and head (almost like they're filling with air) and I feel like I need to sit as quickly as possible or I'll fall over. Sometimes I lose vision completely for a few seconds.

    -*Once when I was in Toronto with my fiance, I suddenly had the worst pain I've ever had in both of my legs. I could barely take a step without screaming in pain. It went away after about 3 days.

    -*Sudden random sharp pains in my joints.

    -*Severe itching and pain in random hand and foot joints that result in pretty bad swelling. The pain basically feels like the ache from leaving a body part in freezing water for too long.

    -*Severe heat intolerance. If I'm exposed to heat for too long, I get very dizzy, confused, my pain increases drastically and I feel like I'm going to faint.

    -*Random cold or wet spots on my skin. I'll feel something like a drop of rain hitting my forearm when there obviously isn't anything there.

    -*Random shocking feelings on my skin. I've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.

    -*Severely blurred vision that used to come and go but has been constant for months now. I feel like I need to open my eyes wider to see more clearly but it never works which then results in a headache.

    -*Sharp pain in the right side of my head. Always in the same spot.

    -*Auras in my vision, followed by confusion and memory problems.

    -*Horrible back pain... everywhere in my back. Diagnosed as degenerative disc disease.

    -*Large amounts of hair loss that luckily never seems to lead to bald spots.

    -*Random "numb patches" on my skin.

    -*Bad itching all over.

    -*Clumsiness when I walk. Suddenly veering to the right or left for no apparent reason. I can't walk with another person without running into them.

    -*Horrible pain in the soles of my feet when I stand or walk for more than maybe 10 minutes.

    -*I'm not sure how to describe this one but, sometimes when I'm sitting, I'll get that feeling you get when blood rushes back to a limb after the circulation has been cut off for a time. No matter how I readjust or move, I can't make it go away. I've also had this in my arms but only a couple times.

    -*Neck pain that feels like pain in a vein. Almost like it's more internal or something.

    -*Left and right sided chest pains that make me feel dizzy.

    -*Palpitations.

    -*Low AND high blood pressure.

    -*My resting pulse is almost always above 90.

    -*I used to pride myself on my spelling and grammar but lately I've noticed I'm forgetting the basics and I end up embarrassing myself.

    -*Sometimes I get a very odd sensation in parts of my body (most recently in my wrists) that almost feels like someone's wrapped their hand around my wrist and applied significant pressure.

    -*A blind spot in my left eye that is made worse by looking up, down, left or right without moving my head.

    -*The "pins and needles" feeling almost always in one body part or another. I get it in my hands a LOT. I hate this so much because it makes me not want to touch anything or I'll feel like I need to keep using lotion.

    -*Strange jerking of my muscles at any given time. Sometimes when I'm in bed (not asleep or falling asleep) my leg will suddenly jerk across the bed like I kicked it out when I didn't.

    -*Another hard one to explain… I'll be sitting in bed with my legs either crossed or in front of me and suddenly my torso will… "rock" backward or forward. I guess that would be categorized as involuntary movements.

    -*Horrible fatigue whether I sleep or not.

    -*Spots on my skin that when scratched hurt pretty bad for about 10 seconds.

    -*Pain on my scalp when I touch or move my hair. The best way to describe this is the pain some women get when they've had their hair up for too long and then let it down.

    -*Swallowing difficulties. I CAN swallow, but sometimes I have a hard time. For instance, when I eat a small piece of candy, I have to swallow like 3 times to get rid of the lump in my throat.

    -*Sometimes I can see AND hear my heart beat.

    - Horrible shoulder pain and the inability to lift my left arm higher than my shoulder. This was diagnosed as bursitis in both shoulders.*

    I guess my doctor will be referring me to a neurologist soon and I'm pretty worried but, I'll take things as they happen I guess.

    Thanks for reading my long, drawn out post. I hope someone has some thoughts to share with me or suggestions maybe. Thank you!

    #2
    Hi and sorry to hear of your dilemma.

    There are so many things, beside MS that it could be. A COMPLETE workup to rule out all other things besides MS has to be done. many things like Lyme disease can mimic MS, and you need to treat the REAL cause of your problems, which can only be done with a compete clinical checkup and Hx with thorough battery of testing.


    Good luck.


    Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot

    Comment


      #3
      Welcome, Tabitha.

      There's no doubt that at least half of the sx you listed could be caused by MS, but all of them could also be caused by something else.

      "Degenerative disc disease" can do a lot more than make your back hurt, depending on the location(s) and the extent of degeneration. For that, I would see a physiatrist.
      http://www.aapmr.org/patients/aboutp...ysiatrist.aspx

      I have both MS and disc degeneration, and it was my physiatrist who first sorted out what was 'mechanical' (disc-related) and what wasn't.

      Best of luck,
      Mark
      1st sx 11/26/09; Copaxone from 12/1/11 to 7/13/18
      NOT ALL SX ARE MS!

      Comment


        #4
        Well Tabitha, I am glad you came here to gather information and hopefully some much needed support.

        I think it is admirable that you would take on your sister's baby. Good luck with all that!!

        But just wanted to mention that some of your symptoms: high/low BP, heart palpatations and other things COULD possibly be related to Dysautonomia or a disorder of the autonomic system. It takes a specialized neuro that has this training and a lab to do all the incluisve testing. One of the tests that a cardiologist often prescribs is the Tilt table test for POTS. But that is only one of the tests. I have dysautonomia and got the runaround for many years as many docs are not able to recognize nor test for it.

        Also a Rheumy can test to rule IN or OUT many other autoimmune tests. My guess, is that you may have more than one thing going on. Its all workable, treatable once you get clearer evaluations and other things ruled out.

        Sorry for all you are going through. But hold on because once you receive your diagnosis(ses) you can be treated and get more control over some of these symptoms.

        Know that there is a section under the MS forums for those in limboland. You will receive even more support there as well as in the general discussion area (here).

        Hugs my dear, remember the word H.O.P.E=
        Hang On Pain Ends.

        Jan
        I believe in miracles~!
        2004 Benign MS 2008 NOT MS
        Finally DX: RR MS 02.24.10

        Comment


          #5
          wow

          All you listed sounds a lot like me. Good luck with everything. This is a great place to come.

          Comment

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