Would appreciate some advice

[deb27]

So, I know you get a lot of these types of threads from people who think they may have MS.

Can MS cause hand swelling and pain in the hands and feet with allover aching and feeling like you've been run over by a truck? I've also had pain in my shoulders and hips.

A few weeks ago, I started having muscle tremors in my legs but only with movement and trying to use my muscles. Also tremors in my arms and hands. It comes and goes.

I was seeing a rheumatologist and they thought I had RA. Now with these tremors, I am worried. My tests for RA have been negative but they say that doesn't matter. But, the symptoms come and go. It's been months since I had symptoms until the tremors started a week ago and then the pain came back.

Any advice?? Thank you so much!! I appreciate it.

[22cyclist]

So, I know you get a lot of these types of threads from people who think they may have MS.

Can MS cause hand swelling and pain in the hands and feet with allover aching and feeling like you've been run over by a truck? I've also had pain in my shoulders and hips.

A few weeks ago, I started having muscle tremors in my legs but only with movement and trying to use my muscles. Also tremors in my arms and hands. It comes and goes.

I was seeing a rheumatologist and they thought I had RA. Now with these tremors, I am worried. My tests for RA have been negative but they say that doesn't matter. But, the symptoms come and go. It's been months since I had symptoms until the tremors started a week ago and then the pain came back.

Any advice?? Thank you so much!! I appreciate it.

Swelling of the extremities is not associated with MS. MS also does not cause overall achy muscles all over unless you are taking a DMD and it is a side effect of that medication.

What you are describing sounds more like RA. You might want to go back and see your rheumatologist.

Tremors are a part of MS, but mostly intention tremors, the kind where the finger tremors when the hand gets closer to an object it tremors for a few seconds before it reaches its target. There are also resting tremors in MS, but they are less common.

There are tremors that can happen in both MS and RA if your legs and arms are tired.

Again, see your Rheumy, see what he/she says about your swollen hands as this is definitely not an MS symptom.

Good luck
Lisa
Moderation Team

[deb27]

Thanks Lisa

Thank you for your response and advice!!!!! I have noticed what you described with the hand tremors as I get closer to an object that my hands will tremble but what you say makes sense. I guess RA can be like MS in that you go through periods of remission and then relapse!!! So frustrating. Good luck to you Lisa and thanks so much again for your response.

[SNOOPY]

Hi deb,

I have experienced swelling in my feet due to exacerbations (relapse, attack, flare-up). The swelling being MS related was confirmed by my neuro.

My feet will get red, swell and be quite painful. Once the exacerbation resolves so does the swelling, pain and redness.

I have never had swelling due to MS except during those 3 exacerbations.

[nursefairy]

My doctor did an RA workup for me as well. My feet felt like they were going to break if I stepped on them. Especially in the morning. The workup was negative.

I have figured out the pain comes and goes much like all of my MS symptoms. I will have it for a week or two and then it is gone.

Try keeping a log of your symptoms and see if there is any pattern to it.

[deb27]

Thanks again for your responses. Great idea for me to keep a log. I've got some strange stuff going on and waiting for some blood work to come back first. My GP thinks it's an auto immune thing but she never mentioned MS. I didn't think blood work would say very much about MS. I am going to ask to be referred to a neurologist if my lab tests don't show anything as to why I am having muscle tremors.

[JerryD]

Like I say in almost every response, I would ask my doctor to test for vitamin D deficiency. The number that you should try to have is around 60 or 70 ng/mL. Doctors usually say you should be above 25ng/mL, but if you are feeling crappy, you may need a higher level than 'above' 25ng/mL .
Good luck

[deb27]

I am on 50,000 units of Vit D 1-2 times a week. I was at 13 when they tested me. I feel a lot better since starting it. A lot of my pain subsided.

[JerryD]

I say the vitamin D thing to everyone. I don't know for sure that it is working for you. Only you will know how you feel about your health. I only know that nearly everyone in the U.S, is low or deficient. And when I started to correct my deficiency, I felt a lot better. Good luck

[Wordsgood]

One thing you might want to look into is Fibromyalgia. It mimics MS symptom and is what I was originally (and incorrectly) diagnosed with about 15 years ago. It would explain the swelling.

Good luck. I truly hope it turns out to be nothing serious, but don't stop looking until you have a definitive diagnosis that fits all your symptoms. Of course that could mean ending up with more than one diagnosis. That doesn't mean that any or all of them would turn out to be big problems, just that you may have a few issues going on. Hopefully very minor ones.

[nurcindy3]

MS Pain

Swelling of the extremities is not associated with MS. MS also does not cause overall achy muscles all over unless you are taking a DMD and it is a side effect of that medication.

What you are describing sounds more like RA. You might want to go back and see your rheumatologist.

Tremors are a part of MS, but mostly intention tremors, the kind where the finger tremors when the hand gets closer to an object it tremors for a few seconds before it reaches its target. There are also resting tremors in MS, but they are less common.

There are tremors that can happen in both MS and RA if your legs and arms are tired.

Again, see your Rheumy, see what he/she says about your swollen hands as this is definitely not an MS symptom.

Good luck
Lisa
Moderation Team

So what exactly causes MS pain, because for years I've been blaming it on anything else I can think of.