Here we go again!

[LunaLover]

I posted here in 2008, when I had a sudden onset of symptoms, but I can't find my original post.

In May 2008, I woke up and my lower leg felt kind of numb. My arms and face felt tingly, my head felt stuffy, my balance was off, some muscle pain, and fatigue. I went to the ER, and they found nothing wrong, but the attending physician wanted me seen by a neurologist. I had an MRI done (with and without contrast) and was sent to Stanford. Stanford found nothing wrong with me, and my MRI was clear. They basically said I was depressed/anxious/stressed.

I believed what they said since I was completing a master's program, and was under a lot of stress. I didn't have insurance at the time, so I just assumed that my body had an extreme reaction to stress and moved on. Over time (like a year), most of the symptoms disappeared. I still get dizziness and numbness and tingling when I am very overtired or hot.

July 2016 (eight years later), I was standing in front of my TV when I experienced true vertigo. I had to lie down for the rest of the night. The next morning, I was dizzy, my ear was plugged, and the numbness and tingling was back. I am waiting on a referral from my primary doctor, but I am a little freaked out.

Would MS show up exactly the same both times? Does this even sound like MS?

[Thinkimjob]

I posted here in 2008, when I had a sudden onset of symptoms, but I can't find my original post.

In May 2008, I woke up and my lower leg felt kind of numb. My arms and face felt tingly, my head felt stuffy, my balance was off, some muscle pain, and fatigue. I went to the ER, and they found nothing wrong, but the attending physician wanted me seen by a neurologist. I had an MRI done (with and without contrast) and was sent to Stanford. Stanford found nothing wrong with me, and my MRI was clear. They basically said I was depressed/anxious/stressed.

I believed what they said since I was completing a master's program, and was under a lot of stress. I didn't have insurance at the time, so I just assumed that my body had an extreme reaction to stress and moved on. Over time (like a year), most of the symptoms disappeared. I still get dizziness and numbness and tingling when I am very overtired or hot.

July 2016 (eight years later), I was standing in front of my TV when I experienced true vertigo. I had to lie down for the rest of the night. The next morning, I was dizzy, my ear was plugged, and the numbness and tingling was back. I am waiting on a referral from my primary doctor, but I am a little freaked out.

Would MS show up exactly the same both times? Does this even sound like MS?

It does sound like it could be MS, especially with the numbness and dizziness you have experienced when you're hot or fatigued in the last eight years.

But it could be lots of other things. Good luck.

[jreagan70]

Would MS show up exactly the same both times? Does this even sound like MS?

Hi Luna:

When taken out of context and looked at in isolation, most things could be a symptom of MS. But that exact symptom could be a symptom of many, many other conditions, too. Because so many conditions have exactly the same or similar symptoms, it's impossible to diagnose a condition by symptoms alone.

Based only on your description of your symptoms, some of your symptoms could be symptoms of MS, and some aren't typical of MS. So you really need to have a neurologist put your symptoms in context and get supporting information to be able to tell what's going on with you.

Vertigo and dizziness can be MS symptoms, a "plugged" ear is not, although it might just be the label you're giving the sensation. "Plugging" implies some kind of physical, mechanical phenomenon, and MS isn't mechanical.

The body is wired in halves, so simultaneous symmetrical (same on both sides) symptoms are less likely with MS, since the chances of random inflammation hitting in exactly corresponding places on both sides of the body are low (not impossible, but not likely). So tingly arms, plural, is less likely to be MS.

One leg, rather than both, feeling numb is more typical of MS. One side of the face feeling tingly is more typical of MS; both sides feeling tingly at the same time is not.

To have had such widely dispersed symptoms 8 years ago with a negative MRI is less typical of MS, because chance alone would suggest that at least one of the areas of inflammation would show up on the MRI. One or two areas might be too small to be picked up on the MRI, but not all of the several that would be necessary with such widely dispersed symptoms. Possible, but not likely.

I still get dizziness and numbness and tingling when I am very overtired or hot.

That's possible with MS, but still so nonspecific and common with other conditions -- or just a normal occurrence -- that it's not a smoking gun.

Would MS show up exactly the same both times? Does this even sound like MS?

"Would" is too strong a word, because MS attacks can be random. "Could" show up exactly the same is a possibility IF there were areas on your nerve cells that were damaged by inflammation before and vulnerable in the presence of more inflammation. I do have MS, and I tend to have repeat relapses affecting the same areas because the corresponding areas of my nervous system are already damaged from previous attacks and more vulnerable. But that's not an absolute for everyone.

So as much as you'd like to figure out on your own what's going on, you really can't. You need a neurological workup by a neurologist to be able to put your symptoms in context, get supporting information, and figure out what's causing your symptoms. Could be MS, could be something else.

[marti]

I'm especially interested in your "stuffy head and plugged ears". I've been thru this so many times along with the dizziness.