Hello Everyone! I am new here and have a few questions for ya. I'll start out with a history on what tests/symptoms/etc I have had. I will try to make it brief.
In fall of 2010 I began was extremely fatigued and felt like I wasn't gaining any muscle (which I should have been with my new job). I began to have numbness/tingling sensations in my back around my shoulder blades. This continued for a few months and then I went to a GP. I had recently moved and this was the first time I had seen this Dr. He did blood tests. I had low vitamin B and D levels. He recommended I start vitamin supplements and go to a chiropractor (we were thinking pinched nerve at the time because I was training horses, back/nerve problems are common in horse trainers). He also put my on tramadol to rule out any inflammatory issues. I hated the tramadol and discontinued it after a few days. I saw a chiro twice and started on oral vitamin supplements. My numbness/tingling remained about the same and my fatigue got better.
In the Spring of 2011 my numbness/tingling became more frequent and longer in duration. I was reffered to a back specialist in my hometown and was sent for MRIs without contrast of my C, T, and L spine. Findings were normal. He recommended that I see a neurologist. I decided not to go see a neurologist as the numbness/tingling wasn't really bothering me. I didn't realize that something like MS was a possibility.
In the Summer of 2011 I got bucked off a horse and ended up in the emergency room about a month later for back pain. A CT scan showed I had herniated my disk. I was put on some pain medication, muscle relaxers, and an immuno suppresent. This is the one time I can say that my numbness/tingling improved greatly. So I associated it again with an inflammation problem. I went to a follow up appointment with a back specialist who did not do any further imaging as my pain was better and he did not believe that at my age I could herniate a disk, and could not understand how the hospital made the diagnosis off of a CT scan. Around this time I discontinued my vitamin supplements as I was more energetic.
That winter my numbness/tingling came back and began to spread. My arms and cheeks were going numb. Early 2012 I went to a neurologist. He did an MRI w/ and w/o contrast of my brain. Findings were normal. He told me he did not have a diagnosis and that most likely something was pinched in my shoulders and in order to see something like that he would have to send me for a CT scan which he didn't want to do as he didn't want to expose me to that much radiation. He did mention MS prior to the MRI.
After hearing MS I got worried and found an MS specialist in the Spring/Summer of 2012. She ordered MRIs w/ and w/o contrast of my brain, c, and t spine. All were normal. She also retested my vitamin levels. They are within normal range. Because of my history of low vitamin B levels she put me on an injectable vitamin B supplement early 2013. My numbness/tingling seemed to improve by May/June and I continued to take the supplement.
In August of 2013 we did another MRI w/ and w/o contrast of my brain and c spine and again all findings were normal. We decided to continue with the vitamin B supplement. However my numbness/tingling began to increase in frequency again. A month or two after that my supplement went on manufacturer back order and I was unable to get it. I am now back on the supplement and my numbness continues.
So I guess I am wondering where to go from here. I can not continue to pay for appointments and MRIs. With my numbness continuing I am still worried that something is wrong. I am also wondering if my MRIs continue to come up normal how serious could my MS be if I did have it? Without visible lesions would it be better for me to wait a few years to have another MRI done? What other tests should I ask about? I know if I go back to the Dr the answer will be another MRI but with my deductible being so high and having to pay for a set of MRIs every year I am out of money and I can't do it anymore. What else does it sound like besides MS?
Thanks,
Whitney
In fall of 2010 I began was extremely fatigued and felt like I wasn't gaining any muscle (which I should have been with my new job). I began to have numbness/tingling sensations in my back around my shoulder blades. This continued for a few months and then I went to a GP. I had recently moved and this was the first time I had seen this Dr. He did blood tests. I had low vitamin B and D levels. He recommended I start vitamin supplements and go to a chiropractor (we were thinking pinched nerve at the time because I was training horses, back/nerve problems are common in horse trainers). He also put my on tramadol to rule out any inflammatory issues. I hated the tramadol and discontinued it after a few days. I saw a chiro twice and started on oral vitamin supplements. My numbness/tingling remained about the same and my fatigue got better.
In the Spring of 2011 my numbness/tingling became more frequent and longer in duration. I was reffered to a back specialist in my hometown and was sent for MRIs without contrast of my C, T, and L spine. Findings were normal. He recommended that I see a neurologist. I decided not to go see a neurologist as the numbness/tingling wasn't really bothering me. I didn't realize that something like MS was a possibility.
In the Summer of 2011 I got bucked off a horse and ended up in the emergency room about a month later for back pain. A CT scan showed I had herniated my disk. I was put on some pain medication, muscle relaxers, and an immuno suppresent. This is the one time I can say that my numbness/tingling improved greatly. So I associated it again with an inflammation problem. I went to a follow up appointment with a back specialist who did not do any further imaging as my pain was better and he did not believe that at my age I could herniate a disk, and could not understand how the hospital made the diagnosis off of a CT scan. Around this time I discontinued my vitamin supplements as I was more energetic.
That winter my numbness/tingling came back and began to spread. My arms and cheeks were going numb. Early 2012 I went to a neurologist. He did an MRI w/ and w/o contrast of my brain. Findings were normal. He told me he did not have a diagnosis and that most likely something was pinched in my shoulders and in order to see something like that he would have to send me for a CT scan which he didn't want to do as he didn't want to expose me to that much radiation. He did mention MS prior to the MRI.
After hearing MS I got worried and found an MS specialist in the Spring/Summer of 2012. She ordered MRIs w/ and w/o contrast of my brain, c, and t spine. All were normal. She also retested my vitamin levels. They are within normal range. Because of my history of low vitamin B levels she put me on an injectable vitamin B supplement early 2013. My numbness/tingling seemed to improve by May/June and I continued to take the supplement.
In August of 2013 we did another MRI w/ and w/o contrast of my brain and c spine and again all findings were normal. We decided to continue with the vitamin B supplement. However my numbness/tingling began to increase in frequency again. A month or two after that my supplement went on manufacturer back order and I was unable to get it. I am now back on the supplement and my numbness continues.
So I guess I am wondering where to go from here. I can not continue to pay for appointments and MRIs. With my numbness continuing I am still worried that something is wrong. I am also wondering if my MRIs continue to come up normal how serious could my MS be if I did have it? Without visible lesions would it be better for me to wait a few years to have another MRI done? What other tests should I ask about? I know if I go back to the Dr the answer will be another MRI but with my deductible being so high and having to pay for a set of MRIs every year I am out of money and I can't do it anymore. What else does it sound like besides MS?
Thanks,
Whitney
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