I am a 39 y/o Caucasian female. My mother was dx with MS at 35 y/o. We both grew up in the same geographical area (southern US).
I have had some things in the last year or so that, taken alone, aren't alarming. Written down together, along with the fact that my mother has MS, and my PCP suggested it was time to see a neuro.
Briefly, I have/have had:
migraines x20 years
numbness, tingling entire left arm into neck: 2 episodes lasting 3-7 days
dizziness not related to blood pressure or iron level: on and off for 6 months
vertigo x2 episodes, one severe enough to leave me bed-bound for 3 days with residual vertigo x2 wks
muscle spasms in lower back, neck, left calf, and occasionally abdominal wall
urinary frequency and inability to empty bladder fully
dropping objects, especially if from my left hand, and/or when I am tired and I'm overall far more clumsy lately. Running into doorways. Missing a step and stumbling. That sort of thing.
Uveitis in right eye. Once about a year ago. No warning. Lasted about a wk. Treated successfully with steroid eye drops. Some blurry vision since then, usually when I am tired.
sudden need to use artificial lubrication during sex in the last 2 years with no reasonable explanation
my legs, mostly my quads, feel "tired", almost as if I've depleted their ability to contract by exercising them excessively, except I haven't exercised and they aren't sore, they're just "tired"
fatigue. The fatigue is completely overwhelming. I wake up with a mild headache, my first thought is how long it will be before I can lay back down. It is not uncommon in the last 3 months for me to come in from work, put on pajamas, and not get up again until it is time for work the next day.
I am a single mother with 4 school-aged children. Their father isn't involved more than 1-2 evenings per month. I have a very demanding, but also very well paying with excellent insurance, career.
So, long story longer, I called to get an appt with one of the MS specialist neuros here. Initially I was told the wait would be several months. When I said my mother has MS, they got me in two days later. That actually freaked me out more than having to wait I think.
I saw the MS specialist last wk. She took an incredibly thorough history and detailed symptoms. She never examined me in any way. The nurse took my BP. That's it. No neuro exam at all.
She then ordered virtually every blood test on the checklist form (8 vials of blood). She ordered a brain/cervical/spinal MRI. She ordered a sleep study. She prescribed Nyvigil 150mg, once a day.
The onsite lab drew all of the blood work that day. The MRI center called the following day and I'm scheduled for those next Tuesday. The sleep center called two days later and I had that done last night.
Preliminary results for sleep study: Fail with desats and arousals during REM sleep which is apparently an atypical time for desats/arousals. The monitoring tech wasn't certain the desats were due to obstructive issues, and leaned more toward central apnea. I have a second sleep study later this wk to see if CPAP helps.
I have an appt in 3 wks to discuss all of these results with the neuro.
Questions (if you've made
it this far!):
1. Is it common to skip a neuro exam and go straight to all 3 areas of MRI? Is this indicative of her thinking I've got it, so we might as well scan it all now?
2. Is it normal to get an rx for nuvigil just for garden variety fatigue, if MS was not even a consideration?
I have had some things in the last year or so that, taken alone, aren't alarming. Written down together, along with the fact that my mother has MS, and my PCP suggested it was time to see a neuro.
Briefly, I have/have had:
migraines x20 years
numbness, tingling entire left arm into neck: 2 episodes lasting 3-7 days
dizziness not related to blood pressure or iron level: on and off for 6 months
vertigo x2 episodes, one severe enough to leave me bed-bound for 3 days with residual vertigo x2 wks
muscle spasms in lower back, neck, left calf, and occasionally abdominal wall
urinary frequency and inability to empty bladder fully
dropping objects, especially if from my left hand, and/or when I am tired and I'm overall far more clumsy lately. Running into doorways. Missing a step and stumbling. That sort of thing.
Uveitis in right eye. Once about a year ago. No warning. Lasted about a wk. Treated successfully with steroid eye drops. Some blurry vision since then, usually when I am tired.
sudden need to use artificial lubrication during sex in the last 2 years with no reasonable explanation
my legs, mostly my quads, feel "tired", almost as if I've depleted their ability to contract by exercising them excessively, except I haven't exercised and they aren't sore, they're just "tired"
fatigue. The fatigue is completely overwhelming. I wake up with a mild headache, my first thought is how long it will be before I can lay back down. It is not uncommon in the last 3 months for me to come in from work, put on pajamas, and not get up again until it is time for work the next day.
I am a single mother with 4 school-aged children. Their father isn't involved more than 1-2 evenings per month. I have a very demanding, but also very well paying with excellent insurance, career.
So, long story longer, I called to get an appt with one of the MS specialist neuros here. Initially I was told the wait would be several months. When I said my mother has MS, they got me in two days later. That actually freaked me out more than having to wait I think.
I saw the MS specialist last wk. She took an incredibly thorough history and detailed symptoms. She never examined me in any way. The nurse took my BP. That's it. No neuro exam at all.
She then ordered virtually every blood test on the checklist form (8 vials of blood). She ordered a brain/cervical/spinal MRI. She ordered a sleep study. She prescribed Nyvigil 150mg, once a day.
The onsite lab drew all of the blood work that day. The MRI center called the following day and I'm scheduled for those next Tuesday. The sleep center called two days later and I had that done last night.
Preliminary results for sleep study: Fail with desats and arousals during REM sleep which is apparently an atypical time for desats/arousals. The monitoring tech wasn't certain the desats were due to obstructive issues, and leaned more toward central apnea. I have a second sleep study later this wk to see if CPAP helps.
I have an appt in 3 wks to discuss all of these results with the neuro.
Questions (if you've made
it this far!):
1. Is it common to skip a neuro exam and go straight to all 3 areas of MRI? Is this indicative of her thinking I've got it, so we might as well scan it all now?
2. Is it normal to get an rx for nuvigil just for garden variety fatigue, if MS was not even a consideration?
Comment