My story

[blueheels2]

This may take a few posts because of time constraints and I am not the best writer so please excuse any mistakes I make.

2 years ago I started a job that was 1 1/2hr commute one way that lasted for about 6 months. Shortly after starting I started to notice shooting pains and a cramping feeling in my my left chest. This went on for about 6 weeks. Driving home one day I felt really flushed so I stopped and took my Bp. 155/95 which was high for me. I should add that my face had a pins and needles feeling. A couple of weeks later I was in my chair at home my chest and arm kind of went numb. Wife took me to the ER cause we thought it was a heart attack. Did a stress test and they found nothing wrong with my heart. Sent me home on bp meds.

[Mamabug]

That's OK. We'll wait for you to finish. Welcome to MSWorld.

[blueheels2]

This may take a few posts because of time constraints and I am not the best writer so please excuse any mistakes I make.

2 years ago I started a job that was 1 1/2hr commute one way that lasted for about 6 months. Shortly after starting I started to notice shooting pains and a cramping feeling in my my left chest. This went on for about 6 weeks. Driving home one day I felt really flushed so I stopped and took my Bp. 155/95 which was high for me. I should add that my face had a pins and needles feeling. A couple of weeks later I was in my chair at home my chest and arm kind of went numb. Wife took me to the ER cause we thought it was a heart attack. Did a stress test and they found nothing wrong with my heart. Sent me home on bp meds.

Chest pain continued off and on for a year. During this time I had to quit taking one bp med because I had an allergic reaction. In May of last year I started to get really dizzy and lightheaded pretty much all day. My chest pains increased as well. Through trial and error I discovered the new bp medicine was causing my troubles So I quit taking. Doctor was concerned so he sent me back to the cardiologist. I did a nuclear stress test and he assured me that he felt my heart was fine. Basically said my heart was in no way responsible for my chest pains.

Fast forward to this past Christmas and I still have the chest pain. Best way I can describe is sharp pains that shoot through my ribs and chest on my left side. I call them fingers of pain because the pain feels like it is a finger wide. In fact I self diagnosed with costochondritis if that helps explain it. Anyway at Christmas I had another bp spike one night that gave me the flushed face feeling. However at this time I noticed my left upper cheek and area near my eye became tingly or numb. This has happened numerous times since Christmas and it also occurs in my left arm. Oh yeah I am still dizzy, lightheaded, or feel pressure on my temples and between my eyes. Started getting concerned I was having mini strokes. He was concerned enough to give me a neck ultrasound which I passed and a brain mri which showed one 6 mm lesion which could correspond with the numbness on my face. I now have a neuro appointment in the middle of June.

I should also add that after Christmas I have noticed about 10 times that I would eat and get extremely tired. Thought I might be diabetic and my sugar might be causing these problems but my a1c is 5.9 and has been for the past 3 years. This is more than ordinary fatigue. I am concerned this could be ms lassitude.

Last symptom. Since Christmas I have noticed in my left thigh I get this buying sensation that feels exactly like my phone is vibrating in my pocket. In fact I sometimes reach for the phone and it is not there. Sorry if I am rambling like a crazy person. Any way doc says ms is a possibility but he doesn't think that is what it is. He says I don't present to hI'm like ms. I am 38 if it makes a difference.

[JerryD]

Thanks for reaching out. I don't know what is going on with your health but I suggest that you see as many neurologists as you need to find the source of your problems ! Make sure you get your vitamin D levels checked and make sure you know the 'exact' numbers. Make sure that your doctors check for all of the MS mimics. Good luck

[blueheels2]

I'm beginning to think when I get spike in bp and tingling in the face that is the start of a flare-up.

I've also been reading about spasticity and it has me a little concerned. I have definitely felt tightness in the back of my legs over the past couple of months. I originally thought it was a symptom of getting older but maybe not. Concerns me that I may have trouble walking sooner than later. Done some grieving this week. At this point I have come to believe I have MS. Will be interesting if my neuro agrees. I really hope for some other diagnosis that is not ms. Got to hand it to ya'll. You are some strong people.

[jreagan70]

Hi blueheels:

Driving home one day I felt really flushed so I stopped and took my Bp. 155/95 which was high for me.

We already know that there's something unusual about your health situation, because most people don't carry a blood pressure monitor in their car and don't have to pull over while driving to take their blood pressure.

Anyway at Christmas I had another bp spike one night that gave me the flushed face feeling. However at this time I noticed my left upper cheek and area near my eye became tingly or numb. This has happened numerous times since Christmas and it also occurs in my left arm. Oh yeah I am still dizzy, lightheaded, or feel pressure on my temples and between my eyes. Started getting concerned I was having mini strokes. He was concerned enough to give me a neck ultrasound which I passed

Have you been checked for antiphospholipid syndrome? Autonomic dysfunction?

a brain mri which showed one 6 mm lesion which could correspond with the numbness on my face.

It could, if it's in the right place. It wouldn't account for your chest and arm pain or the feeling in you thigh.

I should also add that after Christmas I have noticed about 10 times that I would eat and get extremely tired. Thought I might be diabetic and my sugar might be causing these problems but my a1c is 5.9 and has been for the past 3 years. This is more than ordinary fatigue. I am concerned this could be ms lassitude.

Have you been evaluated for idiopathic postprandial (which means "after eating") syndrome?

An HbA1c wouldn't indicate idiopathic postprandial syndrome. An A1c evaluates long-term blood sugar levels, and the hypoglycemia that is believed to occur in this syndrome (and is sometimes not found to occur at all) is much too quick to be registered by this test.

Those 10 episodes of being extremely tired after eating don't fit the characteristics of MS lassitude. MS lassitude generally occurs on a daily basis, regardless of time of day (although it can be worse at the end of the day), regardless of activity, regardless of the amount of sleep or rest, and is so severe as to be debilitating. It isn't known to occur only occasionally or only after a particular activity, such as eating.

Any way doc says ms is a possibility but he doesn't think that is what it is. He says I don't present to hI'm like ms. I am 38 if it makes a difference.

Bear in mind that most primary care doctors don't have enough experience with MS to speak with much authority about it. They're speaking from what little they remember of the classic cases of MS they learned about one day back in medical school 10 years (or more) before. Their information isn't detailed enough and it isn't current.

So when your doctor says that he doesn't think what you have is MS and that you don't present like MS, remember that he's speaking from memory of that old, oversimplified model of MS.

By the way, 38 is a prime age for onset of MS.

You'll have to wait until you get worked up by the neurologist to find out what's going on. It might be MS, it might not. There are dozens of things that could be causing your symptoms. Some neurologists are excellent, and some are complete duds who, surprisingly, also don't know enough about MS. So it might be necessary to get more than one opinion to get to the bottom of everything. I wish you well on your journey.