MS symptoms, don't know what to do
Alright, I've been meaning to write a question here since a while - and here goes. I'm a 20 year old male who since 4-5 years has been dealing with something which, at least I, am sure is Multiple Sclerosis. I have been to several neurologists and all dismissed me, pointing out the reason for my issue to be my very sedentary lifestyle (I am a computer programmer and generally deal with computers a lot), and my past problems with anxiety. I believed this for some time, naturally - but lately things have been escalating.
I have had 3 MRI's, 2 of the brain and 1 of C-spine, the first two w ere 2 years ago (brain and c-spine), and the last was 8 months ago - brain, again it was clear.
Now, let me start off by saying that I indeed have a very sedentary lifestyle, I can spend days and nights working without going out or moving too much, sitting with quite the messed up posture at times - and I indeed have had problems with anxiety in the past, although lately I've reached a conclusion that a lot more is happening.
Symptoms:
4 years ago ( the start of it all) - 2 weeks of burning pain in legs which was worse at night, it got contributed to sitting too much/inactivity/bad posture/waist problems and the fact I might have sprained something, due to the fact I was going to gym at that time doing heavy weight lifting.
3 years ago - generalised tingling/prickling/heat/cold sensations in different parts of body which initially followed no patterns whatsoever, they were generalised and happened in a period of extreme stress, but since then they have just stayed and have been here pretty much every day - the tingling is best described as a "ticklish" feeling - this got contributed to anxiety due to it's nature and the way it presented itself.
2 years ago - I have had periods of my left side feeling numb (most problems are on my left side of body), even if the numbness never involved any sort of loss of sensation - i could feel just fine and there was no difference between my two sides, it was sort of like heaviness and tightness and general feeling of paresthesia on the left side - I also used to get headaches on the left side of my head, which were diagnosed as cervicogenic headaches due to static posture in front of computer - and my neck problems were said to be dealing the rest of the issues down this side as well. (Numbness was on and off following no particular pattern as well)
1 year ago - I started getting something very weird with my vision - in rooms with flourescent lighting, i will see my vision flickering/flashing for a while as if someone is flicking the power switch on and off, and at other times simply flashing/pulsating for a while (It has -only- happened in artificial light, never during the day) - sometimes I have severe stinging in my eyes together with this. I have never had anything close to Optic Neuritis or pain in the eyes which comes with it, nor loss of color vision etc - and the flickering/flashing is in both eyes, so that got attributed to anxiety/or too much computer.
1 year ago - After a fall from a chair on my waist (i am not sure if this was the reason), a day after or so in the shower, I began getting a pronounced tightness around my waist and up my abdominal muscles, as if they were spasming - the abdominal muscles were very tight and tingly, and it felt as if i have a tight belt strapped around my waist. - This continued for a while, then disappeared to a CERTAIN EXTEND, but it has been coming on and off since then. Tightness around the waist and tingling, like a belt around it - also pain sometimes, sharp pain. I DO have troubles with my waist and lower back pain due to bad posture/too much sitting, but this certainly sounds like the "MG HUG" to me.
Those are the main symptoms, together with a plethora of more minor ones which I don't quite remember, however - what really worries me is this:
My problems - the tightnening around the waist namely, appear to come back when I heat up or am physically active - if I am outside in the heat having a brisk walk, my waist will start hurting with sharp stabbing pains for a few seconds, then disappear (has happened once or twice), and general the tingling will come back as well (the one around the waist, not the body one) - I do not know if it's due to the WALKING itself, aka physical activity which might be harming my problems with the waist even more, or if this is MS heat sensitivity.
I have also noticed that the episodes of flashing vision sometimes happened when I'm in the shower and having a really hot shower, which also freaked me out majorly.
I am also having a feeling in my left leg which is like "tightnesS", that's the best way I can describe it - it just feels tight. I have no problems moving it or walking of any sort, nor is the leg weak, but it just feels tight - yet this coincidences with the fact that I have a lateral pelvic tilt on that side, which would technically make this leg a bit shorter than the other one, and the tightness is really only felt when I walk - as if the leg is stepping somewhat heavier than the other one.
So.... here I am, not knowing what to do anymore. People keep waving anxiety and my sedentary lifestyle in my face and saying that's the reason for all my problems, yet what has been REALLY bothering of late has been the heat sensitivity. Coincidence? I don't know, or maybe brought on by my own head and anxiety? Can't tell. I am writing here with hope to get some answers or guidance on what should I do.
I apologise for the long post and thank you all in advance.
I have had 3 MRI's, 2 of the brain and 1 of C-spine, the first two w ere 2 years ago (brain and c-spine), and the last was 8 months ago - brain, again it was clear.
Now, let me start off by saying that I indeed have a very sedentary lifestyle, I can spend days and nights working without going out or moving too much, sitting with quite the messed up posture at times - and I indeed have had problems with anxiety in the past, although lately I've reached a conclusion that a lot more is happening.
Symptoms:
4 years ago ( the start of it all) - 2 weeks of burning pain in legs which was worse at night, it got contributed to sitting too much/inactivity/bad posture/waist problems and the fact I might have sprained something, due to the fact I was going to gym at that time doing heavy weight lifting.
3 years ago - generalised tingling/prickling/heat/cold sensations in different parts of body which initially followed no patterns whatsoever, they were generalised and happened in a period of extreme stress, but since then they have just stayed and have been here pretty much every day - the tingling is best described as a "ticklish" feeling - this got contributed to anxiety due to it's nature and the way it presented itself.
2 years ago - I have had periods of my left side feeling numb (most problems are on my left side of body), even if the numbness never involved any sort of loss of sensation - i could feel just fine and there was no difference between my two sides, it was sort of like heaviness and tightness and general feeling of paresthesia on the left side - I also used to get headaches on the left side of my head, which were diagnosed as cervicogenic headaches due to static posture in front of computer - and my neck problems were said to be dealing the rest of the issues down this side as well. (Numbness was on and off following no particular pattern as well)
1 year ago - I started getting something very weird with my vision - in rooms with flourescent lighting, i will see my vision flickering/flashing for a while as if someone is flicking the power switch on and off, and at other times simply flashing/pulsating for a while (It has -only- happened in artificial light, never during the day) - sometimes I have severe stinging in my eyes together with this. I have never had anything close to Optic Neuritis or pain in the eyes which comes with it, nor loss of color vision etc - and the flickering/flashing is in both eyes, so that got attributed to anxiety/or too much computer.
1 year ago - After a fall from a chair on my waist (i am not sure if this was the reason), a day after or so in the shower, I began getting a pronounced tightness around my waist and up my abdominal muscles, as if they were spasming - the abdominal muscles were very tight and tingly, and it felt as if i have a tight belt strapped around my waist. - This continued for a while, then disappeared to a CERTAIN EXTEND, but it has been coming on and off since then. Tightness around the waist and tingling, like a belt around it - also pain sometimes, sharp pain. I DO have troubles with my waist and lower back pain due to bad posture/too much sitting, but this certainly sounds like the "MG HUG" to me.
Those are the main symptoms, together with a plethora of more minor ones which I don't quite remember, however - what really worries me is this:
My problems - the tightnening around the waist namely, appear to come back when I heat up or am physically active - if I am outside in the heat having a brisk walk, my waist will start hurting with sharp stabbing pains for a few seconds, then disappear (has happened once or twice), and general the tingling will come back as well (the one around the waist, not the body one) - I do not know if it's due to the WALKING itself, aka physical activity which might be harming my problems with the waist even more, or if this is MS heat sensitivity.
I have also noticed that the episodes of flashing vision sometimes happened when I'm in the shower and having a really hot shower, which also freaked me out majorly.
I am also having a feeling in my left leg which is like "tightnesS", that's the best way I can describe it - it just feels tight. I have no problems moving it or walking of any sort, nor is the leg weak, but it just feels tight - yet this coincidences with the fact that I have a lateral pelvic tilt on that side, which would technically make this leg a bit shorter than the other one, and the tightness is really only felt when I walk - as if the leg is stepping somewhat heavier than the other one.
So.... here I am, not knowing what to do anymore. People keep waving anxiety and my sedentary lifestyle in my face and saying that's the reason for all my problems, yet what has been REALLY bothering of late has been the heat sensitivity. Coincidence? I don't know, or maybe brought on by my own head and anxiety? Can't tell. I am writing here with hope to get some answers or guidance on what should I do.
I apologise for the long post and thank you all in advance.
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