Hello everyone I'm waiting for diagnosis

[AndTheosmom]

Hi I just joined yesterday! I am seeing a neurologist next week to hopefully diagnose me. Now here is the thing..I've had a brain MRI it came back with two small lesions in the white matter...the radiologist advised I return in a year for another MRI unless there are presenting symptoms.

Ok so my presenting symptoms....I'm hoping some of you lovely already diagnosed may be able to give me some insight here! . So it all started with my left arm...unbareable pain for 9. Mnths...it magically stopped one day. During that period I would also experience very prickly hands..I had a sinus infection that wouldn't go away(very frustrating as I had once been able to get over anything g and quickly) I miscarried during that time as well.

So 2 years go. By...my arm starts to feel as if it's getting sore again..I wake the next day to complete shock...my opposite arm is in agony the exact same as the left had been..,so now here and there I'm experiencing vertigo...that TERRZiBLE brain fog YUCK!!! The pain is unreal..it travels like a burning snake wrapping and weaving...sometimes the bone feels as if it us made of fibreglass ...other times my elbow hurts .....then one day I felt as if I had a sort of "attack" it wS hot out I was cleaning and all of a sudden creepy crawlies were all over my left side my arm was in agony and at thi point my left lower back was burning!!!

So ok time goes on still sore back and arm pain...then one day my scalp gets sore...sooooo sore...then again a kind of attack...it got so sore creepy crawlies shot down my left side and I was left with stabbing pain in my ear and throat for about 24 hours.

Which now brings us to two weeks ago...I felt like CRAP...my body ached the creepy crawlies were everywhere...clothes even felt gross...this came and went a day here and there and now I'm sick. And I now have a hot sore patch on the skin of my arm,,,which I did not have before,,,when it is touched it feels like glass stabbing it...... Any thoughts would be wonderful...

I have other little things that happen here and there...ringing in my ear...twitches and such...after the birth of my second child all my muscles clamped...my Achilles were stuck in tense mode....he had a kidney tumour and during that time the arm pain wrapped right around into my shoulder blade(i do see where stress brings things out) ....again

thank you for welcoming me to this wonderful group and please any thoughts would be great...does this sound like MS? Or something else...is the fact the lesions are small a reason to dismiss MS?? Would a good neurologist want an MRI of my spine or a brain MRZi with contrast? How should I direct our first conversation? Is it possible to be diagnosed first visit? What on earth should I be expecting!? I'm feeling frightened especially with new symptoms! Thank you everyone

** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[SNOOPY]

Hello AndTheosmom and welcome to MSWorld.

Is it possible to be diagnosed first visit?

Not usually.

For some it can take years for a diagnosis of MS, for others it can take weeks or months.

There are numerous diseases/conditions, vitamin deficiencies and medications that can have similar symptoms as MS. Some of those other causes can also cause abnormalities on MRI.

Relax and expect to do more testing.

In the meantime feel free to ask questions.

[Naty15]

Yes get a spinal MRI!

Hello, sorry to hear you are in pain even though I'm no doctor, I do recommend getting all sort of tests done soon to rule anything out. An MRI of your spine as well as maybe a spinal tap would also be good so the neurologists can review the spinal fluid..while at the hospital a month ago, I did a an MRI of my brain which they found some lesions, also did a spinal tap where they found that I had increased t-cells (lymphocytes) I did all sort of blood tests and because of all of this evidence and my relapse I had (sudden double vision, balance problems,) they diagnosed me with MS. This condition can seem very scary but I think we will all be okay with proper treatment and assistance. I hope the best for you

[Mamabug]

Welcome!

~ Faith

[AndTheosmom]

Thank you

Thank you for the replies...I guess my main question is does anything I describe sound like MS? I have had blood work I am low B12...I've been supplementing and that has helped the brain fog but nothing else and I have had a flare up of sorts since...again thank you

[Mamabug]

It certainly COULD be MS. The initial pain may have been a first flare, and the returning and new symptoms, two years later, may have been a second.

However,one of the difficult pieces in dx-ing MS is that there are so many other diseases that mimic MS that it is often a long process of ruling out other things first.

Another difficult aspect in dx-ing is that there is no one definitive test that says, yes - this is MS.

You can google:
1. MS "differential diagnosis"
2. McDonald's criteria

to find out more about both of those, if you wish.

Hope that helps a little. Please let us know if you have additional questions.

~ Faith