Question About Numbness?

[Kaitar]

I am not diagnosed, but am hoping someone can give me some perspective on this. Last Tuesday while showering I lost feeling down the left side of my upper body (front and back and arm) to my fingers (ring and pinky). Over the next few hours it progressed across to the right side of my body and right arm until my whole torso, both arms and both hands were numb and tingling. Called DR. Answered a few questions, was told not a stroke and to call for an appointment in AM. Saw DR. Thursday (2 days later) and she examined me; wrote an order for bloodwork and referred me to a neurologist. I see the neurologist in a month. So my question is...is it Normal for Doctors to ignore numbness? It' s been a week and I have pain and numbness and tingling now and DR. said see neuro and nothing else! Is this the usual way things go?

[Laurie Oetzel]

My experience

Hi Kaitar, I am newly diagnosed with MS, only a month now! The symptoms that made me take notice were dizzy spells/lightheadedness, followed by numbness that started in my feet and travelled quickly up to my waist and it lasted for about 2 1/2 weeks before improving and then mostly went away.

I went to my PCP and he was very concerned and actually ordered some lab tests and an MRI of my Tspine. The problem is he ordered the test in an open facility so it came back normal. He also sent me to a neurologist who ordered an MRI of my entire central nervous system (brain, cspine and lspine) and again, these films were done in an open facility, they all came back clean. When the neuro wasn't responding the way I wanted him to, I went to a different neuro who advised me to get another set of films at a closed T3 facility. I waited until the symptoms came back and then got the MRI, it came back with lesions all throughout my central nervous system.

I only tell you this because I don't want anyone to go through the agony of waiting for a diagnosis and thinking your crazy because the doctor keeps telling you nothing is wrong. I waited almost a year before I got the diagnosis and now am on the road to recovery after treatment that seems to be working for me. Good luck and I do hope you get the answers you are looking for. Sorry your doctor dismissed your symptoms.

Take care.

** 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. **

[22cyclist]

I am not diagnosed, but am hoping someone can give me some perspective on this. Last Tuesday while showering I lost feeling down the left side of my upper body (front and back and arm) to my fingers (ring and pinky). Over the next few hours it progressed across to the right side of my body and right arm until my whole torso, both arms and both hands were numb and tingling. Called DR. Answered a few questions, was told not a stroke and to call for an appointment in AM. Saw DR. Thursday (2 days later) and she examined me; wrote an order for bloodwork and referred me to a neurologist. I see the neurologist in a month. So my question is...is it Normal for Doctors to ignore numbness? It' s been a week and I have pain and numbness and tingling now and DR. said see neuro and nothing else! Is this the usual way things go?

Your type of numbness is not an emergency. Its symmetrical so no risk for stroke (which is an emergency). If it is MS, or some other mimic, it can be taken care of by a neurologist further investigating it. Numbness in and of itself doesn't even require treatment in MS. Its just a parasthesia. A feeling of something strange. You do NOT have to have symptoms to have an MRI show lesions. It is better to have a closed MRI. A 1.5 T will do.

As for the numbness, do not worry about it unless you begin to get paralysis or paresis of a limb. At that point you may need to go to the ER. For now a month wait is nothing. Many people even here in the US have a 6 month wait to see a neuro. Its really not that long.

So for now, get your records together to bring to your neurologist. Write down any exacerbation (symptom that has lasted >24 hours and is constant; but wasn't started by heat, hot shower, virus, infection, etc. and is separated in between by at least 30 days before the next exacerbation starts)

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Tre...aging-Relapses

Good luck! Feel better, and let us know how your appointment goes!

Lisa

[KateA2]

Hi Kaitar,

Sorry to hear you are having pain and numbness! Even if it doesn't constitute a medical emergency, it is far from benign to live with. I have pain and numbness 24/7 but it waxes and wanes, and medication works well to manage it. So I am guessing that more likely than not, yours will improve in the next month or two. I hope you get some answers from the neurologist soon!

[Thinkimjob]

Yep, that's how it goes. Your doctor hasn't ignored your numbness, she's referred you to a neurologist.
Which is good.

There's not much anyone can do about numbness. You could have steroids, I suppose, but most doctors seem to keep those big guns in reserve. Usually, hopefully, it goes away.

Which isn't to say it doesn't suck. And the way you described it creeping up (literally) sounds all-too familiar. It is such a bizarre sensation, like an incoming tide.

Good luck.

[Kaitar]

Thanks!

Thank you for all your replies! I am feeling reassured that at least this is how it goes.

It's very disconcerting to have symptoms dismissed but not told WHY it's okay to let them be. So basically it means, yeah there's some nerve damage right now, but it's not paralyzed so it's working a bit and a wait and see if it fixes itself type thing.

I am horrified to hear that it takes more than a month to see any specialist in this country! I live in NE PA and near several metro areas so maybe I have better access than some.

Thanks for the MRI info as well. The local place has a 1.5T, looked it up after reading info here. I will be sure to try to get to a 3T facility then!

This place has also been useful to me with getting info for helping my little sis. I am very grateful for the support, love and care shown here.

[lavenderteawithme_33]

GOOD MORNING....
I TO AM NOT DIAGNOSED. HAVE NUMBNESS IN MY LEFT FOOT UP THE LEG.

YOU SHOULD GO GET SECOND OPINION I THINK. ONLY YOU KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. TRUST IT.

LAURIE.....COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS T3 MRI THAT YOU WROTEABOUT. I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU MEAN.. DID YOU ALSO HAVE CONTRAST OR NOT....THANKS

[22cyclist]

A 3T MRI is not necessary in diagnosing MS. A 1.5T will show lesions required for diagnosis, and most centers have a 1.5T.

An OPEN MRI is not good for diagnosis, because it often misses MS lesions. So, a 1.5 is perfectly fine to use in diagnosis and maintenance. I go to a major MS center, they have a 3T machine, but don't use it for diagnosis or maintenance of MS. They use the 1.5T.

Contrast is not needed to check for MS. There is something within a series of MRIs whether it is an MS protocol or rule out tumor called FLAIR. This section will show lesions that the regular part of the MRI will not and it is very good for picking up MS lesions. So this is seen without contrast.

Contrast is only used to see if these lesions that are already seen will "light up" with the contrast, to see if they are active at the time. This evaluates the need for IV Solu-Medrol. So, if they see nothing on the non-contrast MRI, there is no need for contrast.

Take care
Lisa

[Kaitar]

1.5T

Glad to hear a 1.5T is fine. What about open vs. closed?????