Awaiting neuro

Hi folks,
I’ve been lurking for a bit, reading and wondering.
I’m Gman, a 50yr old man, dad of two teenage sons, husband of one long suffering wife and an NHS physio assistant practitioner.
Long story short, my GP believed I am displaying some symptoms/signs that maybe MS.

After initially visiting my GP as my knuckles, wrists, back of hands, knees and feet had been sore things took an unexpected turn. It’s was then that a few years worth of various things started to click.

The pains were referred to x-ray and i was tested for inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis. But that was negative and the pains weren’t really pain, they were more a numbness. I hadn’t been great at my explanation.
When explaining this to my GP one thing led to another and i various other details were divlugef such as
Chronic long standing fatigue. Like I can feel the energy draining from me.
On a recent hot day, I was cutting a tree down with my 80yr dad, I couldn’t last more than ten minutes and had to lie down, utterly exhausted and hot and trembling. Jelly legs and shaking.
My 80yr old dad was sawing away, I felt like an utter fool.
I had been infrequently stumbling the past few years but recently it has been happening much more regular, usually my left foot.
Back off hands just numb all the time now.
Id recently been off work with a new diagnosis of diverticular disease for such months I could not be ten feet away from there loo. I was rerefferrd to gastro where the consultant concluded my bowel problems were not relative to my gut disease. I’ve tried all sorts of diet, nothing works and I now wonder if it’s related to everything else.
I regularly get the most excruciating pain in my left ribs, utterly debilitating. Sometimes it feels like my whole chest is tightening.
I also on occasion feel like my whole left arm is numb and tingling, and worried in the past I was having a heart attack but nothing has shown at the GP so now wondering if it’s also related.

I feel itchy a lot and the other day I even had an itchy tongue! Madness!

My legs go into spasm, worse at rest and sometimes so do my arms. I get very lighthead too and feel clumsy. Then I shake inside, internal tremor. People don’t see it, it’s not so visible butt inside I’m going like the clappers and that’s when I get really clumsy. I missed a glass of water o was picking up the other day and knocked out flying. I’ve been dropping things to and been a bit uncoordinated. They other day I was in Tesco and could hardly lift my legs, was lighthead and nearly walked into a shelf! It was hard to keep control and remain calm.

My left faced feels numb at times, especially around the eye socket which often twitches away and my left eye feels tight and fuzzy.
I had an episode of double vision two months ago which lasted for only about ten minutes but it was frightening. I thought with everything else at the time I was having a mini stroke.

Anyway, gp did neural examine and thinks I have left sided weakness and a judder in my eye.
I self referred to physio ( even though I work there ) and they found the same weakness and balance problems, I nearly fell to the left side.

The worse thing is the constant fatigue, I sleep as soon as I get home from work most nights. Have dinner, sleep. Watch telly for an hour or two or house duties I can manage then go to bed and sleep.

I have my neuro appointment in two weeks and hoping to at least start making sense.

I honestly don’t know if it’s MS, it’s so complicated. But thank you for allowing me to vent. It’s been a rough ride lately.

Hello Gman,

Sounds like you are going through the ringer. horrible set of symptoms you are dealing with a lot of which are familiar. Sadly they could relate to many conditions, so I would be politely asking my GP for a referral to a neurology consultant. If this is MS, the quicker you get going with some drug therapy the sooner you can slow the damage down. If there is a stupidly long wait time I would seriously think about a private consultation.
As I would say to anyone with these symptoms, learn to listen to your body and be conscious of which strategies work for you and which do not. They might change over time but you will be more aware of what to look out for.
Wishing you all the best
Mick

PS if the GP does not respond in a reasonable time (your call) start to make a fuss, become a nuisance to make it easier for them to get you out of their hair. I understand the pressure on resources but it is not their central nervous system under attack. If they get on the case quickly they will save money and time in the long run.
I will shut up now…
Good luck

Thanks Mogace,
my appointment is in two weeks.
Here’s hoping they are able to help.

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Having to take another day off work.

My chest is tight, leading round to my back and i can feel the left sided rub pain develop, again.

Left hand is numb and (this is a new one) my left ear lobe. Not the entire ear, the lobe is completely numb. Tinnitus is off the scale.

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