Hi all, my symptoms all started after I got back off holiday last year, I woke up with a numb foot and calf, with a banding feeling stopping it. Over the course of a few days it spread into both legs and all the way up to bra level, being stopped again by a banding feeling. After going to the drs, they referred me to a neurologist (which took 3 months) despite being urgent. The dr was initially worried incase I had guillian barre. Anyway it wasn’t completely numb but a vile feeling that changed from wormy, numb and at times felt like I was wearing a wet suit. When I got round to seeing the neurologist my symptoms had subsided, it lasted 6 weeks roughly. Although I had what I now know to be Lhermitte’s sign but I forgot to tell the neurologist as I was really anxious. I only remembered when I was driving home and my chin touched my chest. The neurologist put it down to stress, she said it wasn’t m.s as my symptoms were intermittent. Anyway I still feel odd in my legs if I walk a long way, like my trousers are stuck to my legs from static, but I’ve learned to ignore it. Recently though I’ve been experiencing burning patches of skin on my legs, I went to a new dr who performed a full neurological test, which I passed. I forgot that last year whilst on holiday a sun lounger collapsed on me and I hurt my back, really badly and made me feel sick. Due to this he arranged a lumber mri which I had last Friday as well as bloods to check vitamin levels. All my bloods came back clear last year but now are showing slightly not normal bone profile and my platelets are slightly off too but no action needed. I think it’s something to do with calcium. My mri came back clear! I’m now experiencing a vibrating feeling randomly in my chest towards the back I notice it especially when I talk, I just feel I can’t go to the drs again. I’m still at a loss at what’s causing my symptoms. Would a mri of the spine show m.s? I’m worried now incase I have some blood cancer, my own fault from googling blood test results. That wouldn’t really explain all these neurological issues I’ve been having though. I’m starting to feel like I’m getting nowhere and I keep ending up at a dead end. Can anyone advise me please? I’m a 35 year old female.
Hi
An MRI of the spine is usually done with brain MRI- as lesions on spine can account for some symptoms, as well as the brain. Your symptoms definitely sound neurological and I do find that altered sensations do seem to be a symptom (whilst one of the earliest) are the ones they seem to set aside as less important re diagnosis
. I am waiting for an MR but as far as i know symptoms that are intermittent arent uncommon in MS, neither is it them going away - hence remission element of relapse remitting. Not saying at all you have it, just saying it’s not uncommon
Am bewildered as to why someone who loses feeling from legs up the way to their chest is told they are anxious. Honest to god. I also dont think you should he to mention L’hermittes either the Neuro should have enough to go on. I would keep a diary and note and context and get back to GP. In terms of calcium , it can be suggestive of problems with parathyroid gland (lower calcium i believe) and they can cause pins and needles but quite specific. I only know because i had low calcium and they then re tested parathyroid bloods ( I was really hoping it would be…). I am sure if it is blood related (and sometimes its anaemia ) they would have other symptoms to monitor like bruising or whatever and would react to this to try not to worry
I get vibrations in my chest too and is very disconcerting. Sometimes it is mild like i have drunk too much caffiene (though have cut it out after 3pm). Also i find neuro exams are good for balance, motor issues , but not as great is symptoms are pins and needles, sensory stuff . So i have had good neuro exams too but need an MRI
Dont sit fretting, and i know how horrible it is to want to be at your GP weekly but then i go between giving myself into trouble an then thinking that its my life, and therefore important!
Good luck
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
So basically you need a brain and spinal MRI to detect M.S? So just a spinal one might not show anything, is this correct? I just can’t believe from what I’ve read on here just how long others take to get a diagnosis. You feel like no one believes you. The dr last year told me my symptoms were unusual and didn’t seem to fit any illness, as with M.S, most first symptoms are optical ones. From reading the “first symptoms” section on here, a lot of people’s first ones were numbness that spread upwards.
it’s all very frustrating. The dr is phoning me Monday, so I’ll ask where I can go from here. I have a feeling they might make me wait until I have another episode before they’ll do more tests. I guess that they can now rule out a back injury as being the cause.
Hi Am not sure what’s needed as matter of course aside from Brain as a definite. I think spine done for avoidance of doubt or needing to repeat tests. So brain might look ok and lead to no diagnosis whereas spine might show something . Have look at MacDonald criteria as neurologists do defer to it and this might lead them to suspect MS but they may look for 2 seperate episodes. However your accounts of this may be enough for some.
Thanks, the dr phoned me yesterday. Apparently my MRI showed bulging disks, but that’s down to ageing apparently. He didn’t think it would explain the numbness that I had last year that spread upwards abs said if I ever had that again to go back to the drs. He said the random patches of burning skin on one leg could be down to my back. He said the MRI wouldn’t have picked up M.S as they weren’t looking for it, you need a head and spinal scan and mine was only to show the disks. As I keep passing the neurological exams he said they wouldn’t be looking to do anything else at the minute. I explained about the vibrating and he said he didn’t know what would cause that but because I’m anaemic he’s ordered a test for celiac. So there you go. I guess it’s just a waiting game to see if I get anymore odd symptoms. It’s so awful not knowing but a lot of people seem to be in the same boat.