Could it be MS?

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

I am a 20 year old male who has been going through a stressfull year, and about 4 months ago i started getting some unusual symptoms which have been making things worse. I left it a few months to see if they would dissapear but they don’t seem to have yet. The symptoms consist of; blurring vision (though i was diagnosed with a lazy eye 10 years ago), double vision, a struggle to balance myself while standing still and sometimes while walking my co-ordination is off (bumping into doors etc), alot of trouble pronouncing myself when speaking (stuttering alot, cant figure what word comes next in a sentence, mixing my words and forgetting certain basic words), my attention has become significantly shorter, my short-term memory is quite bad (even forgetting things from the same day like going food shopping etc), ringing in my ears (like a white noise) and finally having to urinate more frequently.

I have waited it out to see if things got better, but they seem to be just as bad and at times worse, i could go one day having all the symptons or a day with only one or none. I wouldn’t even consider it being MS but my mum is a MS sufferer which is why I am posting here, and after reading many websites and from what I know from experience with my mum the symptoms are quite similar.

As I am unsure whether to talk to a GP or if it would be a waste of time any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

2

Hi Rocky,

MS isn’t considered to be hereditary, so even with it already in the family, the odds are probably still on the side of it being something else. However, it does have a slight tendency to cluster in families, so in your place, I’d want to know what it was, even if it turns out to be something quite different.

Similar symptoms can sometimes be caused by something as simple as a vitamin deficiency - which can be easily tested for and treated. Obviously, with your mum’s history, you’re bound to be on the lookout for any hint of MS. That doesn’t mean it is that, but equally, you shouldn’t be having such symptoms at just 20 - or at any age, really - so I certainly don’t think it’s a waste of time to see your doctor, even if it’s only to put your mind at rest.

MS has many mimics: I was tested for over 100 things, before they narrowed it down to MS, so please don’t assume MS is the only possible explanation. It might be something straightforward and fixable.

Tina

3

Hey Rocky,

I would go to the GP and get the ball rolling. The sooner you start things the better. In the meantime, you might like to try b12 100mcg and vitd3 5000iu a try for a few weeks. See if it helps.

Adrian

4

Hello and welcome :slight_smile: Just wanted to echo Tina’s excellent advice - there may well be a simple, fixable explanation for your symptoms so please see your GP. Good luck. Karen x