Could this be MS?

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hi everyone,

I’m new to this forum, and am looking for advice. I have been ill for many years with a collection of different symptoms, resulting in diagnoses of ME and Fibromyalgia. However, I have always felt that not everything fits neatly into either or both of these conditions, and as things have progressed and then taken a turn for the worse over the past 9 months, I have become increasingly concerned that I have many signs of MS.

I have recently been investigated by ENT for balance/vertigo issues, but they confirmed that I do not have an inner ear problem.

I have also recently had a brain MRI which showed “multiple small white matter lesions” all over my brain. I am waiting to see a Neurologist.

I hope you don’t mind if I list my main symptoms below, and would welcome any comments/advice:

Major balance issues/dizziness (constant, made worse by physical or mental exertion)…can’t stand unaided and can’t walk more than a few steps without holding on to someone for support, as will stagger and stumble due to imbalance

Constant fatigue, not improved with sleep or rest

Stiffness and pain in fingers, back, neck, knees, ankles, feet, shoulders, elbows

Headaches and tingling/numbness in head and face

Blurred vision and pain in one eye, sometimes ‘wiggly’ vision (eyesight originally deteriorated rapidly about 6 years ago and was told my eyes weren’t focussing together properly)

Very ‘heavy’ legs and arms, sometimes don’t feel as if have full control over them

Trembling feeling in whole body, causing hands to sometimes tremble involuntarily

Occasional weird feeling in arm or leg muscles making me want to ‘jerk’ my limbs or move them in a weird way (very difficult to describe, although I can override these movements if I concentrate)

Nausea

Cognitive problems - short term memory issues, word recall issues, difficulty concentrating, finding it difficult to articulate etc

I’m sure there are other things, but I’m sure that’s enough to be going on with!

Any comments would be really appreciated, as I am working myself up into a mini-frenzy at the moment!

Thank you :slight_smile:

2

Sorry, me again!

I have just remembered a few more symptoms that may or may not be significant:

I get involuntary muscle twitches, eg: one of my thumbs or fingers will move quite dramatically completely involuntarily for a minute or more at a time on and off for a number of days or even weeks. This will then stop, and it will start up again with another finger/toe etc.

I also get a mild ‘tingling’ feeling in my arms/hands/ legs/feet

I also have constant mild tinnitus, but recently I have been having louder noises come on suddenly in one ear, at which time my hearing will become impaired and that side of my face/head feels funny…kind of numb, but not exactly numb (sorry, really difficult to explain!)

3

Hi,

I’m sorry, but I’m afraid it’s impossible to tell whether this is/isn’t MS, no matter how detailed your list of symptoms. I think most or all of your symptoms CAN be found in MS, but that’s not very surprising, since MS can affect any function of the central nervous system. As that controls virtually everything, you can imagine that the symptoms of MS can be very many and varied, but few, if any, are unique to MS, and can be caused by other things too.

I do not know for sure that ME and/or fibromyalgia wouldn’t produce a very similar set of symptoms. So could a lot of other things!

The MRI findings do sound “abnormal”, and that will obviously form one line of investigation - but again, I can’t tell whether it’s MS kind of abnormal, or some other kind. Brain lesions are not always caused by MS. Exactly where they are, and the form they take, helps determine whether they are likely to be MS lesions or not, but even if I were to see a photo, I wouldn’t have enough knowledge to tell you: “Yes, that looks like MS”, or: “No, it doesn’t.”

I’m afraid you will have to try to be patient, as only your neuro can tell you how he interprets these findings, and whether MS is even in the picture. It’s not unheard of for even migraines to produce visible changes in the brain, so you cannot conclude he’s definitely going to say MS.

I don’t even know whether fibro/ME can sometimes cause lesions. I used to think not, but I’ve since read things that make me think I might have been wrong. But I’ve never been diagnosed with either ME or fibro, so I don’t know very much about them. Only what little I’ve picked up in passing.

Sorry not to be more help,

Tina

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