Does this sound like ms

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hi my name is Shirley, I’m 37 and have an appointment with a neurologist in 6 weeks. So far my experience of symptoms haven’t been too bad but this is what I’ve been experiencing which may or may not be linked to MS.

About 4 months ago I started getting Pins & needles in my hands and feet mostly, but have felt them and numbness on various parts of my body including hands, legs, arms, neck. This is now a daily occurrence and went from lasting seconds to being with me a lot. It doesn’t affect my mobility though.

Yesterday I got a Painful lower back out of nowhere which made me struggle to walk and it was unlike anything I’ve had before and then my right foot tingling. I was sat down, then got up, felt OK got in car and could feel my back aching a bit but when I got out of car after a few minutes driving I was in pain and struggling to walk properly. I get Restless legs at night but they were worse last night. Today the pins and needles are up right leg, aching calves, pins and needles in both feet and hands and right shoulder. I’m Tired but couldn’t sleep for ages last night. My back is a little better today though.

Hard to describe this but sometimes my brain doesn’t feel quite right, for example I was looking at my cat in her bed yet moving the blanket in front of me to see if she was still in there, even though I was looking at her across the room!

Sometimes I am Waking up With stiff muscles, earlier this week it was my bottom and my thigh muscles, I’ve just been feeling not quite right mentally and have had dizzy spells, once it was like I was drunk.

Headaches have been quite often but I do wonder whether the muggy weather we’ve been having has caused this.

I feel like my Hearing is not so good.

Constipation has been with for months but eating healthily helps keep this under control.

Blurry vision a bit although eye test was fine.

Balance is off sometimes but I’m still good catching stuff.

Prickly heat feeling when hot and sometimes get A Cold spot like someone has splashed me with ice water.

Tiredness but not exhaustion.

Restless legs affecting sleep, this happens a lot but I have suffered with this on and off for years.

Weeing lots having to go a million times again this is not that unusual for me though. It’s like my bladder doesn’t empty properly the first time.

I had Pain in fingers; like the bones, one day after doing gardening

Stiff muscles after exercise.

Tightness in chest like my bra strap is too tight.

I don’t really know what I’m expecting anyone to say lol but I just felt like I’d like to discuss things without affecting my loved ones. Id like to know if anyone who has been diagnosed has experienced what I’m describing. How long does it usually take from seeing your neurologist the first time till an mri for example is done? What happens at your initial appointment? Sorry for all the questions!

Shirley

2

hi shirley

my first symptom was pins and needles in my right foot.

a locum doctor gave me thiamine tablets and it went away.

but a few months later it came back in both feet and both hands.

my gp was marvellous and he referred me to neurology.

the neuro for my area is lovely and really easy to talk to.

he got me in for an MRI but when i saw him for the results i was in a bad way.

it was my first relapse and i went in for IV steroids.

then lumbar puncture and diagnosis.

i would advise you to take a vitamin B complex and Vit D3.

get a referral to the bladder and bowel clinic (you can self refer or ask your gp)

if you are retaining urine this will make you more prone to urinary tract infections.

try to avoid stress, i hate stress!

mindfulness meditation is a brilliant way to calm the mind.

it doesnt involve the lotus position

i have mine on a MP3 and listen through ear phones

rest as much as you need and as often as you need.

try not to get on the slippery slope of depression

a mild anti depressant may be needed.

good luck

carole x

3

Hi Carole

Thank you very much for your reply can I ask how long it took to get your mri results back? When you say you were in a bad way could you tell me in what symptoms you had? Does my symptoms sound familiar to you? Sorry for all the questions!

Thank you for all your advice. I am already on tablets but all that is under control and thankfully I think they’ve helped me keep a positive attitude about possibly having ms. Having lost my mum to a brain tumour two years ago I was just thankful that ms isn’t terminal as before I looked it up I was worried it was. So yes I’ve been really quite chilled about it all but I must admit when I was struggling to stand yesterday I was worrying about how I’d get my boy to his sports hobbies!

Its so so great to have someone to talk to x

4

hi again

it was about 12 months from seeing my gp to getting my diagnosis.

the bad way that i was in was drop foot.

i had fallen in the pub beer garden landing on my nose.

i’d just come back from greece and was wearing white (well i had to show off the tan).

my neuro is german and he said “oh no, not in the beer garden”.

as well as drop foot all my other symptoms had come out to play.

oh and i’d broken my big toe!

i’d just turned 50 and suddenly i’d become a fragile old woman.

but it didn’t all last too long.

now i feel fragile and i feel old but there are many people my age who are fragile for one reason or another.

it’s been 8 years since all the drama.

carole x