Hi, i have recently been diagnosed with MS. I’ve not been in the best of health for quite a while. Once I got the formal diagnosis, my first feeling was one of relief, knowing there was a reason behind all the symptoms and I wasn’t “going mad”. The past couple of days, though, I’ve suddenly gone down hill with my mood. I’m swinging between depression and anger but trying to keep a lid on it all. I am on fluoxetine, gabapentin, levothyroxin and diamox. I’m not sleeping and am exhausted all the time. Sorry to sound so negative and mardy but I don’t know what to do. I just want the pain and exhaustion to go 
Try and look at your diagnosis as a postive thing. It is horrible to have anything which takes so much away but remember you have ms it doesn’t have you, well unless you let it. It is early days take the meds and work with those looking after you. Remember who you are and not what you think you were. I’m still not diagnosed despite symptoms but I have the support of my gp and on my worse nights I take a sleeping tablet is that something you could consider Lou x
Hi Lou, Thanks for the reply. I’m just finding it a bit difficult to come to terms with but I’m going to hunt down my ‘positive head’. sure it’ll come back. I do use sleeping tablets but only out of desperation and as a last resort because they are addictive and I don’t want more problems. I’m sure once I’ve started clinical treatment I’ll see things in a better way than I am right now. Glad I’ve registered on this site. It’s good to read about other people and how they handle their MS and all that goes with it. I hope you are sorted soon and thanks once again for taking the trouble to reply to my post. It means a lot
It is so easy to be the voice of reason for someone else and I don’t want to undermine how you are feeling, highs and lows comew with the territory. Like you I only take sleeping tablets as a last resort.Glad you found this site hopefully getting how you feel of your chest will help you to cope with everyday living. All the best with your treatment and ms journey. Lou x
HI Vinnygirl
Firstly, someone coined a phrase on here, it’s ‘Commisulations’. Commiserations on receiving an MS Diagnosis, but hopefully you are feeling relieved as it takes so long to diagnose, it’s almost a victory for some when it finally happens.
Of course you feel down and upset and angry. I would too. I am undiagnosed, but last Monday my neurologist told me I ‘almost certainly’ have MS and is sending me for one more MRI for diagnostic purposes. It’s an odd feeling to ‘know’ and yet not know for definite. Feeling very much in limbo.
But since he said that to me, I have felt angry. Why me?! It doesn’t feel fair. It doesn’t feel fair on me, or my husband or family or friends.
You have every right to feel the way you do, and no one can tell what is right and what is wrong when it comes to your feelings.
I’m sorry I don’t have anything more constructive to say or a magic answer to give you. But just try to remember that you are still you. Your symptoms have a name now and that is all that has changed. You will still continue to manage them and work around them the best you can, just as you have already been doing.
I really do hope you get some rest and relief soon
PG xx
While you may becrelieved to have a dx, you may also be experiencing grief for the life you won’t now have - that is perfectly natural and will take time to resolve. It isn’t fair but unfortunately life isn’t.
Give yourself time and space to come to terms with your dx. I expected my dx but I s
till left the hospital feeling that I was reeling. Now, three months on, I am more able to accept that while some things have changed many things haven’t and I can still do most of the things I enjoy and want to do. Some things will have to be adapted slightly (I’ll be using a mobility scooter when I take my Guides on camp because I know that I’ll struggle with the walking) but I’m not ready to give up totally.
On a practical level, speak to your doctor about pain relief. Don’t suffer.
Not sure what happened to the formatting!
Vinnygirl, you should have access to a specialist MS nurse, although it may take a couple of weeks for the referral to go from your neuro to the nurse. Talk to her - she’s there to help you.
I hope you get some help soon.
Thanks. What has been said sums up exactly how I’m feeling. I’m frustrated that I can no longer do things that before I took for granted…walking round town being one of them!! I’m waiting to hear from the MS nurse. My neurologist was referring me and the clinical treatment that he says I’m in need of. I’ll keep going!!