Hi everybody. I’m posting here for the first time, chiefly to ask your advice.
I’ve been noticing strange things over the last year or so. I left work about 3 years ago and we’ve started to invest in property. This means that inevitably i’ve been getting involved in DIY - nothing really heavy duty, but some good exercise. About two years ago we were involved in renovating a house and one day I found my entire upper body had seized up. Any attempt at movement caused excruciating pain in my back. This was only relieved by lying down.
Since then, i’ve noticed that my walking has been impaired and I stumble a lot. My legs are very stiff, but not very strong. I can lose balance and veer offline slightly when walking. I also get very tired very quickly. My legs turn to jelly. I still manage to walk 3-4 miles every day though.
If I accidentally bump into something with my arm for example, I get an electric shock in my upper torso, mainly my back. I also have had x-rays that have revealed degeneration of discs in my lower back.
Any DIY now results in me getting really exhausted totally out of proportion to effort. I also get very irrational and can turn very nasty and abusive, basically because of pain and frustration, probably depressive too. My exhaustion isn’t relieved by sleep, and I sometimes wake feeling even worse than when I went to bed.
Do these symptoms sound like MS to you? I’m male and 59 years old. I haven’t seen my doc yet.
Hi Dave, I would say not really! They sound to me like the kind of symptoms someone around your age group (not so far off mine) might develop when engaging in the heavy physical work you have taken on. I would be looking for a doctor to check you over from the point of view of something being out of alignment/disc issues to be honest. Do you think you might be a bit depressed? I hate myself for saying that as mental health issues have been predominant with me and it looks like I am about to land the MS tag after at least 20 years of issues (many times in my younger years I was crippled with my back but I put it down to 5 kids ha). I do understand about the edge we get when in pain and fatigue. Hope things work out - let us know. No doubt others will share their thoughts too.
If you’re anxious about your symptoms the first call should be to your GP, he/she may then want to refer you for investigations to start. GP could also help with pain relief & possibly balance issues.
Thanks for the replies so far, much appreciated. I’m glad you think the symptoms i’m feeling aren’t MS. However, there’s definitely something going on. 59 isn’t old though and i’ve always felt fit up until now. The tiredness now is what really knocks me back (I can be tired for days after little effort), and I seem to get strong lactic burn with the smallest of tasks. The most worrying thing is the electric shock thing with my back (it’s upper, not lower) and I also have numb toes on a morning and a permanent numb patch on my left inner thigh. My testicles sometimes go numb too. Back feels like it’s in a vice, being squeezed.
I’ve got to say, looking down the MS symptom list, i’ve had pretty much all of them (not all together, obviously). Tinnitus is a regular visitor and eyesight is now very poor, with complete inability to focus my eyes when I first wake. There’s all sorts of bloody things when I think about it. I have pins and needles in my fingers as i’m writing this.
Best go and start the discussion with the doctor then. It is the only way forward. Tinnitus is supposedly unusual in MS. I have it but it may not be linked.
I get tinnitus whistling sound it drives me nuts i know its down too having done too much or over heated or coming down with a UTI.
I agree with Thistelass i would see your doctor it could be anything. I dont have testicles so cant comment on that symptom. could be down to too tight underwear?
at nearly 60 we do get odd things. I am 68 and sometimes i have no idea if my memory is down to my MS or my age lol.
fatigue yes i am pooped. YOu say electric shocks that can be down to muscle issues i have never had this electric shock thing with my MS, so many people are different.
not one person has it the same.
If you worried then i would talk to your GP and get referred to a neurologist. MERRY XMAS.