Hi, im 26 and ive been going to the doctors for months.it started with my hands being stiff and aching most of the time and occasionaly dropping things because i can’t grip things properly, so my doctor referred me to a rhumatologist (excuse the spelling!) but she confirmed that it was nothing to do with that. after that my doctor just put me on painkillers. However the last couple of months the aching and pain is also in my legs even when i have done very little and i’m exhuasted all of the time which isn’t great with a 4 year old. i have to go back to bed when hes in school. i also get bouts of depression and mood swings and when i went back to the doctor again he sent me blood tests which came back fine but to have them redone again in 3 months and refused to put me on stronger painkillers. I way i constantly feel i know it must be something but it’s like the doctor keeps just saying to redo all blood tests all the time. Should i be worried?
Hi Anon,
Although your question is probably the commonest we see here, I’m afraid it’s impossible to answer.
I think you are right to be concerned that something’s clearly wrong, but it’s too soon to say that thing is definitely MS, or even whether it’s likely. Unfortunately the symptoms you have are non-specific, which means they’re not unique to any particular disease or condition. Many things could cause this, and that’s why it can take a long, long time to get answers.
MS is comparatively rare, so far from being the first suspect, it’s a diagnosis that can only be reached once all other possible explanations have been ruled out. As there are at least 100 conditions causing similar symptoms, this ruling out process can be quite lengthy, and there’s a good chance it will turn out to be something else, before MS is the only thing left on the table.
Do you know what the blood tests were for? Have you been checked for basic things like vitamin deficiencies? B12 and D are common culprits. Although often low in people with MS, a lack can cause similar symptoms in people who are otherwise perfectly well. Have your hormones been checked?
I think you have to bear with the doctor, for the time being, as these things can take a long time to get to the bottom of. Some things can take a while to show in the blood. But if the tests come out normal a second time, you’re quite entitled to ask what the next steps are. On the plus side, the doctor clearly hasn’t given up investigating, or she (or he) wouldn’t have wanted the tests redone.
If you’re still not satisfied with progress, you could try changing doctors, as sometimes a new person brings completely new perspective. However, I don’t recommend you raise your fears about MS. Almost all doctors have a horror of self-diagnosers, and, like most people, don’t appreciate others trying to tell them their job. It’s probably better to ask questions like: “Is there anything else that could be tested?”, or, at most: “Do you think it might be anything neurological?”, rather than come straight out with your guess of MS. Over-anxious patients often leap to the conclusion their condition is serious, so the last thing you want is to give your doctor the impression your problems may all be anxiety-related, by suggesting the worst thing you can think of. They are less likely to take you seriously, if they think you’ve got yourself in a state from Googling. So when you see them, try to stick to the facts of what’s been happening, and ask: “What else can we try?”, rather than: “Is it MS?”
Hope this helps,
Tina
Hi can any one help in the last few years I have been Getting some symptoms it’s started with my Eyes going a bit blurry and muscular pain in my Leg arm that lasted for a few weeks it dose come And goes than I started to get watery eyes and I get spasms in my left eye and the spasms in my Eye comes over a few weeks but my eyes are all ways Watery lately I keep forgetting the simple thing Like my PIN number I keep forgetting words Do you think it could be MS Thanks Stephen