Hi I’m 39 male for the last 3 months have had middle back pain Is this a symptom of ms? Then about four weeks ago I started to develop light pins and needles I’m my feet Then for last 10 days been waking at night with arm numbness and pins and needles alternative arms Been to doctors first doctor scared me and said ‘Neuropathy pheripral degenerative dissease’. I said what’s that the doctor replies its either MS or motor neurone dissease which u can imagine I was horrified about the thought of any never mind MND so I made and other appointment for a second opinion and the second doctor said it wouldn’t be MND that’s reassured me abit but still was scary I have now a private consultation with a neurologist this Thursday because I don’t want to wait 12-18 weeks to see a consultant Last night I woke with my right arm tight and very painfull I had to shake it for it return to Normal, however I don’t get any numbness in day or pins and needles in my arms only a slight ache on right wrist? Would could be possibly carpal tunnel syndrome, I’m not sure in the day I only get slight pins and needles in feet when resting
Forgot to say dont get any arm numbness or pins a d needles in arm in the day this only happens when I’m a sleep Any thoughts anyone??
Hi, if it started with back pain, have they checked out a prolapsed disc/s? I have degenerative disc disease among other things, I am not dx with MS. but i can tell you i got numness and pins and needles when i first started having problems with my discs. I would think that this is the most likely cause. xx
Hi Newbie27. Sorry to hear about your worrying array of symptoms. GP’s are just that- General Practitoners. If you are lucky (very, very lucky), your GP might have a specialist knowledge in a certain field of medicine, but that is highly unlikely. Logically, because you are presenting to your GP with a number of clear,neurological symptoms, your GP should be referring you straight away to a specialist ie. Neurologist for further investigation. I am appalled that a General Practitioner is suggesting any disease/ condition to his patient and worrying the hell out of him, before any test/ further investigation has been performed! Any scientist worth his weight will tell you that any hypothesis has first to be tested. It makes my blood boil ! Thankfully, you now have a referral shortly. The Neurologist should then arrange for you to have an MRI scan, at the very least and perform a clinical examination of you. The first Neurologist I saw did just that. But, because he was not an MS Neurologist he never mentioned anything about the possibility of me having MS. It was actually my GP. The Neurologist had obviously written to him. Following that,I was then re-referred to a specialist Neurologist in Multiple Sclerosis. He assessed the MRI scan again, performed another clinical examination and told me I had Relapsing Remitting MS- Job done! Hope you are now on the right path to gaining a clear diagnosis of your symptoms- Best of luck!
hi wend see private neuro consultant today, he examined me and said- my reflexes seamed to be ok but when i went to do the walk test with feet in front of the other i went over to the side abit he tapped my wrists and i said i could feel pins and needles, so he is going to do a nerve conductivity test, and he also arranging for a head and neck MRI? is this normal head and neck MRI )i wonder why he is not doing full spine? he said i could go back on NHS with a six + or - waiting time or i could have the mri private which would cost 700 he didnt say wether it was urgent or not he just said i dont think its anything serious but now im worrying
im assuming he is looking for MS?
hi wend see private neuro consultant today, he examined me and said- my reflexes seamed to be ok but when i went to do the walk test with feet in front of the other i went over to the side abit he tapped my wrists and i said i could feel pins and needles, so he is going to do a nerve conductivity test, and he also arranging for a head and neck MRI? is this normal head and neck MRI )i wonder why he is not doing full spine? he said i could go back on NHS with a six + or - waiting time or i could have the mri private which would cost 700 he didnt say wether it was urgent or not he just said i dont think its anything serious but now im worrying
im assuming he is looking for MS?
Hi Newbie! , as far as I am aware, a head and neck MRI are standard. That’s exactly what I had, before I was given my diagnosis. There are a number of lesions on the right side of my MRI scan which explain my symptoms, so an MRI of my spine was unnecessary. I guess that a full spine scan may be performed if everything else has proved inconclusive. I’d be quite happy with your Neuro Consultant right now. If you have private medical insurance, I would use it, you will obviously get seen a lot sooner. But,if not, there doesn’t appear to be anything that is immediately concerning your Consultant. MS is obviously on his radar for investigation, but, remember, there are some other conditions that he will also be looking out for. Keep calm, he’s quite rightly covering all his bases. Best wishes and good luck
what are the possibility of other conditions he could be looking for?
im so sick with worry whe i type my symptoms into google comes up with either brain cancer or spine cancer im so worried- do u think if he thought it was seriious he would refer for an urgent mri? as i have got to wait between 4-6 weeks
Hi Newbie. I just knew that you would come back with that question. You are constantly beating yourself up with worry and it really isn’t healthy. None of the symptoms you described at the outset concerned me particularly and Brain/ Spine cancer or MND did not for a second flash onto my radar. I am not a charlatan and would not dare to put another load of conditions etc into your head and give you something extra to worry about. Please, please relax and calm down. You may end up being treated for something as simple as vit.B12 deficiency, or may even need just some physiotherapy. Personally, I would get an appointment with your GP. If he’s no good, as your ealier comments suggest, see which other GPs are available. (I would be seeking one with at least 20yrs+ experience, because knowledge comes with experience and experience comes with age). I really scrutinised the medical backgrounds of the GPs I was offered when I moved to my current location. Write down all the questions you have and your concerns and speak to the GP about them. Stop spending every waking minute worrying about it all and get on with your life!
hi newbie
stay calm whilst awaiting your appointment and please stop googling!!
after you get your results, if it is ms you will be passed to a ms specialist consultant and will be allocated a ms nurse.
all this worry must be getting you down so the diagnosis will be a relief??
meanwhile ask your gp to arrange for blood tests to check for vitamin/ mineral deficiencies
vit D is mega important and so is vit B
take care
carole x
hi thanks all, i have full bloods, thyroid, vit b12, folic, full bloods all came back ok HOWEVER they never did NOT DO A fasting blood test for dieabetis however the normanl bloods, for thryroid, deabitis all came back clear
hi im so streesed out today and my anxiety is so high i dont think i can wait 4-6 weeks for an mri - should i go private? do u think if the neuro or doctor thought it was serious like cancer or suspected would they have done an urgent mri- and what is the urgent mri regerl waiting times sorry to ake this but im so scared
I think if anyone had suspected anything ‘urgent’ you would have had an mri done within days of seeing the neuro. Only you know whether paying out to go privately is the right thing for you to do. Maybe if you are struggling so badly with anxiety it may be worth the money if you can afford it, but, I’d suggest a visit to the GP first, to talk through your fears and options.
It can be a long, tough process getting/ruling out a diagnosis, and I really feel for you, as anxiety is a horrible thing, but please try to stop googling! Its probably the worse thing you can do! xx
My first MRI was within 48 hrs as they suspected a stroke,or worse . When they saw my results suspected ms then all the next appointments slowly came
Thanks Carol for mentioning vitamins D & B I should continue to take mine now! Silly me I stoped thinking there is no need to take. Rahma XX
Sorry! Meant Carole
Hi Newbie x
You asked about other conditions - I’m no expert but from your symptoms (ie middle back pain - light pins & needles in both of your feet) - I totally agree with Bunneythecat that they should be looking at the possibility of a disc problem first.
The fact that you are only having pins & needles & numbness at night also seems to be more of a pressure thing maybe.
They are checking your neck (and not your full spine yet) - because you are having problems with both your legs and also your arms - so that would be a likely region for a prolapsed disc etc
The brain scan is pretty routine when you see a neurologist either private or NHS.
I know it’s easy for me & the others to tell you to stop worrying because it looks like you are going to anyway - but it really isn’t going to be helping you at all x try to keep it in perspective
If they in any way thought you had something life threatening like cancer or a tumour - or if the examination in any way inicated that possibility - believe me you would be having your MRI imediately!!
BUT if it puts your mind at rest and stops you worrying so much to go for a private one sooner (and you can afford it) then that’s what you should do.
Personally I would wait (4-6 weeks is pretty quick for an MRI) and in the meantime try to stop worrying and use and trust the advice and support on here xxjenxx
thanks all thansk jen, yes i cant understand why the neuro is just suggestiong head/neck mri whe i have been having middle back pain, i never though of this only after i came out of the private clinic appointment, could have kicked myself!!! i would of thought he would habe done whole back
its semas to be worse or when i get the pain when im sitting, its ok when standing and walking about i did tell him this so god knows why only doing head and neck!
so does everyone whos sees a neuro gets called for an mri, i have anxiety issues and reading up about them sound so noisey anyay of blocking the noise out when i have the test done?
Hi Newbie x probably if nothing shows up then I imagine they will then do the rest x
I would say pretty well everyone goes down the MRI route in neurology. It’s really important as they are an awesome tool for diagnosing all sorts of things x
I had a car accident 16 years ago where I fractured my spine so have had many full spine ones.
Yours will be only the head and neck so it won’t take too long and your whole body won’t be in it.
If you are really anxious you could ask your GP for a Diazepam or something to calm you down and you can listen to your own music - often they will play some for you anyway!
xxxjenxxx