Hi all. Didn’t know where else to turn for support/advice as I await a consult with a neuro in the next few weeks but I’m 100% convinced i have MS (or some progressive neurological disorder like Parkinson’s or ALS)
Background info - approaching age 30, diagnosed with T1 diabetes last year. History of health related anxiety, stress and burn-out. Not anxious at present - only anxious because of symptoms.
Symtpoms:
Since diagnosis of diabetes I often have night sweats (more so in the lead up to my menstrual cycle) My endocronoligst however, can find no hormonal cause for this - I reckon its neuro related.
Now in the last few months, i have developed the following; vertigo, oesphogal dysphagia, continuous twitching on tip of tongue, widespread body fasciulations, twitching fingers, occasional shaky hands, sensory issues - tingling, buzzing sensation in toes and fingers - and now most worrying of all - heavy legs at rest. they just always feel tight and stiff (spacisity?) when i am lying down, and if i have them sitting upright, i feel tremors in my thighs. Walking, running etc is fine but if stop to bend over and pick something up, i feel like they will cave (even though they dont)
I did have a head MRI in Dec 2011 (11 months now) for unrelated issues and that came back clear. But there is no time frame for lesions surely? They can develop suddenly can’t they? Also, as a diabetic I have a lot of hypoglyecemic episodes which has led me to starving my brain of glucose at dangerous levels. I’m sure this has impacted something upstairs. Also, no MRI of my spine was done. I don’t take clear MRI’s as a get out card for something like this anyhow - and in my case i have not had a comprehensive MRI of everything else (incl lumbar punctures) that could even fully rule MS out.
I feel like MS (or Parkinson’s) is the most obvious answer for my symptoms - its an auto-immune disease and i’ve already set the ball rolling with that with T1 diabetes. If my body wants to suddenly attack healthy pancreas cells at the age of 28, why can’t it turn on my brain as well? I’m at the right age and of the right gender trend to have MS. I can see no benign cause for these symptoms at all.
All bloods have come back clear for mineral deficiency - but my GP wants to do a full bone profile just to double check on Vit B levels. And basic clinical examinations have all been fine. I went to A&E and asked for EMG and the doc did not think I needed one.
I have been to various GPs in search of answers - two of them came to the cop-out conclusion of anxiety (which is not true - i don’t feel anxious and im only anxious AFTER unusual symptoms develop and at the time my symptoms had not progressed to where they are now), while the most recent GP believes my symptoms are unusual and will refer me to a neuro if my bloods are normal. I feel like i’m basically waiting for the inevitable.
I think the diabetes is another cop-out answer for these symptoms as well, although i must admit that the onset of these neuro symptoms happened soon after i became unware of having hypoglycemic episodes (basically teetering on the edge of a seizure from running low blood sugars) and started running higher sugars to get my awareness of having lows back. This was obviously a shock to my body but i dont think it explains everything. I diagnosed myself online with ALS initially - which almost caused a psychosymatic chain of events (especially tongue twitching) but everything has taken a life of its own (sensory and spacisity) that i’m unsure which awful neuro disorder to cherry pick next. Gut instinct tells me MS. Am I likely to be primary or secondary progressive MS?