Is it MS or not

UPDATE (severe blurred vision and double vision I am squinting to see causing headaches) PLEASE HELP ME I need help and support with the following I am scared out of wits. I have been feeling scared and isolated for many years now with the fear I may have MS and the symptoms have been getting worse over the years. It started with just headaches and pains in my hand and them seezing up every so often and amoungst general pains that people said I was being a hypochondriac. This upset me a lot. This past year things have got worse. I woke up one morning last August screaming in pain and couldn’t move at all, my partner managed to get me into the car and take me to the hospital and they just gave me volterol PR and said it was just a normal back pain anyone could get so I thought ok fine. I went back a few weeks later same thing done and said but I was referred to a clinic. I had an MRI in February on my lower back. This showed 2 prolapsed discs at L4 - L5 S1 and an annular tear. I thought ok fine I was given general painkillers. I have been taken in by ambulance twice in the last two months to hospital. A further MRI was done on the two occasions showing now I had 4 Prolapsed discs. I have in the last few months had stronger painkillers (tramadol, gabapentin and fentanyl patches) these together give some relief. At this point I bet you wonder what this has to do with MS. I have been getting various symptoms in addition to the above. I get spasms frequently and I am in agony. I suffer with severe constipation and have to perform manual evacuations each time I go. My sex drive and libido have flown the nest and I have no interest in sex neither can I sustain an erection and when I can I very rarely ejaculate or orgasm. I feel loss of sensation and that my penis is retracting into my body. I am getting severe headaches to the right of my head and right eye it’s like my eye is going to shoot out. I cannot stand bright lights and night time driving is becoming unbearable. It’s been suggested this may be optic neuritis. I also seem to get double vision and have to squint o concentrate on something and its painful. I suffer with clinical depression and I get very emotional with mood swings and shouting and screaming and crying a lot which upset my and I upset my partner and others I get general pains that can’t be explained pain shooting down my back there is numbness in my legs and I get pins and needles in my feet. I get stabbing pains in my stomach. My right legs tremors and my right arm with no warning at all and it scares me to the point I cry. I get involuntary movements also. The fact is I am being made out to be a hypochondriac because I get all these different pains. Can anyone help me as I am at a loss and scared and my partner just seems to think its just something else wrong with Neil and not that it could be something. I have suggested MS and he tells me not o be silly. I have been referred to a neurologist. I don’t know if its worth mentioning my my speech seems to have slowed down and it take me sometime at least 10 seconds to remember words and I have problems learning new things as I don’t remember them such as educational things and I seem to forget things I have done or did but some things ate very vivid in my mind.m I would appriciate any help or support I have called the helpline and I was close to tears. My doctor wants me to see a psychiatrist because of the mood swings and temper as my mum as bipolar. Thank you so so much for reading I just want someone to listen and if I have got MS I can adjust to deal with it rather that getting upset because nobody listens and calls me a hypochondriac. Neil D xx

Hi, sounds like you are going through an awful time, sending hugs. All of my stmptoms started with prolapsed discs, 3 prolapsed at once and i went on to have 2 operations in 2 years. The meds for the back pain can cause chaotic symptoms and may explain some of them. Make sure you mention all your symptoms to the neuro though because it;s too easy for med professionals to assume because you have an already known condition, everything else relates to that. You need a neuro to seperate your back condition from the other symptoms and look at them seperately. I understand what you are saying about feeling like a hpercondriach, you’;; see many posts on here where people feel that way. I#m a strong believer in gut instinct so if you don’t feel comfortable with med explanaitions then do please push for a 2nd opinion, i did and it was so worth it. i had been written off as depressed by the first neuro i saw. i was dx with areare type of migraine, nothing like the migraine symptoms i knew about, I don’t even get headaches but have all the weakness, pins and needles, joint pain, numbness etc. Also have tou been tested for Fibromyalgia? the problem with neurological illnesses, there are many that ahve the same symptoms so very difficult to diagnose in many people. i know it’s hard but you have to push and push for more tests and to see a neuro who will listen. And remember, depression is one of the symptoms of many neuro conditions, not a cause so they need to listen and take you seriously. Good luck with it all x x

Thank you for your reply I haven’t been in for a while the pain and seesing up of my hand it getting worse and the numbing in my legs and the pain in my eye. I am still awaiting a letter to acknowledge they have referred me to a Neuro. I have been told by the consultant (who I haven’t seen yet) that the numb legs is not from the back.