Is this worth botherning my GP about

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hello, I am incredibly new here.

I have had a catalogue of symptoms for the last two years and am starting to wonder if it is worth asking my GP to consider joining them up for an assessment. I’d obviously really appreciate considered opinions, including “probably not”…

Here’s a boring list of symptoms:

Optic neuritis ca. 18-24 months ago (resolved in ca. 10 days after loosing a central panel of vision in my right eye for a short period. Eye hospital noted irritation of the optic nerve during eye exams and nothing else). No repeat of the symptoms.

Severe Vitamin D deficiency diagnosed in March this year by rheumatology. (Now on long term supplements)

Joint pain which has resolved somewhat with Vit D supplementation.

Musle stiffness, especially after periods of inactivity (e.g sititng still for a while).

Ice pick head aches (for years!)

Intermittent titinus (for years)

Depression (onset over the last two years)

Lower lumber back pain which the physio appears to think will not totally resolve (started with burning sensations in the spine and now is just pain which feels like it is in the bones) (occured over the last 12 months and is not resolving)

Weakness in my left leg which was marked and noticed by my personal trainer who has helped me a lot with rehab on my back. This seems to have improved with help and rest.

Most recently, over the last few months, my husband has noticed that I have started to slur words, especially if I am stressed or tired. I’ve noticed that I have moments of forgetfulness when I just can’t remember what I was about to do.

I feel pretty ok in myself and am active, I have no more fatigue than I’d expect any mother of two under the age of 5 who works full time to have. My husband is nagging me to consult a GP re the possibility of MS though. Does this seem over the top?

2

Hi Elaine, and welcome.

I don’t think your problems are “nothing”, but it tends not to go down too well if you go to the doctor and say: “I think I might have MS”; they don’t like self-diagnoses.

I’m curious about the optic neuritis, though. This, in conjunction with the other symptoms, should sound some alarm bells.

Was anything ever said to you about WHY you might have had optic neuritis out-of-the-blue, and whether there was anything else to be watchful for?

By no means everyone who’s had optic neuritis goes on to develop MS, but it’s quite a high conversion rate, I believe, so anyone who’s had a confirmed episode of ON should be monitored carefully for further developments.

Your otherwise fairly non-specific symptoms probably wouldn’t trigger concern, in someone who had never had ON, but with with the ON, they ought to.

Yes, I do think you should see the doctor, and without necessarily spelling out that you think it might be MS (Let them think they thought of it!), you could say something along the lines that you have never felt quite well, since the optic neuritis, list the other symptoms, and ask if there’s any chance they could be related.

This should be enough to give the doctor a few clues, without coming across that you’re trying to tell him his job.

I certainly think it should be looked into.

Having said that, I’m a believer that if it IS MS, the truth will out eventually anyway. I had symptoms for years, that I either ignored, or sought help for, but without getting answers. It was a long wait, but eventually things happened that painted a much clearer picture, and I was able to get a diagnosis.

Tina

3

HI Tina, thanks so much for the reply.

The hospital decided that the ON must be due to the fact that I had a 6 month old baby with me. The second doctor did give the first doctor a “look” and say “Its quite some time to be a post natal issue.” at the time.

I think you are right about the “truth will out” approach. If it is anything, I guess time will eventually give indicators. Thank you so much for the advice, I really, really appreciate it.

4

HI Tina, thanks so much for the reply.

The hospital decided that the ON must be due to the fact that I had a 6 month old baby with me. The second doctor did give the first doctor a “look” and say “Its quite some time to be a post natal issue.” at the time.

I think you are right about the “truth will out” approach. If it is anything, I guess time will eventually give indicators. Thank you so much for the advice, I really, really appreciate it.

5

Hello and welcome Elaine

I agree with Tina and your husband - I think you should see the GP about your symptoms and ask for a referral to neurology. The fact that you had optic neuritis (ON) and have subsequently developed other problems that may have a neurological cause certainly warrants it.

It may not be MS as there are plenty of other causes of your symptoms (including ON), but it seems sensible to make sure that there isn’t one thing underlying some of them. (Btw, have you had your B12 levels tested? It can cause all sorts of neurological symptoms, including ON.)

I don’t think it would be too damaging to mention MS - it’s your husband’s idea after all, not yours, but vitamin d deficiency is related to MS, as is ON, so it’s not a daft idea by any means and your GP really should take it seriously.

Good luck.

Karen x

6

Hi again Elaine,

Hmmm, I didn’t quite mean you should just leave it. However, if you did, it probably would not result in going undiagnosed forever, because eventually something would happen that cast more light.

There is a case for not leaving it up to Fate, though, because treatment, IF you qualify, and if you elect to take it, is best started early.

I declined treatment anyway, so in my case, I don’t feel I was disadvantaged by not being diagnosed sooner. In fact, in some ways, I feel ignorance was bliss. I don’t think I would have benefited from realising the truth sooner, as I feel I’d already had MS for years, but it had been relatively low-key. So knowing what it was would have scared me, yet without actually making my life any better. I didn’t deliberately avoid the truth, I just didn’t put the pieces of the jigsaw together to see anything sinister. Similarly, I did seek medical advice when symptoms got too bad to ignore, but they didn’t fit the pieces together either, so it’s not really anybody’s fault: my illness just hadn’t presented itself in a very clear and obvious way - to me or anyone else. So I had the “advantage” of never really suspecting, and always being able to put it down to age, stress, hormones, or whatever.

But I didn’t mean you shouldn’t see a doctor if you DO suspect. There might be treatment options on the table. Also, it’s possible you could be in line for a windfall, if you were diagnosed and have critical illness insurance.

Tina

7

Thnks both! I will take the time to ask the GP. It should fit in nicely with getting my Vit D levels tested so I can ask about if I need any further tests then.

8

Thnks both! I will take the time to ask the GP. It should fit in nicely with getting my Vit D levels tested so I can ask about if I need any further tests then.

9

Hello Elaine, Just wanted to welcome you :slight_smile: Advice and support is second to none on here :slight_smile: I agree that seeing your GP would be a very wise move. Sam x