List for Neurologist

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hi all,

after speaking to my GP, he advised that I should speak to my neurologist regarding all my issues that I’ve had as on my first visit I only mentioned my vertigo as that’s why I was referred. So I rang my Neuro and he said to write a list and he will have a look at my next appointment, I have wrote a list and wandered if you guys could tell me if it’s ok or should I put more I go on there? I was also wandering if my Neuro says it isn’t likely to be MS would any-of you guys know what other issue would cause the problems I have? Please see my list below -

• Lower and middle back pain – Severe sometimes 10 + years

• Compete white out blindness – first time 4 years ago, lasted 1 day, second time 2 ½ years ago lasted 1 hour (Aura Migraine?)

• Freezing cold numbness in Right thigh 3 years on and off lasts for around 1 week each time.

• Tightness in my chest as if I have an elastic band squeezing and I cannot take a deep breath, have to yawn repeatedly to feel like I have enough air. On and Off for 2 years, can last an hour or up to 2 days.

• Waking up through the night gasping for breath, feels like my tongue has swollen and blocked my airway, or like I’ve swallowed my tongue. Very scary. Around 10 times in the last year.

• Vertigo – over 2 years

• Stiff neck, my head feels too heavy for my body and my neck aches for days. Around 2 years.

• Extreme tiredness/fatigue, I am exhausted daily, struggling at work and at home – 2 + years – worse over the last 6 months, blood test came back with borderline low B12 and folate. GP to review in 3 months.

• Constant need to urinate, every 15-20 minutes, feel like my bladder is never empty.

• Cannot stand the heat at all, I am always boiling hot.

• Slur my words occasionally, as if I have a lisp or my mouth has too much water.

• Fuzzy head, feel like am floating around and not really ‘with it’ this is daily and has been for around 2 years.

• Pins and Needles in my fingers and left hand, worse when waking up (I sleep on my right side) this lasts around an hour or so and my fingers can stay numb all day afterwards. This is new around 4 months.

thank you all!!

Kerry xx

2

that seems a very comprehensive list.

all could be seen as symptoms of ms but may be any of a number of other neurological conditions.

take someone with you to act as a prompt in case you dry up.

this person can help you remember what the neuro says.

believe me, as someone whose job involved meetings and note taking/report writing, i could not have managed without the friend who went with me.

wishing you the outcome that you want.

3

Hi Kerry

I agree with Carole, looks pretty comprehensive.

The point about taking someone with you is that they prompt you when you forget things, but also something that happens to lots of people is that they think they’re following everything in the appointment, then the minute they leave the doctor, have utterly forgotten what was said. ‘What did he say happens next?’ ‘When will I have an MRI?’ ‘What got said?’

Sue

4

Thank you both, I am waiting for my second Neuro appointment to come through and then we will go from there, I will ask someone to come with me too, I think on my first appt we only discussed the vertigo as I didn’t think he would want to hear any of the other things, so he was checking me for epilepsy I think, as I’ve had am MRI on my brain, and EEG and then a few weeks ago had a letter for a sleep deprived EEG. But after speaking with him over the phone regarding my other issues he may suggest some other tests?

thanks again

Kerry xx