My symptoms - could it be MS?

Hi,

Today I went to the walk in clinic as I felt really unwell. I have been having urine incontinence for about 3 months, and I would go to the toilet every 30 min to 1 hour. I would rush to the toilet and by the time I arrived I already peed myself. I’m a 22 year old female. Today though, my underbelly felt and looked very swollen and that is what made me decide to go. The nurse practitioner took a sample of my urine and told me I have a bladder infection. I have been given antibiotics for this. Now I’m wondering how long I have been walking around this infection? I never had a burning sensation while urinating, it was purely urgency and incontinence.

Another symptom I’m experiencing is itching, like bugs are crawling on my scalp and skin. It has gotton so bad and unbearable that I cut off all my hair. I have no length at all, and my hair is very very short (like a little boy’s haircut haha). Anyways, as we speak I’m experiencing the itchiness. It is mainly in my crown area and also the feeling comes at random places on my body. It is really affecting me and I mentioned this to the NP @ the walking centre. He said that they don’t take bloods there and that I should call my GP for an appointment to take bloods to check liver function.

Two other symptoms are loss of balance and problems concentrating on what my siblings say. I keep asking them to repeat what they say because I just can’t seem to follow it. These are the two symptoms that are bothering me the least atm. Its mainly the itching that is a huge problem.

Could anyone please give me some advice? As I will be calling my GP on monday.

Hello

To be honest your symptoms don’t necessarily have to be caused by MS. In fact they seem a bit unusual for the start of MS. But that is irrelevant because first of all, we are all different, so one persons MS won’t necessarily look a bit like another’s. Also, there are many, many symptoms that are shared with other diagnoses.

So talk to your GP about all the symptoms you have that might be linked (at least in your mind) and see what s/he says.

Don’t expect that your GP will immediately say it looks like MS (or in fact any other diagnosis), but may either put your mind at rest, or maybe initially send you for blood tests.

It could even be that your undiagnosed infection has caused some of the symptoms you’ve experienced.

Don’t worry about MS, is quite unlikely to be that. But trust your doctor to consider your symptoms professionally.

Sue