Hello About eighteen months ago I had right leg weakness and a mild numbness to the same leg. It felt a bit like when pins and needles are wearing off. This started in my foot and over a few days spread up my leg. At the same time I was completely exhausted, off balance and suffered some vertigo. This lasted for three months before slowly getting much better although even now I have some days when the same feeling comes back but not to the same extent. My Gp was fantastic and referred me to a neuro. I had a brain and c spine MRI which was clear. Clinical examination was normal except for mute babinski reflex on right, mild weakness on right side including right arm and poor balance. I had noticed my arm feeling a bit odd but didn’t think it was particularly relevant. Anyway the neuro wrote to me and said that in view of a normal MRI my symptoms must be functional and therefore didn’t need to see me again. My Gp wasn’t happy and asked for a second opinion. The second neuro, from the same office, said that as by then I had more or less returned to normal and had a clear MRI he could rule out ms and agree with the first neuro so didn’t need to do any further investigations. I asked about CBT as had read about this after the letter from the first neuro and the neuro said that that would be completely unnecessary as i didnt fit the criteria or even seem like i needed it. My Gp wanted a third opinion but I declined as I was feeling well and to be honest I had had enough of neuros. Anyway I decided that I would just get on with things, until now. My question is this I have been so tired again over the last four weeks, and have this intermittent numbness/pins and needles in my bottom and genitalia. Sometimes it is really bad, other times not quite so. I am urinating more frequently than normal (i was diagnosed with an overactive bladder 4 years ago) but am not emptying my bladder properly and can’t feel when I have finished opening my bowels. I am sorry this is so detailed but I don’t know quite what to do about it. Can all this be functional as well? And should I see my Gp. He is fantastic but I can’t see another neuro and be humiliated again so he can’t really help. I feel really stuck, any ideas?
Hi there - I think you should go back to your GP with these latest symptoms. You should ask to see another neurologist in another hospital as if it were your first appointment ever - no mention of a 2nd opinion or previous assessments, cast those aside. If the next one says functional as well then you may need to accept it. I would have thought you need an MRI lower down the spine for the symptoms you describe (Rizzo?).
I hope you get the right answer!
Deb
I’m not a neuro, but it really doesn’t sound functional to me. In fact, that first episode is classic MS and I was really surprised to read that your MRI were clear! I also have no clue why the fact that you had recovered in 3 months would rule out MS - sounds like an easy excuse to me - neuros really dislike going against colleagues 
I could be wrong, but I suspect the problem might have been that you only had your c spine scanned. The fact that your problems were mainly in your leg suggests that a lesion would be lower down, in the thoracic spine.
I don’t like the sound of your fatigue accompanied new symptoms - they do sound like a new attack to me - so I think you should go and see that excellent GP of yours and ask for a new referral. Make sure you go to somewhere completely different that the previous neuros have nothing to do with. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve heard of too many people getting brushed off because of neuros sticking together, even when the evidence is against them. Try and see an MS specialist too. The “Near me” function on here will give you some ideas although apparently it is not terribly up to date.
Whoever you see, push hard for a thoracic scan as well as the normal brain and c spine. A lot of neuros don’t bother scanning below the neck, but it’s really not on when someone (like you) has symptoms affecting their bottom half.
Good luck! And REST! It’s about the only defence against an attack
Karen x
Thank you Deb, I didn’t realise that if you went to a different hospital they would treat it like a first appointment. The second neuro I saw said more or less as soon as I entered the room that a clear MRI rules out ms so it must be functional as my symptoms only fit ms or functional disorder. To be honest a functional disorder is fine as at least it will go away.
Thank you Karen, I think that deep down I know that this is not functional, but am prepared to believe anything that will make this disappear for good, hence my request for CBT. It did certainly seem like the second neuro had made up his mind before I even saw him, it just makes you feel so humiliated. I’m not very good at pushing for things, it takes all my courage to even mention things at all. My Gp said he thought I needed a scan of my whole spine and also a lumbar puncture, so he must be thinking along the same lines as you. I am trying to rest as much as possible although with four children that’s easier said than done! I need to pluck up some courage tomorrow. Thank you and goodnight x