question about symptoms

Primary progressive MS
1

Hi, I posted this on “everyday living” as well. Hope it’s ok to cross-post.

I wonder if anyone can help with a question about symptoms. Apart from some tingling in my hands, all my symptoms previously (other than general fatigue) have been in my back, torso or legs. But recently I feel like my arms are weaker than they used to be and I have an odd feeling of tightness in my shoulders. My arms feel really strange. I have never had this experience before and I don’t know if it has anything to do with MS. I also have a crunching sound every time I move my neck. I can actually hear it inside my head and it feels like bones are grating against each other. I looked this up and apparently it might be nothing, although the fact that it happens every time I move my neck might mean something.

Could it be I am getting arthritis in my neck? Also I know that my dad has some spinal stenosis, so could it be related to that? Or might it just be that I have MS symptoms in my arms now? I am not due to see neurologist for 9 months at least, so I don’t know who to ask. (My GP will just tell me they don’t know and advise me to speak to neuro at next visit.)

The arm weakness has been getting worse over the past fortnight. Tonight I was making a hot water bottle and my hand shook and I poured the water from the kettle all over the other hand. I immediately threw the bottle into the sink and started to run cold water on my hand. Because the water was off the boil there is no bad damage done. I have a minor burn on my thumb, but it has not blistered or anything. But it did give me a fright. My shoulders feel like they are too high up and really tight and my arms are jellyish and shakey.

Is this a normal MS thing?

2

Oh, yeah, I forgot to say that a neuro once mentioned I have a couple of bulging discs. I think one is in the lumbar area, but the other one is possibly in the cervical spine. (I only had this briefly pointed out by my neuro when we were looking at a scan together, so this is why I’m so vague about the details). The neuro didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, but I wonder if I could have a mechanical/skeletal type problem that might give me the symptoms I described. It’s very hard to know, and I think because of the MS diagnosis my doctors are less likely to look at the possibility of other causes, like maybe if my bones are responsible rather than MS.

3

Hi there, I agree the GPs don’t always look at “other options”, so it’s worth you mentioning your own genuine concerns directly to your GP, you can request to see a Specialist, such as a Rheumatologist. I’ve responded to your other post too. Chrissie x

4

Thanks Chrissie. I think I will do this. From what you said in your other post, the shaking hands/weakness could be MS, but because I have the bone crunching it probably makes sense that I check out with my GP in case there is a more mechanical cause.

Thanks for all your good advice.