Hi, not sure if anyone can help, lots of odd things have been happening to me lately. First I noticed my eye sight was deteriorating but put it down to age! Had eyes tested and got glasses but eyes still seem to be getting worse. Itching all down left side as well as some burning, muscles in face twitching, and yesterday my left arm keeps losing sensation, or strength, don’t really know how to describe it! Its very scary! I can move my arm when it happens but really freaking me out! Are these all connected, is it a relapse? Seeing my gp tomorrow, but as good as he is, he knows little about me. I have a ms nurse but is only available 2 days a week!
Any help or advice gratefully received, feeling scared!
Jen, my eyesight has deteriorated but I’ve been told its my age not my MS (I’m in my 40’s). My left arm is very weak, pins and needles all the time and difficult to lift things. I’ve been told its ‘part of MS’, it’s not necessarily a relapse it’s just part of the disease. I don’t really have an answer for you but your not alone with these issues and I appreciate it can be scary. See your MS nurse when you can but keep smiling xx
Me too Jen. My walking has deteriorated rapidly. I’m fine walking around my house, bit of a limp maybe, and use a crutch when outdoors. Today I could hardly lift my foot (right side is my weakness) and really needed the support of the crutch. I managed to avoid stumbling where there was very slight foot drop, but my foot was totally numb. Now sitting here this evening it’s fine, but I;m asking myself is this a relapse or is this how it is to be from now on? Damn MS to hell and back!
When you put it all together, it does sound scary. It could indeed be a relapse, but you also need to separate the symptoms as well. The temptation is to label everything that goes wrong with us as MS and that way you could miss something else, and it could be something the GP can help with.
You say your eyesight has got worse, do you mean, short/long sight deteriorating? Or double vision / blurry vision? Either could be MS. But equally, when you got new glasses, have you checked that the optician got the prescription right?
Itching doesn’t necessarily happen to many people as a specific MS symptom. Could it be related to a drug you’re taking? An allergic reaction to washing powder or something like a reaction to a fabric? Or it could be MS.
Muscles in face twitching, it does sound nerve related so is likely to be MS, but, is it all the time or does it come & go?
Weakness / numbness does sound like MS.
When you add it all up, discount anything that you can find a cause for that is definitely not MS, the remainder of your symptoms do sound like a relapse. For which your GP can prescribe high dose steroids. But bear in mind, these are not a cure, they aim to reduce the time the relapse takes to go. And they make you feel like cr*p in the process (just finished a 5 day course myself!)
Hopefully, you can run through all of these things with your GP and if you want them, get some steroids. I hope you get over this scary time soon.