Hello, I am new to this and hoping you can all tell me that my symptoms sound unlikely to be MS. I apologise this isn’t in paragraphs but the enter button isn’t doing anything! I had my second baby 7 months ago and started having bad dizziness like I was on a boat. At the same time I had pretty high ESR levels but anti biotics didn’t do anything, Dr had thought ear infection but then didn’t know. It went on for about 5 months and I was referred to ENT. The dizziness stopped about 2 months ago and my ESR’s went back to normal around the same time so the inflammation must have gone?! Anyway, since then I have noticed I get pins and needles in my hands and arms, but worse in my left one. Not full on P&N, more subtle tingly. It can last for hours but not days. I also get some mild weak/numbness. Very occasionally I get a weird vibrating sensation, often in my bum, like I’ve sat on my phone. At the same time I had the dizziness I had some really painful stabbing pains in the front side of my head and pain behind my eye, weird sensation pricking type and numb under my tongue. Now the last few weeks I have noticed that I feel like my hands are trembling, usually when I am feeding my baby so it’s with my thumb and finger grasp, but they don’t look like they are shaking. My shoulders both hurt if I pour the kettle - anything at that kind of angle so I was thinking maybe trapped nerve but odd on both sides. Sometimes my words get muddled, but then I am up with my baby alot so could just be tiredness. I saw the ENT on Friday who said I have TMJ and referred me for an MRI rather than a slow referral to a neurologist and then an MRI. He said the pins and needles was his main concern. He didn’t mention MS but a google search of symptoms sent me into orbit and I can’t stop worrying now. I’m sure I am feeling more things now I’ve read them! I am told the wait for an MRI is 8 weeks so finding out how much it is to have a private one but not sure if that would speed things up much as the specialist would still need to see the results. Nothing ever lasts more than a few hours, and then might not be felt for weeks. The only daily thing is the tremor. I am 32. I am going to ask my GP for blood tests for B12 etc. Would love to know your thoughts. Thank you xxx
Hello there! I really have had to think hard about whether to reply to you or not because i really dont want to worry you. Your symptoms mimic mine exactly at the beginning of my ms. I was passsed from ENT to neurologist then for MRI/evoked potential tests and lumber puncture. This was all just weeks after the birth of my second child. I however did have optical neuritis as well. My husband had private health cover through work at the time and i went private and got my diagnosis pretty quickly. It was a shock to say the least. (my return button is not working either - sorry about this!!!). Please do remember that ms symptoms can easily be confused with so many other things which are easily treated (like vitamin deficiency) so please do not get ahead of yourself. Ms is a possibility but so are lots of other conditions. Get yourself the tests and take one step at a time. On the plus side - if this is ms - then it has been picked up very early and you will be able to get treatment/medication to help slow in down. Best wishes. Teresa.x
Thanks Teresa, I appreciate all that. I feel deep down it is MS but will keep hoping it’s a vitamin deficiency! I have the GP on wednesday so will get lots of blood tests and wait for MRI. I hope you are managing well with yours, must be hard with small kids. That’s what scares me the most I think xx
I was diagnosed over 8 years ago now but i know i have had ms for at least 14 years when i look back at my symptoms. I was put onto the DMD drugs and i am doing well on them. I get tired easier but i have managed pretty well and my kids are 14 and 9 now. I am very lucky as it was picked up early and i got on the treatment quickly. I was very scared at the beginning and it was a shock. it took me quite a while to get my head around it. Bringing up kids is hard work whether you have ms or not - lol! My husband is a good dad so i am lucky. I have not progressed at all with my ms yet. You would never know i had it to look at me. I have ms symptoms though which come and go (mainly balance) and i suffer from anxiety. I really do hope you do not have ms and i was really unsure whether to reply or not as i would hate to cause anyone more worry. I hope you are coping ok as the waiting for tests is a really difficult time. Good luck and i hope this turns out to be something which is easily treated. Best wishes. Teresa.x