Hi I’ve been brave and finally made an appointment to see my GP after weeks of symptoms that are worrying me. My mum has ms and is wheel chair bound. I have chronic fatigue and been having numbness and pins& needles in my hands. My vision has been weird too sometimes going blurry. Has anyone else experienced similar. I’m literally in tears all day worrying about it. After seeing how quickly my mum changed and became disabled I’m worried I’m going to go the same way.
I can’t give you too much advice, I am newly diagnosed myself.
But what I can say, is that worry and stress will do you no good at all- whatever is wrong with you.
Make sure you are persistent with your gp for a neuro referral considering your symptoms and familial history.
focus your time on things that make you happy as concentrating too much on this will bring you down and make you feel worse
hi mandy
if you are unlucky enough to have ms bear in mind that everyone’s experience of ms is different.
i was diagnosed in 2008 with fatigue and pins and needles, which i still have.
it doesn’t mean that you will get worse quickly.
as emmakay says, pester your gp for a referral and take it from there.
concentrate on things that make you smile.
get tickets to see a favourite band.
go to a cafe with a lovely view for a coffee with friends.
whatever floats your boat.
carole x
Hi Mandy
I can imagine that having watched your mother with MS, you immediately think what you’re experiencing is also MS. But it might not be. Get your GP to do some blood tests to rule out vitamins D or B12 deficiency. Either of these can mimic some MS symptoms.
The familial history is important, but have a look at Is MS hereditary or not? | MS Trust It explains some of the other factors which contribute to an individual getting MS.
And as Emmakay said, if your bloods are all OK, or even simultaneously if your GP is willing, get a referral to a neurologist, preferably one who specialises in MS. The way to check this is to look at your local hospitals website and look at the neurologists listed, their various specialisms are usually detailed on the bio for each doctor.
The other thing to keep in mind is that most people diagnosed with MS have the relapsing remitting type. This means they are able to take a disease modifying drug to help prevent relapses and lessen their severity. So even if you are ultimately diagnosed with MS, times have changed. Your mother probably didn’t have anything like the drugs which are now available. There is also much more support available for people with MS, from MS nurses to physiotherapists.
So try not to worry. You are unlikely to be as disabled as your mother, even if you are diagnosed with MS.
Sue