twitching, tingling and itching....but probably not MS....

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
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Firstly, please let me apologise for this post/thread (more on that later).

About 6 weeks ago now I started getting a twitch above my right ear. I’ve had this before, a few years ago, and then a few years before that (but it disappeared after a couple of weeks). The only reason I find it annoying is due to being above the ear, when you sleep on it, it feels like someone is tapping you on the head!

Due to the above, I Googled to see how to get rid of it. Of course, what came up is MND/ALS sites….nothing about my little ear twitch. It took me a lot of searching to find that in ALS, twitching is after muscular weakness (99.99999% of the time)…however, by then I remembered that I twitch a lot…and started twitching more….funny that!

After about a week, this twitching started to die off (although not the ear twitch)….but then I noticed tingling in my feet. Over the course of the next few days this tingling spread to my arms and hands (where it normally feels like an unconformable itch) and other areas where it feels like mild sunburn.

Of course, I know what causes tingling in the body, MS!

Now, the reasons I think I have MS;

  1. the altered sensations as detailed above
  2. I’m the right age (33)
  3. Globus sensation (but have acid reflex!!)

Now, the reasons why I don’t probably have MS (short version);

  1. The tingling is not that bad…it’s nothing like when your legs goes to sleep then comes back to life
  2. The itching doesn’t want me to rip my skin off
  3. I have no numbness anywhere on my body
  4. I have absolutely no other symptoms. I can lift a lot at the gym, can stand on one leg with my eyes closed, have no vision issues, not fatigue, sleeping normally and am as forgettable as I’ve ever been!
  5. MS is a rare condition
  6. I’m a man (reducing the chance by about a 3rd I recall)
  7. I saw my GP (already had an appointment randomly booked for a medication (PPI) check – she dismissed it and said it will be nothing by booked some blood tests)

Moreover, there are more likely causes of my tingling/skin issues, such as I’ve been on a PPI drug for a month (although I’ve used them on and off for a few years, but more off then on) and this could cause issues with vitamin absorption. I’ve also struggled to lose weight recently, a sign of hypothyroid issues (but not other symptoms).

Indeed, it might even be all in my head! But it feels real (well, is real!) and I can’t not think about it. Every time I subconsciously go to itch my face like we done hundreds of times a day, it focuses my attention on my body.

So, I post as someone who is scared of MS, yet, by his own admission, is statistically not likely to have it! (Yes, I could have MS and have very mild first symptoms, yes I could have ALS, yes my house could collapse in 3 seconds………….phew………or I could win the lottery tonight).

So, the reason for my posting is (apart from it being cathartic);

I believe that the wealth of knowledge on here would be a great help to point my in a direction to help my tingling as I’m sure you have had annoying posts like this all the time etc. (should I take B12 for example) so I don’t end up on every scary site on the web.

Feel free not the reply to this awful message. However, I’d like to take this opportunity to say what a wonderfully, helpful and supportive community you’ve built up here and I’m sure it’s a real help for those that need it in battling this condition. A few months ago I signed up for a sponsored event later in the year….I now know which charity I’ll be supporting J

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hi burnsie

try a B complex supplement because before my diagnosis i went to my gp with tingling feet.

i saw a locum and he prescribed one of the B vitamins (can’t remember which) which did the trick.

B vitamins have so many purposes so a good complex would be best.

the best thing about scaring yourself with dr google is that when you eventually get a diagnosis you are aware of the hundreds of nasty conditions out there.

sort of like “thank god it’s only ms”.

the PPI drugs are another scare story altogether so be careful.

i’m sure you’ll be fine.

carole x

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Danny Wallace

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Thanks for your reply carol. Quick couple of questions; was your tingling separate to your sx and we’re they resolved by supplements? And if so, how long did they take to work?

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danny wallace - the man utd player?

the tingling was resolved temporariily but it came back big style affecting both feet then hands.

i still have tingling 8 years later.

one motto did me good - it is what it is.

it is actually a load of bollocks but hey, it could be worse.

hoping supplements work for you.

carole x

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Hi Burnsie,

As you have had your varied symptoms on and off for years have you ever been considered for a referral to a neurologist. MS and other such conditions are very difficult to diagnose and dare I say it even more so for General Practitioners. As your symptoms appear to have a possible neurological basis you should request this from your GP.

This may help you reach a place where you can put a name to your group of symptoms. Its worth it to ease the worries you obviously have at the moment. Please consider stressing the need for a neurological assessment. At least it may rule out MS???

Good luck.

Kind regards, Anne (I have PPMS)

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My first symptoms of ALS occurred in 2011, but was diagnosed in 2013. I had severe symptoms ranging from shortness of breath, balance problems, couldn’t walk without a walker or a power chair, i had difficulty swallowing and fatigue. I was given medications which helped but only for a short burst of time, then I decided to try alternative measures and began on ALS Formula treatment from (removed by moderator), It has made a tremendous difference for me (removed by moderator)(removed by moderator)I had improved walking balance, increased appetite, muscle strength, improved eyesight and others.