I’m really just writing this as I want to just tell “someone”…my best friend is heavily pregnant so I can bother her and my folks are going on holiday tomorrow so don’t want to worry them. Having made the fatal error of googling my leg and arm weakness and pins and needles so many websites have pushed me to MS information sites and now I have an awful sinking feeling about my outcome. I’m going to the GP tomorrow.
I’m 42 and my ongoing health concern has been tinnitus for about 6 years - started in one ear then also the other about 3 years later. The initial diagnosis was acoustic neuroma based on a non enhancing tiny lesion in the inner auditory canal. Anyway 6 scans later there is no change and I also have bilateral tinnitus now with no odd MRI results for that side of my head. At least one consutant thinks the lesion is simply a birth defect.
About a month ago I had unbelievably shaky forearms after gardening, I could hardly hold a mug after, the shaking continued for a few days although lessening. I had a lesser episode a few weeks after after defrosting the freezer with a knive.
Just after that my forearms and hands were sore and weak daily, and still are. I told myself it was related to the gardening or maybe RSI (I use the net and laptop all the time) and didnt panic about stuff like MS. Then last week my legs joined my arms in this weakness, my feet hurt and I also get pins and needles and weird almost tickling sensations in them…a little like the blood flowing back in after being cut off. The last few nights my feet were keeping me awake.
So I googled yesterday and so my panic starts - I see tinnitus related to MS, the classic shaky/weak limbs and I can also tick 3 or 4 other boxes - all of these I’ve ummed and ahh’d about seeing the GP for some time as individual complaints
I honestly can’t remember the last time I really slept well/refreshingly, I wake earlier and earlier - 5am today.
My sex drive has dimished a lot over the last 4-5 years - really noticeably
I had very fleeting/minor pain behind one or maybe both eyes for a short period - this would only happen when i pressed my head on the pillow at night to sleep, never in the day or during the morning
I have noticeable problems finding the right words these days…I even idly googled early onset dementia this year a few times as I’ve always been so fluent.
I’ve also had IBS in the last 2 years.
I also have a really bad episode/outbreak of herpes right now so my immune system is definately suffering but I had never weeks of muscle weakness and pins and needles with herpes outbreaks.
I was putting much of the shakes and weakness down to anxiety until I started to see all these associated symptoms, anxiety has been an issue for me for years. Other things I put down to age…now I’m really concerned.
Anyway…sorry to go and thank you reading, any comments, suppot and advice appreciated.
Oh dear, I can see why you are so concerned you might have MS. But reading into stuff on t`internet can be so damaging.
I`m glad you are seeing your GP tomorrow. Tell him your problems, but try to hold back on the anxiety part, as I have heard some GPs all too easily put it down to depression type illnesses and satrt dishing out the anti depressants.
If she/he thinks some further investigation is warranted, then I hope you`ll be referred to a specialist.
Hi John, I’m glad you are seeing the GP… but keep in mind there are a whole bunch of conditions that have symptoms similar to MS (some of them as simple as a vitamin deficiency and easily treated).
Tinnitus can be caused by a whole load of stuff as well. In fact the vast majority of people with tinnitus do not have MS and have no idea what caused it. For many people it has been caused by loud music or working in jobs with loud noise. I have tinnitus (which they think is linked to my MS but nobody can be sure) and if I go on tinnitus forums I am usually the only one with MS. Similarly on this forum, most people do not have tinnitus.
I agree with Poll, if you mention anxiety the GP will treat you for that. So state your physical symptoms unless of course you need some help with your anxiety.
I really hope you can get some answers soon. I know it is awful having symptoms and not knowing what can be causing it. Scary and frustrating, so you are doing absolutely the right thing by going to see you GP.
Thank you, all of you for your kind and positive words. I saw the GP this morning which was better than expected as he didnt just brush me away with an anxiety diagnosis which would be easy as on and off I’ve had problems and treatment for this - we even had an MS discussion as he asked me specifically if I was worried about anything. I have to have a fasting blood test but this wont be for 10 days so I’ll be into September before those results come through. He said my basic neurological signs seem fine. I’m still worried, my shaking weak legs seem worse than yesterday!
Anyway, I wish everyone here the best as for one reason or another we all have our worries.
My gp sent me for a fasting blood test when I went. earlier in the year and I was dignosed with type 2 diabetes which has some symptoms in common with ms and like you I also have many neurological symptoms that look like ms and not diabetes . so I’m still.being tested. The test checks glucose levels in the blood It probably can be tested for other things too. It sometimes can be frustrating when you are looking for answers and you go off on a tangent and as Clare says so many other things have similar symptoms- the doctors like to rule them out first which takes time. Good luck.John. Frank.
I have to say I’m still very concerned to the point of distraction at work - I dont have any typical diabetes symptoms although I understand the GP has a routine investigation to go through and they cant or wont pack everyone off to specialists immediately. I know things will move faster next month if I get referred as fortunately I made a decison at the start of my working life to pay for health insurance.
The tingling/itching/tickling across the top of both ankles is worse this week, especially if I put pressure on my feet although it seems to come and go at various points of the day - its come and gone this morning already…weird… it’s a feeling that makes me want to point my toes and stretch the foot.
I spent the morning at my local hospital too for work reasons - typical, just when I dont want to think about that.
Diagnosis of MS can take ages and as the above lovely people have mentioned at this stage it could be anything, I am 26 and was admitted to hospital as my legs stopped working, (wheelchair for a week) I had visited the docs before this with symptoms. The heat has been effecteing me since I got out of hospital,(this may not help your tingling) i am still waiting more tests and dont see the neuro again until the 27th. Be possitive, right now i see your worrying and unserstand, I am lucky my wife was there for me but again everyone hear is amazing, i tell them things I cannot tell the wife as she suffers from anxiety so I understand what you are saying.
Never google anything, unless a professional has told you you may have something or a type of test. and even then moan about it on hear because its why I come on hear for. My experiences of being young and going through this, I just want to help people in the same boat. their are some very knowledgeable people on hear and I feel lucky to be able to speak to them. just document eveything that happens or how you feel, day time e.t.c this will help for the future.
Until then be happy and live life, my moto is there is always someone worse than you. hear if you want a chat
I echo what the others said, i fell pray to the perils of google and it just makes you fear things so so so much more, some things it explained, but mainly just makes you more scared i found. please do continue to come on here though, these guys are fountains of knowledge and very lovely too!
The support and advice here is really selfless considering it comes from folks with their own problems. I had a good day today and was feeling much more positive, arms and legs feeling much stronger. At one point I was thinking by time I do the blood test and get the results I’ll be getting fobbed off by the GP as an anxiety case as I’ll be feeling OK. But…as last night I have the return of the irritating tingle/tickle over the top of my ankles which seems to be here in the evenings. It’s weird how these things come and go, I tell myself one minute it’s concentrated by anxiety then the next minute I think it can’t be anything other than a very real sensation.