Ms symptoms diagnosis difficulties
Common Questions and Answers about Ms symptoms diagnosis difficulties
multiple-sclerosis
t want to be handed a death sentence, as a diagnosis of ALS would be (and dying very horribly I might add). Can you actually imagine hoping to have MS? I realize this must sound insane, but given the choice of the two, and with this soft palate thing, it seems that's where I am. Thank you for listening!!!
So confused or am I just in denial?
Symptoms: numbness tingling in all extremities, fatigue muscle pain, insominia bladder urgency, constipation, pain muscle twitching, weakness, cognitive difficulties, heat sensitivity, cramping and stiffness, blurry vision, some eye pain comes and goes in intensity and have stuggled with for two years.
It is possible to have an initial MS attack and then go decades before another one. But if these are the only two symptoms you have, I am guessing MS is unlikely.
I struggled with a very similar shortness of breath. I divided it into two parts. I would run out of air while talking...I sounded breathless all the time. I had to quit doing yoga because I was so out of breath. Then, I couldn't fill my lungs and take a satisfying breath every time I wanted to.
I do not believe fibromyalgia or chronic pain or migraine include spaticity, loose teeth, incontinentence, respiratory suppression, swallowing difficulties, or the multitude of other symptoms of MS or MS like diseases. Although, I imagine many serious illness do cause muscle-like pain, fibromyalgia, or chronic pain. But I do not consider those as a true diagnosis. I have seen neurologists. Just the wrong ones.
I had (about a year ago) a lot of symptoms that pointed to MS. Weakness in legs, vertigo, weird rib cage pains, etc. Doc sent me to a Neuro who told me from the get that he didn't think it was MS but ran all of the tests (except for the lumbar puncture). MRI and VEP both came back without abnormalities. I continued to have the symptoms for a while afterwards, but they gradually subsided (except for some random weakness and rib cage pain which I have on and off now).
t sound like MS symptoms at all. MS symptoms tend to progress and not just hit a person all at once. Common beginning MS symptoms include:
Weakness/stiffness in hands, arms, or legs
Dragging feet when walking
Numbness and/or tingling
Lightheadedness or feeling of spinning (vertigo)
These symptoms then develop into more serious pain and discomfort. I'd definitely get your husband checked out, but it certainly doesn't sound like MS.
My symptoms started in 1989. For 3 years I was told that they found nothing wrong and one dr suggested I see a psychiatrist. Finally I found a compassionate neuro (he was dealing with polio so he understood) did brain MRI with one 4 mm lesion, but did not diagnose me. We moved and I saw another compassionate neuro who listened and with the MRI and clinical evidence diagnosed me with ms in 1991.
reaction in combination with other meds, increase in dropping and knocking things over
Spring 2012- saw new neurologists, (making this the 4th one), for migraines/headaches 5days/week, increased difficulties with concentration, memory, vision, speech, balance, irritability, worsening sleep disorder, CRPS. Showed him MRI from 2008 and discussed symptoms said it was not MS. Didn’t order another MRI.
i am also undiagnosed, but have some symptoms of ms. a few months ago my urinary frequency was at its worse, i had to go about every half hour and always felt like i was about to have an accident. at the same time as this i had pretty bad pain in my thighs, it felt like the pain was deep in the bones and at times it felt like they were burning a little, and i think i imagined that they were weak because i didn't have any actual problems walking or running.
Sorry for your troubles. MS is hard to diagnose. There are many Neurological disorders which have the same symptoms and over 30 MS mimics which are not Neurological. Are you being followed by a Neurologist? There are no tests which rule MS in or out. Not all Neurologists know that much about MS, they specialize in different areas. I once saw a Neurologist who was a headache Specialist and she said I did not have MS when I did have MS.
Vision problems is ONE of the symptoms, but there are many more that you should have before a diagnosis of MS could be made. Do you have any other symptoms other than vision difficulties?
Once you list your symptoms, you will need to take them to a neurologist. He or she will be the best to be able to make a diagnosis; or at least rule it out.
I am being prescribed the barr 956 capsule. I took the medication improperly by opening the capsule, and crushing a very small portion of the spansules with my teeth.
After a few days of doing this, symptoms presented as a bi-lateral "warm feeling" from head to toe. The next day, this warmth faded to a numb feeling bi-laterally from head to toe. Which eventually regressed to brady-kinesia on the right side(while the left side remained numb).
It will take a neurologist to diagnose MS. No test rules it in or out. Neurologists Specialize so I would get a MS Specialist to begin with. It can take awhile because they are busy. Most good neurologists take awhile to get an appointment. The one I have too 8 months and I was already diagnosed. Your PCP can do a neurological exam that is reflexes, following the finger and such. My PCP did one and found it to be very abnormal pointing to MS. She sent me to a neurologist.
I have seen two different neurologists over the last three years and they disagree over my diagnosis. It sounds like MS to me but my neurologist believes I have CNS Vasculitus. However, he is not certain. He has put me on medication to treat vasculitus, but it doesn't seem to work. He doesn't seem to listen to me when I try to question his diagnosis. It is very frustrating. Has anyone had similar experiences?
This is an MS forum, but I post on here even though I do not have MS. I had symptoms similar to MS, but was eventually diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.
You need to have a test- Serum protein Electropherisis (SEP), it will tell you if you an "M-spike" (which is almost always caused by MM). If you have a spike, they then use the immunofixation test to figure out what kind of spike.
I'm with "jen." A spinal tap in the United States should not be relied upon to diagnose MS. If you have an abnormal physical exam, have lesions on your brain and probably your spine, and more than one "attack," all other mimics ruled out....then you should probably have enough evidence to get a diagnosis of MS. Wow, that was a long sentence...sorry.
My doctor then scheduled a spinal tap and EVR. Both were normal. She has referred me to the MS Clinic at the Brigham in Boston. My symptoms are constant and are mostly gait/balance issues. Do the normal spinal tap and EVR mean I don't have MS even though the MRI showed both brain and spinal lesions?
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