I've noticed at least one user here with MS.
I've worried quite a lot over some of my symptoms the last half year, and I have to voice them now and get some feedback or I'll drive myself crazy.

I have been plagued by what I've defined by myself to be neuropathy. They consist of stinging nerve pains in fingers, sometimes in the feet, a feeling of loosing situational awareness in right arm and leg at times, for a while this winter my right leg even felt sluggish and slow, as if its movements lagged by a microsecond or something, "buzzing" feeling inside legs and lately all over sometimes, almost like a low level vibration, restless legs symptoms.

Now I have thought it down to the balance problems from my ears, as the right one is more affected, and I guess I thought the herniated disc in my back was to blame for this winters leg thing...but I've started to wonder if MS could be a culprit? And then you start to worry about the smaller things like my physical therapist saying "weird, your left side chest muscles are different/larger". I'm right handed.

Now I know...I am practically still undiagnosed. I have too low Vitamin D levels, and I just got a Psoriasis diagnosis, but please, please pick this one apart for me. These are the single most worrying symptoms for me, they scare me a little, and no doctor has picked up on them when mentioned. To my knowledge noone in my family has ever had MS.

Love
gilth

Hi Gilth,

I would first ask you are taking any meds that can cause these side effects. I have neuropathic pain, and the meds I take cause all of the side effects you mention. The neuropathy itself also causes many of these symptoms. I am also diabetic from steroids, but the tingling burning pains came before diabetes. Have you seen a neurologist for these symptoms. They would do nerve testing, for the first testing, which I always pass. My friend has early stage MS and she had a stroke in her optic nerve which is a symptom of MS. Also you mention the bulging disc in your back. That can sure cause these problems. Have you been to an orthopedic doc to examine you. I would think the rheumatologist you go to will want to refer you to some of these docs.


Janet

my thoughts were similar to janet's regarding seeing a neurologist to test for the MS. there are tests they can do.

You don't even need a neurologist in the first instance. A GP should be able to do a basic neuro screening exam - checking reflexes and sensation (pin prick) etc. If that didn't show up any abnormality, then I think you could rest assured that there wasn't anything serious going on. The pattern of abnormality varies with MS, but there will always be something odd on neuro exam if it was that.

Perhaps if you want some way to deal with the worry of the possibility of it, you could just tell yourself that you will deal with the PsA first - see the rheumatologist and work out a treatment plan. And then, if the neuro symptoms have persisted once you are treating the Psoriasis, etc you could ask your GP for a neuro referral. I know from experience that its not always helpful to have too many docs in the picture at once, and best to sort out one thing at a time. Also concentrate on getting your vitamin D levels up - that could easily be contributing to the odd neuro stuff.

Dr. Terry Wahl has MS. She has been successful in reversing some of her symptoms through dietery changes. Here is one link for her.

http://patv.tv/blog/2009/08/03/producer-video-food-as-medicine/

Hi Gilth

I do agree that you should deal with one problem at a time. I have also found the more doctors the more confusion and wrong diagnosis I look at some people and they have seen so many doc's and keep going until they get some kind of diagnosis, which may or not be correct. I saw it as a nurse, some doc's give a diagnosis just to satisfy the patient. don't get caught up in worrying about symptms that may mean nothing.


Janet

Thanks all, sounds like good avice dealing with the Psoriasis issue first!

Oh, and regarding medicines I only take one, a tricyclic antidepressant. Not sure if that one could do such things, and its been stabile for the 16 years I've used it.

Hi

I take tricyclics for nerve pain, and they absolutely cause some of these side effects, especially the numbness and I get a restless legs and jerking of limbs at night. I think you have figured out your problem.

Janet

I have MS. MS is a hard beast to diagnose. It can show up in so many different ways. You need a neurologist, and an MRI to make sure. The one reason I would not wait is if there is active inflammation in your head or spinal chord you would want to get that treated right away so it does not cause as much damage.

Actually the problem right now is heat in my spine. Somewhere betwwen my shoulderblades/ribs, so midspine. It feels like I have sunburn on the inside, or a 1000w heater locked in my spine. According to the wife, it feels warmer on the skin over the spine there too, than surrounding area...

Inflammation? -Has anyone had that crazy hot feeling I am having?