This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hi. I'm a newbie at this. I actually have 2 questions.

I have not had a difinitive diagnosis but have had 3 flares over a 30 yr. period. The first one being nystagmus and fatigue over a 2 day period then disappearing. then 12 years later starting with joint pain in every joint for a few days then slowly turning into nerve stuff. off balance, numbing, tingling, eye pain, etc. this was probably over a years time before tapering off. A brain MRI at the time showed no lesions. I was beginning to think maybe it wasn't MS after 16 years of very subtle symptoms. which brings me to now. alot of the same symptoms are back and had a couple of MRI's which have not shown lesions. I feel with the pattern or history of my symptoms that it is MS. the Dr's. don't seem to listen too good or hear only what they want to hear. My biggest and wierdest symptom is this: the Dr. calls it positional parathesis, when there is pressure put on body parts when the pressure is released that part of the body feels numbish for a minute then the feeling comes right back. some examples are kneeling on the floor when I get up knees are numb very briefly, taking my glasses of it still feels like they are on briefly, crossing my legs the leg on bottom with the weight on it feels numb for a minute after taking the top leg off, when getting up from laying down the back of the scalp feels numb briefly, squatting briefly when standing up the toes that had pressure on them feel numb briefly. this was one of my many symptoms 16 years ago and is one of my many symptoms this time around.
so question #1. anyone else hear of this?
#2. how reliable is a lumbar puncture at detecting MS?
Thanks in advance. Kathy

Kathy,
I have that all the time, but I don't have MS and I also don't think of it as anything really. It sounds like you are cutting off the circulation, and yes, then your limb or where your glasses sit, feels "asleep"/numb, whatever. If that is your only problem, you do seem very far from having MS, I hope that is so for you.

I wish that were my only symptom. I have many. balance problems, tingling, nerve or muscle twitches, sometimes left arm and leg feels not quite with it (a little weak), etc. Plus this only happens when I am experiencing a "flare" or whatever this is. Thanks. Kathy