This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I am dealing with what appears to be the first symptoms of MS. About one month ago, I started having hearing problems and numbness on the left side of my face. My speech suffered and it was difficult to walk and type. I had am MRI done and the doctor diagnosed it as MS. Luckily, I have healed from the typing, coordination and speech problems without any intervention. That was my very first symptom. About two weeks later after I seemed to be getting better, but I have really had some vision, vertigo, and nausea problems. Today, I was going to be taken to a followup appointment to the neurologist, and was so dizzy I could not ride in a car. It seems if I look to the right I get sick to my stomach. It started out as double vision, and eleven days later the double vision has subsided for the most part but I am still off balance and nauseated if I attempt to walk or move around. The neurologist has called in some prednisone for the vision problems. I am taking 60/mg for three days, 40/mg for three and 20/mg for three. I am on the third day of treatment so far of the steroids so far so I have a few days to go.

I am a 35 year old guy, and although I have no weak muscles right now, I am pretty much immobile because of the nausea and dizziness.

Is this something that is common or has anyone else experienced it?

i'm sure many have had worse symptoms but I am worried I may not improve and it is scary.

Thank you

Where you are now is scary. I went through it a year ago with an acute bout of optic neuritis. I found the best way to tackle the worry aspect is to start learning about how you combat MS. This site is a very good resource.

Thanks for all the replies. I have another neurologist appt at 9am tomorrow and am hoping I can make it. Today I have rested about all day hoping to heal. I don't know anything else to do other than maybe take Dramamine every 6 hours and rest. I told the doctor about it on the phone and he sounded almost like it was normal to deal with but I have not been seen by anyone yet for this (I did the numbness and speech problems though). Hoping and praying that it's gone when I wake up.

Anyone recommend and medicines or supplimates to help with the vertigo so I can make it to the doctor Wednesday?


Thank you

Do you have any of those seasickness bands? The ones that you put around your wrists? They help a bit.

I don't. But will look into them. Thank you.

Hi - I'm sorry that you are going through this. That sounds the same as my first symptoms were although I was not diagnosed for quite some time after that. My symptoms were acute for about 3 months and gradually lessened but it took almost a full year for them to be completely gone. After trying many different types of medications what worked for me was a medication called Serc. It was the only thing that gave me any relief at all.

Good luck to you.

Wow - it seems like my inner ear is not agreeing with what my eyes are saying or something. Makes it very difficult to walk around at all. And with my eyes doing what they are, I can't hardly be productive on a computer at all. Were you able to get around at all when you had it, or after three months? This is two weeks with the vertigo and it seems longer than that. I have missed two neuro appointments because of it but I am unsure anything they can do but have me wait it out.

Good caution.

jackD


N Engl J Med. 1992 Feb 27;326(9):581-8.

A randomized, controlled trial of corticosteroids in the treatment of acute optic neuritis.

The Optic Neuritis Study Group.
Beck RW, Cleary PA, Anderson MM Jr, Keltner JL, Shults WT, Kaufman DI, Buckley EG, Corbett JJ, Kupersmith MJ, Miller NR, et al.
SourceDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa 33612.

Abstract
BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The use of corticosteroids to treat optic neuritis is controversial. At 15 clinical centers, we randomly assigned 457 patients with acute optic neuritis to receive oral prednisone (1 mg per kilogram of body weight per day) for 14 days; intravenous methylprednisolone (1 g per day) for 3 days, followed by oral prednisone (1 mg per kilogram per day) for 11 days; or oral placebo for 14 days. Visual function was assessed over a six-month follow-up period.

RESULTS: Visual function recovered faster in the group receiving intravenous methylprednisolone than in the placebo group; this was particularly true for the reversal of visual-field defects (P = 0.0001). Although the differences between the groups decreased with time, at six months the group that received intravenous methylprednisolone still had slightly better visual fields (P = 0.054), contrast sensitivity (P = 0.026), and color vision (P = 0.033) but not better visual acuity (P = 0.66). The outcome in the oral-prednisone group did not differ from that in the placebo group. In addition, the rate of new episodes of optic neuritis in either eye was higher in the group receiving oral prednisone, but not the group receiving intravenous methylprednisolone, than in the placebo group (relative risk for oral prednisone vs. placebo, 1.79; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.08 to 2.95).

CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisone speeds the recovery of visual loss due to optic neuritis and results in slightly better vision at six months. Oral prednisone alone, as prescribed in this study, is an ineffective treatment and increases the risk of new episodes of optic neuritis.Comment in N Engl J Med. 1992 Feb 27;326(9):634-5.

PMID:1734247[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Wow - sounds like I may be going down the wrong path. Is it worth going to the ER for? I am not exactly even sure what I have as it started after my diagnosis. The Neurologist called in the oral over the phone. I just know my body gets confused when I was. I can see okay, but get very sick.

Thank you for the encouragement. The doctor called in some Zofran for me to try so I can at least hopefully get around without getting too dizzy. I'm really glad I have not lost vision - I can't imagine how scary that must be. I am going to try to be mobile in the next few days and get a doctor checkup or something. My family is very concerned but I am unsure what the doctors or even hospital can do about it other than for me to wait it out. Just afraid it will be very miserable trying to get there with my vision and interact with the staff and try to get home. I am not too bad as long as I am not moving my body and in bed, but hate to do this too much longer.

I was able to travel short distances in the car as a passenger with my eyes covered. We always called ahead to the doctor's office so I could be taken right into one of the exam rooms to wait as I could not wait out in the public area. I spent most of my time on the couch but gradually - after 2-3 weeks - started to get around the house but reading or watching t.v. was difficult. I didn't drive myself for 1 year but I did return to work part - time after about 6 months. I found as I got better that if I got anxious about a situation or tired the symptoms would get worse again. The after effects are that I am prone to motion sickness and get dizzy quite easily but otherwise it pretty much cleared up after about 6 months with continued improvement for another 6 months or so.

Thank you for the recommendation to cover my eyes. As a result, I was able to make my appointment this morning. If I had not have tried that, there is no way I would have made it without getting very sick.

I didn't really get any great news at the neuro nor did he really help me that much, but I hope just waiting this out and hoping I do not get another flare during this will make me much better.

Thanks again.

hi there nooper welcome to the forum, sorry to hear about your troubles.

you might wish to look into your serum magnesium level. magnesium tends to be low in ms patients. low mag affects different people in different ways. it has over 300 jobs to do in your body, so there are a lot of different seemingly unrelated things that can go wrong, but all having a magnesium issue in the mix somewhere.

Magnesium Deficiency: Pathophysiologic and Clinical Overview
http://pressfile.kau.edu.sa/Files/00021 ... _20067.pdf

Table 3 Clinical Manifestations of Magnesium deficiency (p.742)

Neuromuscular manifestations
Positive Chvosteck's sign
Positive Trousseau's sign
Carpopedal spasm (tetany)
Convulsions
Muscle cramps
Muscle faciculations and tremors

Neurologic manifestations
Vertigo
Nystagmus
Dysphagia
Athetoid movements
Hemiparesis and aphasia

Psychiatric manifestations
Apathy
Depression
Delirium
Personality changes

Cardiac manifestations
Ventricular arrhythmias
Supraventricular arrhythmias
Torsade de pointes

Electrolyte disturbances
Hypokalemia
Hypocalcemia

if you decide to get tested, ensure your serum level is at least 0.90 mmol/L. the 'normal' range is 0.70-1.10 mmol/L (too wide by half) so make sure you get the number and don't let them tell you your result is 'normal' - you could be in the 0.70-0.89 part of the 'normal' range, along with a lot of other sick people.

hope you feel better soon!

_________________
my approach: no meds so far - just balanced whole foods (partial 'paleo', much less outright elimination), science, supplements, & bloodwork
my regimen - www.thisisms.com/ftopict-2489.html
www.whfoods.com, www.nutritiondata.com

I will definitely look into that, as I have most of the problems you list. My vertigo seems to be a little better but I am still not able to get around much because if it. But any improvement is welcome!

see if you can add more magnesium rich foods (eg lots of big servings of dark leafy green veg like chard, kale and spinach) into your diet..

and for supplements a good soluble absorbable form is magnesium glycinate.

don't take magnesium oxide you won't absorb enough and the more you take the more it gives you the runs. it's not fun.

glycinate absorbs far better so you actually benefit from the supplement and you're not in the toilet all day.

if you go for bloodwork, don't take any supplements for a week before. and, just personally, when i do testing i prefer a fasting level to a random level. my 2c

good luck! let us know what you find out. hope you feel better soon.

_________________
my approach: no meds so far - just balanced whole foods (partial 'paleo', much less outright elimination), science, supplements, & bloodwork
my regimen - www.thisisms.com/ftopict-2489.html
www.whfoods.com, www.nutritiondata.com