I Am New To This Board And Scared To Death

[lisaprinston]

A year or so ago i developed Acid Reflux, my doctor told it it was because of the upside down pullups and abs exercise i did that probably caused acid to enter my esophagus.

Fastforward - 9 months ago i felt a numbness in my left pinky and ring finger, i ignored it for almost a year.

However, recently i started feeling numbness in my right pinky and ring fingers. especially at nights when i sleep in bad positions. Now i feel an overall tingling in both hands. SCARED

For the last month i seriously started panicking, felt a slight stiffness in my neck that would periodically move around my neck.

pain in the middle section of my back and a weird sharp pain on the left side of my stomach under my rib cage.

Now my entire body feels a little weak and my both hands feel a little weak.
My overall optimistic view of life kinda changed, in my head i feel this sudden rush of negativity and the world just seems a little gloomy.

Now i did my researched on MS, i don't have legs or balancing issues, no blurred or double visions or any of the predominantly stereotypical symptoms.

My Doctor Took Urine and did a Full Blood Work, told me i'm perfectly healthy and they found nothing usual in my urine or blood.
Tomorrow i'm going to see a Neurologist and Wednesday a Cardiologist.

I am here because i am 38 and so so so so scared, i haven't slept in 2 days and panicking to death, the slightest poke i jump and panic.

I'm a Fitness Trainer, Musician and Writer, the thought of having MS is killing me.

If i don't have it, it surely changed my perspective of life and i have a completely new found appreciation for living, But so far i'm just a paranoid buffoon that's self diagnosing myself into anxiety attacks.

Please, please someone anyone? talk to me?

[Anonymoose]

Hi Lisa,

I'm glad you have an appt with a neurologist and cardio. It's good to get their opinions.

I'm thinking your finger numbness *might* be due to issues with medial/ulnar/thoracic nerve compression. Somewhere on TIMS I've posted links to videos of exercises you can do to help these issues. I'm in a bit of a rush so I'll have to point you towards the search function.

The back and stomach pain don't sing MS to me. Kidney issue maybe??

Try to relax. You're being proactive by seeking answers and that's the most you can do, right?

Be strong.

[lyndacarol]

Welcome to ThisIsMS, Lisa. I offer you my standard action plan recommendation:

First, TAKE A DEEP BREATH. You may not have MS at all, but there is always the possibility; it is a differential diagnosis – made by ruling out other possibilities. Very often, it is not easy or quick to diagnose. Before modern, expensive tests were available, doctors used to diagnose MS on the basis of symptoms and if they temporarily worsened when the patient sat in a hot bath for a while. IF you do have MS, you have found many supportive friends at this site. You WILL be able to deal with this – the uncertainty is difficult. We come from diverse experiences and hold diverse ideas. We do not agree necessarily in our thoughts on MS – my personal suspicion is that excess insulin (and resulting insulin resistance) is responsible for many MS (or "neurological") symptoms. You will probably not agree with some of us either; we only ask for tolerance when we express unconventional ideas.

Second, I hope that your doctor is a good GP or internist, that he is compassionate and enjoys being a "disease detective." I tend to believe that if you see a surgeon about a problem, he will find a solution in surgery; if you see a neuro, he will only see the problem/solution in neurology. I just read an article that summed this up well: "doctors are experts in, and only test for, those parts of the body in which they specialize." You say your doctor did a full blood workup. I hope it included these: (1) cortisol level, which can be elevated with stress and cause blood sugar to rise; (2) glucose AND (3) insulin levels (these are two DIFFERENT tests – I think the "fasting blood insulin test" is the most important and it is a relatively inexpensive test (the optimal 3 UU/ML or lower); (4) thyroid hormone levels (TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Total T3, Reserve T3, and antithyroid antibodies). (5) The CRP (C-reactive protein) test (testing for inflammation) and (6) liver tests are also a good idea. Ask for a copy of all your test results for your own file. I suspect insulin involvement and resulting insulin resistance in skeletal muscles causes many symptoms (excess insulin is known to thicken and stiffen smooth muscles; skeletal muscles, too).

Third, if you like to read and if you do have MS, start your reading with two books: Multiple Sclerosis: The History of a Disease by T. Jock Murray, OC, MD, and I think The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book by Roy Swank, MD, PhD and Barbara Dugan is a good second book to read or even have. You may be able to get these through your local library.

Fourth, I believe insulin is a major player; as a fitness trainer, you eat a healthy diet, no doubt (a good idea whether or not one has MS) –I think the diet should not trigger insulin production. Many people find that diet can influence the symptoms of MS. In my opinion, this means a very low-carb diet --remove ALL trans fats; remove all sugar (including beer, wine, etc. which have sugar), remove all artificial sweeteners, including sugar alcohols like sorbitol, xylitol, etc. (These promote insulin production, too.), and remove white flour, white bread, white potatoes, white rice (in fact, all carbs so far as possible).

My suspicion is that Fatty Liver Disease is also involved in MS (one can be "skinny fat"), since visceral fat (belly fat) secretes cytokines (like poison to the internal organs), which lead to increased insulin, which leads to inflammation which leads to more visceral fat… And the cycle goes round and round. Diet is important; in fact, you may find the account of Dr. Terry Wahls and her dramatic improvement in MS interesting (http://www.TerryWahls.com).

All the best to you.

[jimmylegs]

hi there, i have to run, looong drive ahead and starting LATE .. so just saying hi and welcome for now. bbl!

[blossom]

hi, the neuro.'s will pretty much ignore spinal issues. if there are any "upper cervical specifically trained chiro.'s"in your area maybe get their opinion. here at tims the ccsvi page there under topic is ccsvi and ccvbp the author is "uprightdoc". he's very knowledgeable and may be of great help to you. being you were a trainer it could be very fixable. you are young and you're searching. don't let them brand you with this ms thing. what you are describeing-google cervical stenosis cervical bone spurs
symptoms. also, what anonymoose spoke of.

take a deep breath and try to stay calm. but believe me i know that's easier said than done.

[jimmylegs]

hi lisa, here is a link to a list of forum posts i have previously written which may be relevant to your situation. (athletes and ms patient share common nutrient issues)
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/search.ph ... mit=Search

i am interested in the bloodwork you had done if you care to share

also, please read my regimen link to get a handle on what is really meant when your labs come back 'normal':
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/regimens- ... tml#p15460

sample content:

Micronutrient requirements for athletes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17241918 ( full text @ http://cinder.medicosenmerida.com.mx/Co ... tletas.pdf )
Vitamins and minerals are necessary for many metabolic processes in the body and are important in supporting growth and development. Vitamins and minerals also are required in numerous reactions involved with exercise and physical activity, including energy, carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, oxygen transfer and delivery, and tissue repair. The vitamin and mineral needs of athletes have always been a topic of discussion. Some researchers state that athletes require more vitamins and minerals than their sedentary counterparts, whereas other researchers do not report greater micronutrient requirements. The intensity, duration, and frequency of the sport/workout and the overall energy and nutrient intakes of the individual all have an impact on whether or not micronutrients are required in greater amounts. This article evaluates the vitamin and mineral needs of athletes.