Previously diagnosed with Optic Neuritis + other symptoms.

[blackstone]

Hello,

I am sure you have a lot of people who post similar. Allow me to explain my symptoms. It started about 5 years ago. I had decreased energy levels. My first symptom was really sexual dysfunction. In my case the inability to ejaculate. I was also going through a difficult time in my life without health insurance. Fast forward a few years I am working a full time job and wake up with badly blurred and partial loss of vision in my left eye. I guess people with diagnosed MS already know where I am headed. I went to my standard eye doctor who referred me to a retina specialist who diagnosed me with Optic Neuritis. Again working on getting insurance so I choose not to to take the doctor up on visiting a neurologist. Again lack of insurance. I started feeling EXTREMLY fatigued and barely able to do anything. Especially when the weather gets warm. I started having balance issues where I would lose my sense of balance and fall back and have to catch myself. I have sharp pains in various places mainly fingers and feet. I walk with a slight gait issue. I have had both bladder and bowel issues. Struggle to empty my bladder discomfort and also a frequent need to urinate or sudden feeling that I MUST urinate NOW with not much warning. That is on and off. The problem that got me to join the forum is bowel issues. I a very constipated and have thin stools on occasion and alternate from having normal bowel moments to NONE and having thin stools etc. I feel horrible and sleep all day if I can. So I know that no one can diagnose me via a forum! I just wanted to hear some opinions from members that is all I would hope for. I am securing insurance now to get this checked on in near future. So to make it simple my symptoms are:

Blurry vision
Sexual dysfunction
Balance Iissues
Extreme fatigue
Occasional short lasting sharp pain
Bladder problems
Bowel dysfunction

[lyndacarol]

Welcome to ThisIsMS, blackstone. You are correct – no one can diagnose you via this website.

I encourage you to find a GP or internist who wants to be a "disease detective." You have definite symptoms; there is a cause at the root of these symptoms. You need a partnership with a good medical professional.

Since you want "to hear some opinions from members," I offer mine: I suggest that you ask your physician to order a "fasting blood insulin test" (NOT to be confused with a simple glucose test). The optimal result should be 3 UU/ML or lower. Excess insulin thickens and stiffens the muscles and leads to insulin resistance. Muscles are certainly involved in bladder and bowel problems; they can certainly be involved in your other symptoms. All the best to you

[centenarian100]

Your history sounds very suspicious for separate episodes of optic neuritis and transverse myelitis which suggests a possible diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

You most likely need and MRI of your brain and cervical and thoracic spinal cord.