Advice/help needed

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Jamesaccount123
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Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:54 am

Advice/help needed

Post by Jamesaccount123 »

Hello, hoping for some advice/help.

Over the past few months, have noticed changes to my body. Feet almost always feel a numb feeling, and hands again can feel almost unattached or painful. I have tried to just not think about it, more recently things have become worse. Have had real problems with my higher back, again a very strong tingling feeling that has occurred in loads of different times. Also in the past two weeks, have woken up and had almost no feeling on my left side of the body, has happend 3 times now, when I got out of bed I couldn't feel my left side and subsequently fell over.

I am about to turn 18 years old and so am worried about the possible links to MS, there is a history within my family with my dad diagnosed with low level MS quite some years ago.

Am unsure what to do next, or even if my symptoms are even a sign of MS.

thanks for help,
ElliotB
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Posts: 2058
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:08 pm

Re: Advice/help needed

Post by ElliotB »

The next step is to go see your doctor.
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lyndacarol
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Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:00 pm
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Re: Advice/help needed

Post by lyndacarol »

Jamesaccount123 wrote:Hello, hoping for some advice/help.

Over the past few months, have noticed changes to my body. Feet almost always feel a numb feeling, and hands again can feel almost unattached or painful. I have tried to just not think about it, more recently things have become worse. Have had real problems with my higher back, again a very strong tingling feeling that has occurred in loads of different times. Also in the past two weeks, have woken up and had almost no feeling on my left side of the body, has happend 3 times now, when I got out of bed I couldn't feel my left side and subsequently fell over.

I am about to turn 18 years old and so am worried about the possible links to MS, there is a history within my family with my dad diagnosed with low level MS quite some years ago.

Am unsure what to do next, or even if my symptoms are even a sign of MS.

thanks for help,
Welcome to ThisIsMS, Jamesaccount123.

Numbness/tingling/pain in the feet and hands is the textbook definition of "peripheral neuropathy." This is a common symptom in many conditions. In investigating the cause of peripheral neuropathy, the University of Chicago suggests the following:

http://peripheralneuropathycenter.uchic ... #bloodtest\
Blood tests

Blood tests are commonly employed to check for vitamin deficiencies, toxic elements and evidence of an abnormal immune response.

Depending on your individual situation, your doctor may request certain laboratory tests to identify potentially treatable causes for neuropathy. These include tests for:

Vitamin B12 and folate levels
Thyroid, liver and kidney functions
Vasculitis evaluation
Oral glucose tolerance test
Antibodies to nerve components (e.g., anti-MAG antibody)
Antibodies related to celiac disease
Lyme disease
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C and B
Please note that the first blood test the U of Chicago suggests is for vitamin B12.

Since your subject line seeks "Advice," I suggest you find a GP you trust and respect, begin to investigate the possible causes for your symptoms, begin by ruling out a possible B12 deficiency (this is best done with the HoloTranscobalamin a.k.a. HoloTc test because the serum B12 test alone is often unreliable and is inadequate in finding a deficiency in the tissues). Your symptoms are common to many conditions which must be ruled out first before an MS diagnosis can be made.

By the way, vitamin B12 deficiency can run in families.
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