This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hi! This is my first time on this forum, or ANY forum. I am 23 year old female. I have not been diagnosed with MS yet. I just want to express how I feel, because I do not think many people in my life understand. I made an appointment yesterday to see a Neurologist (not until May 10) after a visit with my PCP was unsuccessful. She suggested it was stress, but I know what stress is. And this is NOT stress. If anything, my symptoms are causing me to become depressed. I had a blood test that came back normal also.

I have been experiencing symptoms since the beginning of January. It has been progressively getting worse. The first thing I noticed was the arm and leg weakness. I have two children (3 and 9 months) and I can no longer carry the three year old (30 lbs). I can only hold the nine month old for a few minutes. Simply things such as blow drying my hair have become very difficult. Any body part being in one position for a sustained period of time causes pain and weakness. I have noticed that the heat affects my symptoms also. After I take a shower, I feel like I ran a marathon. This may sound funny, but buffalo wings are my favorite food. I can barely eat them anymore because my hands become so tired and unable to do small things like that (like put on my makeup). My legs get so weak after a shower I have to put my make up on and dry my hair while sitting. When I do attempt to do small things, my hands become very unsteady.

Other things I have been experiencing are eye pain when moving my eyes from side to side, and shooting pains through my arms and through my legs (often disabling me for that short time period). A few times, I have experiencing an electrical shock pain in my arms causing them to go numb (like they fell alseep) for a few minutes.

My hands and feet have a constant swollen, burning feeling, but are not actually swollen. Sometimes is also feels like someone is squeezing my bones. When I am really bad, they hurt to the touch. I have noticed that I have been running into furniture, walls and door ways more. Since Novemeber, I have fallen down the stairs three times for no reason. I have had trouble concentrating and have to constantly remind myself to stay focused at work (I am at work right now, and this is what I am doing). My symptoms are starting to affect my home life because doing simple activities has become hard. Overall, I feel a sense of body wide fatigue and discomfort. I really want an answer because this is very hard to deal with.

Does any of this sound like symptoms of MS? I appreciate any advice and input.

Thank you!

I would find a holistic doctor who will find out why you have these problems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAhu6oa_ ... ure=relmfu

hi tal, welcome to the forum. sorry to hear you're feeling bad no fun

i deal with nutritional approaches to health and the first thing i'll tell you is that building humans takes a large nutritional toll on your body. if you don't make a concerted effort to rebuild nutritional stores after delivery, you can end up depleted. stress just makes things worse as you burn through nutrients even faster as part of the stress response. it can all combine to make you feel pretty low, and correcting nutrients status could go a long way to improve how you feel emotionally.

would you be okay to post a little bit of detail about your day to day diet? if you give me an idea of sample breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and beverages i might be able to spot some imbalances just with that.

can you specify what blood test or tests were done, and will they tell you the actual result with units if you ask? it's important to know - i've found that doctors don't necessarily know what the term 'normal' implies. in some cases, research is showing that being anywhere lower than the very top end of the range can mean you're at greater risk for illness.

pregnancy is a massive nutrient drain but the number one i've run across to date is zinc. i'd be looking for a serum zinc test, and based on the other symptoms you describe i'd be curious about serum copper, serum magnesium, serum b12, serum folate, serum ferritin, and serum 25hydroxyvitamind3. magnesium is particularly relevant for dealing with stress and depression.

anyway hope you found some useful tidbits here, and i hope you can post some more detailed info too. if you do, i can help you interpret findings. 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

Thanks! I finally was diagnosed with SLE (Lupus).

you're welcome!

nutritional info for sle patients:

take vitamin d3 (you can check my 'signature' links for generic info that applies to anyone working to optimize this value)

Vitamin D deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 7205000935

take vit E8 complex, beta carotene, and retinol (more info in 'signature' re vit E8 only)

Serum concentrations of α tocopherol, β carotene, and retinol preceding the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus
http://ard.highwire.org/content/56/5/323.abstract
"Cases of both diseases had lower serum concentrations of α tocopherol, β carotene, and retinol ... than their matched controls."

that's a start. have a few more things to look up.

_________________
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