Could I have MS

This is the place to ask questions if you have symptoms that suggest MS, but aren't yet diagnosed.
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sunnyskies
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Could I have MS

Post by sunnyskies »

Hi Everyone !!
I'm 32. I have been feeling unwell for nearly 6 months now.

It started with a strange sensation as I'm walking- not a dizziness in my head but rather in my body- sort of feels like my body is swaying or moving as I walk ( though i know that it is not).... then I had extreme fatigue for about 2 and half weeks ( I was off work at this time and barely able to move from the sofa for a lot of that time) Also I found it difficult to hold my head up- neck muscles v tired.

Next I started to feel as if there was a weight being pressed against my back ( in the centre of my spine below my shoulder blades ) and sometimes like a force was gently pulling me down . Once or twice I felt a fairly severe feeling of pressure around my body and often had a feeling of pressure in my head - like there was a clamp around my brain. These symptoms were very bad for 2-3 weeks and have eased this last 3 months but still come and go.

I still experience the dizzy feeling when I'm walking, practically every day. The other symptoms come and go. i may be fine for a few days then feel really bad for a few days.

I haven't felt severe pressure round my body in months likewise the clamp feeling in my brain .... though i do experience a fuzzy feeling in my brain.

I had an MRI done and the doctor said they found spots on my spine. He said I did not have MS but he could not rule out Msin the future and said that these spots could be age related and that he would monitor my symptoms.

I'm just wondering is this what people who go on to be diagnosed with MS get told in the early stages!?.... I'm not asking anyone here to diagnose me - I understand it's much more complicated than that but I suppose what I'm asking is: considering that they have found spots on my spine what is the likelihood that i will eventually be diagnosed with Ms? Did anyone here, who has now been diagnosed with MS, get a similar result in the early days.

Sorry for the longwinded post and thanks a mil in advance for all replies!!
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lyndacarol
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Re: Could I have MS

Post by lyndacarol »

sunnyskies wrote:Hi Everyone !!
I'm 32. I have been feeling unwell for nearly 6 months now.

It started with a strange sensation as I'm walking- not a dizziness in my head but rather in my body- sort of feels like my body is swaying or moving as I walk ( though i know that it is not).... then I had extreme fatigue for about 2 and half weeks ( I was off work at this time and barely able to move from the sofa for a lot of that time) Also I found it difficult to hold my head up- neck muscles v tired.

Next I started to feel as if there was a weight being pressed against my back ( in the centre of my spine below my shoulder blades ) and sometimes like a force was gently pulling me down . Once or twice I felt a fairly severe feeling of pressure around my body and often had a feeling of pressure in my head - like there was a clamp around my brain. These symptoms were very bad for 2-3 weeks and have eased this last 3 months but still come and go.

I still experience the dizzy feeling when I'm walking, practically every day. The other symptoms come and go. i may be fine for a few days then feel really bad for a few days.

I haven't felt severe pressure round my body in months likewise the clamp feeling in my brain .... though i do experience a fuzzy feeling in my brain.

I had an MRI done and the doctor said they found spots on my spine. He said I did not have MS but he could not rule out Msin the future and said that these spots could be age related and that he would monitor my symptoms.

I'm just wondering is this what people who go on to be diagnosed with MS get told in the early stages!?.... I'm not asking anyone here to diagnose me - I understand it's much more complicated than that but I suppose what I'm asking is: considering that they have found spots on my spine what is the likelihood that i will eventually be diagnosed with Ms? Did anyone here, who has now been diagnosed with MS, get a similar result in the early days.

Sorry for the longwinded post and thanks a mil in advance for all replies!!
Welcome to ThisIsMS, sunnyskies.

To answer your specific question… I venture to say that someone here has had an experience similar to yours; but, in general, each of us has had a unique set of symptoms and a unique pathway to diagnosis. It is logical to choose and work with a compassionate team of medical professionals, discuss your plan of investigation with your doctor – you might review the University of Chicago suggestions for looking into the cause of peripheral neuropathy (although you have not specifically described this symptom):

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. I definitely think this is the place to start, as many of your symptoms are common to that condition (among the others: thyroid, gluten sensitivity, etc.). MS is a diagnosis of exclusion – other conditions are ruled out first. There have been several malpractice cases won (for several million dollars each!) when doctors did not look for vitamin B 12 deficiencies and patients went on to develop irreversible neurologic damage.

This is my personal experience: my first test results were normal – EMG, evoked responses, MRI; in fact, I had THREE normal MRIs before my FOURTH showed any lesions. (This was misdiagnosed as a herniated cervical disc, for which I had unnecessary surgery.). I doubt that anyone can tell you the likelihood that you will eventually be diagnosed with MS. We are glad that you found us. We welcome you and your questions. We wish you all the best.
sunnyskies
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Re: Could I have MS

Post by sunnyskies »

Hi Lyndacarol,

Thanks for the advice!! .... Just fed up of feeling unwell :-(
Will mention the B12 to my doc though I think that was tested for in my blood tests.
Hope you are well. Take care and thanks again
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NHE
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Re: Could I have MS

Post by NHE »

sunnyskies wrote:Will mention the B12 to my doc though I think that was tested for in my blood tests.
The bottom end of the range for B12 used by many labs in the US is likely too low. As such, your test results can come out in the "normal" range, but still be low. For example, the lower end of the range for B12 in Japan is 500 pg/mL, however, here in the US a level of 250 pg/mL is "normal" but in reality is deficient.
want2bike
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Re: Could I have MS

Post by want2bike »

You might have them run a vitamin D test also. Most people are deficient in vitamin D and has shown good results in treating MS symptoms.
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euphoniaa
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Re: Could I have MS

Post by euphoniaa »

sunnyskies wrote:Hi Everyone !!
I'm 32. I have been feeling unwell for nearly 6 months now.

I had an MRI done and the doctor said they found spots on my spine. He said I did not have MS but he could not rule out Msin the future and said that these spots could be age related and that he would monitor my symptoms.
Hi sunnyskies, and welcome! As others have said, each of us seems to be completely unique in the presentation of symptoms, history leading to diagnosis, and our experiences of life with MS.

The one thing that concerns me though, is the "spots on my spine" the doctor mentioned. Your doctor should really give a more precise accounting of that. "Age-related" makes it sound more like arthritic changes or stenosis, but "spots" sound makes it sound more like lesions. Ask for clarification.

Also, it should be relatively easy to get copies of the official MRI reports without the doctor 'dumbing them down' for you and talking about generic "spots." With the current laws, I can request copies of everything within hours of my MRIs & other tests -- even DVDs of the MRIs themselves. The radiologist's notes that accompany the MRIs should be more detailed and even suggest possible diagnoses such as a "demyelinating disease such as MS" like they put in my reports.

But yes, it's possible that future tests/MRIs could finally show MS, but since there's no cure anyway, you should relax, take a deep breath, monitor your symptoms for future reports, and try to optimize your health in the meantime with a healthy diet and exercise (no one in particular, just a generally healthier lifestyle :smile: ).

Good luck and keep us informed of your progress!
Dx'd with MS & HNPP (hereditary peripheral neuropathy) 7/03 but must have had MS for 30 yrs before that. I've never taken meds for MS except 1 yr experiment on LDN. (I found diet, exercise, sleep, humor, music help me the most.)
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