This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

As the title suggets, I am MS probable for about 18 months. I am not looking for your thoughts on whether or not I have MS. My mother was dx 20 years ago so I know pretty well how difficult MS is to diagnose.

Since having my wisdom teeth pulled and my first episode of a possible exacerbation, I have not had any issues at all with infections out viruses or anything. A little over four weeks ago I started feeling ill and have a slightly swollen lymph node in my neck. I have been to my MD several times. The latest is a methylprednisolone pack and round of antibiotics.

The problem is that the lymph node is barely swollen leading me to believe that I should not be affected to this degree. I have not had any energy for the last several weeks to the point of lying in bed most of the time. I hurt all over and nothing I take from DayQuil to Oxycodone helps at all. I have also lost over 20 lbs during this time.

I am wondering, assuming I do have MS, if I got a virus 4-5 weeks ago and my immune system has gone into overdrive prolonging the duration of this thing. I have had no fever, chills or anything that you would typically associate with the flu, etc.

I am 38 years old and up until I got my wisdom teeth pulled (around the same time as my first episode with possibke MS) had fought colds and flu my entire life. They have never lasted this long and would always start lightly, peak then go away within a couple of weeks. The main symptoms were gone this time in a couple of weeks but the weakness, lack of energy and body pain continue to linger.

I should add that I am not currently taking any medications for MS as we don't feel like we have any evidence for the reward to outweigh the risk.

So the question is, have any of you ever experienced anything like this or know someone who has and if so could you describe it?

I appreciate any input you may have. Again I am not looking for opinions on whether or not this MS, just similar experiences or anything else you think may help.

Thanks!

bradlandreth wrote:...I have not had any energy for the last several weeks to the point of lying in bed most of the time. I hurt all over and nothing I take from DayQuil to Oxycodone helps at all. I have also lost over 20 lbs during this time.

...but the weakness, lack of energy and body pain continue to linger.

...I appreciate any input you may have. Again I am not looking for opinions on whether or not this MS, just similar experiences or anything else you think may help.

Since fatigue is a major symptom of thyroid problems (weight issues, too), I wonder if your physician has checked your thyroid (TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and antithyroid antibodies).

did you have the extraction done with local or general anaesthesia? which anaesthetic did they use specifically?

have you done nutritional testing in the last 18 months to rule out imbalances known to be associated with ms? these same imbalance could affect your energy level and risk of low grade infection.

i used to have pretty bad fatigue, plus susceptibility to colds and flus, not to mention a range of other seemingly minor and disconnected issues. I spent the last 7 years researching nutrition science and one by one correcting my nutrient imbalances and deficiencies (before dx, i had a whole food diet - no junk food, but extremely incomplete nutritionally)

at this point i have way more energy and rarely can a cold take me down. at worst I become aware that my system is fighting something, but life goes on business as usual.

also, a family friend had chronic EBV lasting a couple years. I have gone to visit twice, to set up nutrient testing and a therapeutic regimen. finally got the good news that the tests for infection were coming back negative. intermittent food sensitivity test results improved dramatically in the same time period. at this stage when I hear complaints of lymph node swelling it's inevitable that the food combinations and supplement choices will be significant contributors. at any rate, there is a known association btw EBV infection and MS. as far as i'm concerned it means you have to bolster up a weakened immune system (which may sound odd re ms, but in the case of auto-immunity you need to strengthen the immune system's 'brakes' signaling)

hope that helps

more reading, if interested:

hi there, since you mentioned about having your wisdom out i'd suggest you go to the ccsvi page. there look at authors ejc, rosegirl, and uprightdoc. ejc's wife has ms-she is being treated by dr. amir "a specialty dentist " and she and others are having improvements. rosegirl's topic when ccsvi fails try AOand or the dentist. gingermagic has a good story after starting treatment with dr. amir. dr. flanagan "uprightdoc" is as knowledgeable as you'll get when it comes to the spine-and will answer questions and try to help. they are proveing more and more the connection all this has to do with some that have these symptoms they named ms.

Hi,

Have you considered the possibility of an MS flare, with pain and fatigue as the primary symptoms? Neuropathic pain is different from other forms of pain. It is often caused by spinal cord lesions. It is not helped by ordinary pain killers. I get some relief for my pain from Gabapentin, but I know that doesn't work for everyone.

Re the fatigue, if it's not MS I would be aggressively seeking treatment and diagnosis from doctors. It might be mononucleosis (EBV) although when I had mono all of my lymph nodes were hugely swollen and painful. I'm not a doctor. If I were faced with these symptoms I would be seeking medical help now.

Best