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worried for tomorrow's results

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 12:21 pm
by dezpez
Hello,

I'm a 26 year old female. I'm going to my dr tomorrow for a follow up about my brain MRI I had. I'm worried about the possibility of MS.

This is how it all started... Almost a year ago, I noticed I was getting bloated after I ate, to the point I looked 5 months pregnant. I was also having a horrible time breathing. My chest felt tight, I couldn't complete yawns and just felt like I couldn't breath except swallow short breaths. After thinking about about my diet changing I realized I stopped going to the restroom as regularly as I had. I saw my regular dr and he thought it could be my gallbladder because I was having some pain and because of my breathing issue. He ordered an ultrasound my stomach, lungs and gallbladder. While waiting for the ultrasound my symptoms became unbearable and I went to the ER. They did bloodwork, and xray and CT scan and only found a small nodule on my lungs and said I just bruised my chest wall. After doing the ultrasound my dr sent me to a gastro, he found nothing in a colonoscopy and my symptoms magically disappeared overnight.

Then about 3 months ago, I started noticed my heads getting tingly. My husband told me it was probably anxiety and not to worry about it. Then my chest started feeling really tight and I would have "asthma attacks" (wheezing and shortness of breath) that were never relieved by my inhaler. I went back to my dr and he did a spirometry test, which was negative for asthma. He reordered a ct scan for my lungs and that came back normal. He had no explanation for my wheezing except that it was probably exercise induced asthma.

I also had a headache that caused pain through my entire head and neck. Once that ended I had a constant headache on my left side and pressure like pain in my left eye. I also told him I was having episodes of words getting confused and my mouth would say something different than what my brain was thinking. For 3 days I called my 2 kids the wrong names or the dogs name. If I turn my head too quickly or in a certain way, I have shock that goes through my neck. And an ache in my left shoulder that comes in goes months at a time. He asked if my hands or feet tingle and I told him my hands do almost constantly. He ordered an MRI without contrast for my brain only and an ultrasound on my carotid artery. He didn't explain why he ordered either of these.

Then the following day as I was driving to work my left arm went numb and was just dead weight. It was still functioning, but awkward to use. After 2 or 3 hours it was back to normal. The day after that I was picking up my kids and telling my friend how my arm was once again numb and dead weight. Then after about 45 minutes it started to turn purple and my hand was slightly swollen. My MIL drove me to the hospital. While waiting, my arm was cold to the touch and it felt like I had my arm in a bucket of ice water. We waited for 3 hours before my husband and my mom complained to the nurse and we were called back. By then my arm was returning to normal color, the temperature was coming back and I was told it was either a pinched nerve or MS. I should request my dr order a brain and neck MRI, with and without contrast, but there was nothing they would do there because I wouldn't be able to start treatment right away.

I returned to my dr and he said he didn't believe it was a pinched nerve. He reordered the MRI with the contrast but my insurance would not approve the neck. I asked a family friend who is a nurse practitioner, and she said the neck MRI could prove if it is a pinched nerve or not. I did the MRI and the ultrasound, which apparently was to check for a blockage in my neck. I was pain free for a day and then I started having brain freeze like headaches on the right side for a week. And now the pain is gone but I'm losing things and having words mixed up again, losing things easily, and dropping things. My husband keeps saying its probably just the stress of not knowing the results but I wanted to have someone else's opinion.

Re: worried for tomorrow's results

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 2:37 pm
by jimmylegs
welcome dp sorry to hear you're having a rough time.

for sure they won't check you for common nutrient problems seen in the average ms patient (actually they are common to lots of ppl but can manifest differently depending on the individual...) at best they'll check vit b12 and vit d3, but not zinc or magnesium or anything else..

if you are interested in ruling out nutritional issues I can give you info on key tests to ask for. imho it's better to fix nutrients first and see what symptoms resolve and which remain. that way the docs have a clearer idea of what's really going on without nutrient issues clouding the picture.

we can chat out here or if you prefer, send me a private message.

more reading if you are interested - just my ideas on a few things nutritional :)
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/regimens- ... tml#p15460

Re: worried for tomorrow's results

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 3:49 pm
by lyndacarol
Welcome to ThisIsMS, dezpez.

Since you asked for for "someone else's opinion," I feel free to offer mine. I think that excess insulin can cause lots of these symptoms that you described. Excess insulin leads to insulin resistance in the muscle cells – it stiffens and thickens smooth muscles, such as those around the urinary bladder (not emptying your bladder as often as usual?). Muscle weakness (dropping things?)

I urge you to see your GP or an endocrinologist, discussed the possibility of insulin resistance, and request a "fasting blood insulin test" – this is NOT the same as a glucose test. The optimal result for the insulin test is 3 UU/ML or lower. Diet is the only means of lowering a high insulin level.

All the best to you.

Re: worried for tomorrow's results

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 4:56 pm
by jimmylegs
example of what happens when patients have their zinc status checked: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... ml#p208913