Do I have MS?
Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:20 pm
Hello. I have been having weird symptoms for years and always end up thinking it is anxiety or being a hypochondriac since the doctors never find an explanation.
I don't know if everything is related but I remember in my twenties after heavy aerobic exercise, feeling light headed, dizzy, and having blurry vision. In my thirties, about 5 years ago, I started having numbness in my left foot. At that time, i also noticed a really increased effect of exercise on my symptoms. Sometimes i would feel like I had the flu for the next day or even two days afterwards. I had an EMG and brain, spine MRI and they only saw mild athritis in the back.
After not exercising for years, I am trying to run and although i occasionally would have the numbness in my foot, it is now up and down my leg and at times it feels funny to walk, as if my leg is not working right. I am also having some back pain and cramping in the muscles. Also, now it feels as if numbness or tingling is happening along the right side of my back and down the right arm.
It seems as if the worsening symptoms coincided with my new running regimen. I am hoping it is only arthritis or disc problems but i am not sure if that would explain the exercise intolerance. I have read some of the posts here and like one of them, i was always fine lifting weights. It seems that exercise that goes anaerobic is the problem. Swimming was always tough. I can swim a couple of laps and then would have to rest a minute. If i pushed to hard I could expect to feel worn out for a day. I have always thought it could be a lactic acid metabolism problem.
Anyway, i am sorry to ramble but just wanted to know if this is how MS usually starts? What should i ask my doctor to do and should i ask to see a doctor who specializes in MS?
Thanks
I don't know if everything is related but I remember in my twenties after heavy aerobic exercise, feeling light headed, dizzy, and having blurry vision. In my thirties, about 5 years ago, I started having numbness in my left foot. At that time, i also noticed a really increased effect of exercise on my symptoms. Sometimes i would feel like I had the flu for the next day or even two days afterwards. I had an EMG and brain, spine MRI and they only saw mild athritis in the back.
After not exercising for years, I am trying to run and although i occasionally would have the numbness in my foot, it is now up and down my leg and at times it feels funny to walk, as if my leg is not working right. I am also having some back pain and cramping in the muscles. Also, now it feels as if numbness or tingling is happening along the right side of my back and down the right arm.
It seems as if the worsening symptoms coincided with my new running regimen. I am hoping it is only arthritis or disc problems but i am not sure if that would explain the exercise intolerance. I have read some of the posts here and like one of them, i was always fine lifting weights. It seems that exercise that goes anaerobic is the problem. Swimming was always tough. I can swim a couple of laps and then would have to rest a minute. If i pushed to hard I could expect to feel worn out for a day. I have always thought it could be a lactic acid metabolism problem.
Anyway, i am sorry to ramble but just wanted to know if this is how MS usually starts? What should i ask my doctor to do and should i ask to see a doctor who specializes in MS?
Thanks