This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hi to everyone! I joined this site tonight, but I have been reading postings for the last few days.. since my visit to the neurologist on Monday. The Dr "suspects" that I have MS..

Symptoms:
Bilateral trigeminal neuralgia began 6 years ago
Left arm numbness in the tips of the fingers
Left are tremors including essential and resting tremor
Vibrating sensation in the right thigh, like a ghostly cell phone over a baseball sized area
Double vision that was diagnosed as optic neuritis
Short term memory loss
Strange feeling of being drunk or on pain meds with no substance use
Numb spots on the left side of the face
Very mild pins and needles sensation in left hand at times
Excruciating pain in both elbows
Moments that I can not remember words to save my life when speaking
Clumsy behavior (walking into walls and tables)
Feeling unsteady, slight swaying, but rarely falling
Poor hand/eye coordination (reaching for things and missing or knocking them over)

Am I correct in thinking this is not how "usual" cases of MS present themselves? I understand the disease if different for everyone, however, I believe the neurologist jumped to this possiblity because of the strong family history. I'm still waiting for the LP and MRI results, but I was told that my VEP test was abnormal. Another appointment has been scheduled for next month, but am I most likely worrying for no reason?

ScaredMommy wrote:Hi to everyone! I joined this site tonight, but I have been reading postings for the last few days.. since my visit to the neurologist on Monday. The Dr "suspects" that I have MS..

Symptoms:
Bilateral trigeminal neuralgia began 6 years ago
Left arm numbness in the tips of the fingers
Left are tremors including essential and resting tremor
Vibrating sensation in the right thigh, like a ghostly cell phone over a baseball sized area
Double vision that was diagnosed as optic neuritis
Short term memory loss
Strange feeling of being drunk or on pain meds with no substance use
Numb spots on the left side of the face
Very mild pins and needles sensation in left hand at times
Excruciating pain in both elbows
Moments that I can not remember words to save my life when speaking
Clumsy behavior (walking into walls and tables)
Feeling unsteady, slight swaying, but rarely falling
Poor hand/eye coordination (reaching for things and missing or knocking them over)

Am I correct in thinking this is not how "usual" cases of MS present themselves? I understand the disease if different for everyone, however, I believe the neurologist jumped to this possiblity because of the strong family history. I'm still waiting for the LP and MRI results, but I was told that my VEP test was abnormal. Another appointment has been scheduled for next month, but am I most likely worrying for no reason?

Welcome to ThisIsMS, ScaredMommy.

Take a deep breath. There is no "usual" case of MS. Your symptoms COULD be MS, but there are other possibilities, too. No one here can tell you definitively that you have MS. Time, testing, and your physician will make the determination. Worrying will not help one way or the other; in fact, the stress of worrying raises the cortisol level and can make the situation worse. We are willing to share our experiences and our opinions (which are diverse); we are glad you have found us. We are willing to answer any of your questions that we can. As you may have discovered, there is lots of information already posted here.

I am not looking for a diagnosis per se, just a reassurance that it doesn't sound like MS. My GP has already done testing for Thyroid issues, Lyme, RA, ANA, West Nile, and various other blood tests. All of my blood work has come back completely normal with the exception of high cortisol levels.

hi sm, welcome to the forum. you might find this interesting.. there are nutrient tests to consider and the result 'normal' can be highly misleading. the tests are available in the mainstream but not considered useful bc of a lack of understanding of the normal ranges. for a quick explanation with some examples, you could check out the 'bloodwork' section in this post: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/regimens- ... c2489.html