This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hello everyone,

I started having wired symptoms off and on for about a year or so. This year in May I starting to have lots of back spasms that I could not function at all. I went to er 5 times just in two first weeks. I was out of work for two month since my abdominal area did not feel great either. That's when I started seen many many doctors. Within those two month I had ct of my pelvic abdominal and chest, colonoscopy and endoscopy, MRI of cervical spine, x-ray of my whole spine, and all types of blood work including ANA reflex titer. All they have found was H Pylori Bacteria in my stomach. I had a two week antibiotic treatment and the bug is confirmed gone. BUT my symptoms lare all still there that I really believe that I might have MS, which is fine I would just like to be diagnosed so I can get treatment

My symptoms: burning lower back and mid back, when mid back burns it goes around my stomach, each time and every time I stand for longer than 2 minutes my lower back, inner tights get numb and travels down to my toes and goes up to my brain with pressure, I get tingling and numbness all over my body especially in the morning with headaches it goes kind of away as the day progresses. My stomach is always bloated and hurts. My muscles feel numb all the time when I touch it, my vision is blurry but mostly with lots of lights, I have balance issues all the time but mainly when I get that numbness when standing. I hate to go to grocery where there is long lines. It feels better when lying down on my back its like half of the symptoms disappear. Muscles that connect neck and shoulder hurt and when putting some pressure I can feel the pain all the way down in my hand. I constantly have those symptoms and I don't know where to go anymore since my doctor thinks I am nuts. I have a different doctor now and he only wants me to do physical therapy. I don't know what to do. I am 30 years old and have a 5 year old to take care of. BTW each time I have these symptoms my eyes get itchy and my eye lids get dark feeling like burned. I look like I was crying.

Also when I breath it feels cold in my lungs and back??

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Melissa. ( english is my second language)

Hi Melissa,
I am sorry you are going through such a difficult time. Have you been to a neurologist? One thing you mentioned...lying down makes half the symptoms to away...made me think of inter cranial pressure issues and of course the obvious possibility of nerve compression. Your symptoms don't necessarily sound like ms to me but we all present differently.

I hope you find answers soon. I can't believe English is your second language! You write very well.

I haven't see neurologist yet since I was kind of waiting for my doctor to recommend one. Since obviously that's not going to happen I will take this meter into my own hands. Thank god with my insurance I don't need a recommendation letter to see a specialist. Neurologist do they also specialize in muscle disorders or just nerves? Its neuro- nerve but just curious ;). What are the common symptoms for MS? Except tingling and numbness. I know everyone is different but is there something to detect that everyone is experiencing.

Thank you for you replay. I also have many problems with my digestive system so its hard for me to focus on one thing. But defiantly this tuesday I will find my self a good neurologist.

Thanks for the English compliment I am still learning.

I'm no doctor. If you go to a neurologist and talk about balance issues and headache and pain down your arm and eye problems I'm guessing you would get a work up for MS. There are definitely other things this could be. That is the neurologist's job, to figure out whether this is caused by the nervous system.

Good luck.

Melissa,
Have you tested for Lyme, Bartonella and Babesia? Are you familiar with the controversy of these infections regarding testing, and treatment? Have you read Dr. Burrascanos's Lyme Disease Guidelines? These infections mimic MS and are often misdiagnosed for MS.

You say you had an H Pylori infection, did you actually test positive for that infection and see it? What other infections were you tested for?

Bartonella is notorious for causing digestive symptoms. There is an article called Bells Palsy of the Gut on the internet. google it and read it.

I had a cousin misdiagnosed with MS when he tested positive for all these infections plus CPN and Mycoplasma Pn. The testing for all these infections is not reliable and you need to find a Lyme Literate Doctor who knows these diseases that are much more common than previously thought. Hope this helps, try and really educate yourself on the controversy of Lyme and co-infections.

I was so sick past four month that my GI doctor did not know what to do except endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time. He took a biopsy of my stomach and tested positive for H pylori. We thought we found the main cause but all my symptoms are still there after the triple anyibiotic therapy for h pylori. Its been two month since I got rid of the bacteria and confirmed with
Breath test that is gone. My appetite is some what better but all other symptoms are still there. I ll research the lyme and bartonella thank you I never heard of any of those before. I went through hell these past few month and still not feeling better. My friend had h pylori at the same time and she had non of my symptoms except nausea. She feels great after the antibiotics thank god.

The numbness and balance is the worse everything else I can handle.

Thank you very much!

Welcome to our ThisIsMS community, Melissa.

My suspicions are on excess insulin. I know that my insulin level is always above the desired optimal 3 UU/ML (or lower); my level has never been below 9. I also never have an appetite. Excess insulin is known to thicken and stiffen smooth muscles; it leads to insulin resistance in the skeletal muscles, as well. Since the pancreas (where insulin is made) is located behind the stomach, a problem (pancreatitis or inflammation) there is often described as pain in the back.

I urge you to ask your GI doctor, or your GP, for a "fasting blood insulin test" – this is NOT the same as a blood sugar (or glucose) test.

If a problem with the pancreas is suspected, an ultrasound exam could confirm or rule out an insulinoma (benign or malignant).

All the best to you.

Would CT be better than an ultrasound?

Melissa100 wrote:Would CT be better than an ultrasound?

Since ultrasound does not use radiation (x-rays), but CT does, I would opt for ultrasound. There is also a great difference between the two in cost. It is my understanding that ultrasound offers a perfectly adequate picture of the situation. I know of no advantage for CT in this situation.

I alredy had 2 CT of my abdoman and my pelivc. I have an appt. with my GI doctor this Tuesday and I will ask him about insulin check and I ll see from there. Thank you for your advise.

I am getting my MRI of the brain results tomorrow.