This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hi there!
I have a doctor's appointment tonight to start getting checked out, but I want to maybe alleviate some of my concerns. Unfortunately I googled my symptoms and it came up with all kinds of scary stuff, the most likely reason is MS.

About a month ago, I noticed some stiffness in my wrists and fingers. It made it difficult to type but I chalked it up to carpal tunnel. It has progressively gotten worse, and now I have about 50% loss of coordination in both of my hands. I have huge trouble typing, picking up small objects, holding on to stuff, doing anything that requires dexterity with my hands. They also tremble and twitch constantly. I don't need to stir my coffee anymore, I only have to hold the cup in my hands and my tremors shake it up for me. I can't hold heavy stuff, my hands will just give out, they are super weak.

I have also noticed parts of my body twitching at night, while I'm trying to sleep. My hands are shaking even while laying still, and my legs and other body parts twitch on and off. It wakes me up, and my feet are cramping.

Other than that are more general symptoms like fatigue, balance problems, and a general feeling of distraction and forgetfulness (which could also be caused by the stress and worry of my symptoms and not be a symptom in themselves...). I follow a mostly (about 90/10) paleo diet and have gotten even stricter since the symptoms started, with no improvement. I've also been taking magnesium supplements for about a month.

Does this sound like something I should worry about? Again, I'm seeing my doctor tonight but I get to stress about it all day.

Thanks in advance.

Hi
I could comment on many of your symptoms and how they could be caused by being low (that is, low in the "Normal" range) in various nutrients, but it would serve you best to find out about them more directly.
I have a few books in mind that could possibly help more than you can imagination.
Don't count on your doctor to know about essential nutrients - MD's get, on average, 23.9 hours of training in nutrition in medical school.

Could It Be B12?: An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses
The B12 Deficiency Survival Handbook: Fix Your Vitamin B12 Deficiency Before Any Permanent Nerve and Brain Damage
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss? ... %2Ck%3Ab12

The Magnesium Miracle
http://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Miracle ... um+miracle


THX1138

Ah! thank you! I would much rather address all that with nutrition before I start going down the diagnosis road. I will read those books and go from there.

I'm so glad you posted before going to doctor. Nutrient deficiencies could be the cause of your issues. They are easy to test for and relatively easy to correct given proper guidance (Jimmylegs is great at this). You could in the very least eliminate a number of possible causes by asking your doctor to test your b12, iron, ferritin, copper, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and sodium. Some of those are part of a routine CMP. Not all of the listed nutrients can cause your issues but you need to know the level of the competing nutrients to properly balance your supplements of nutrients that can cause neuro issues to avoid causing more problems. I'd also add vitamin d just because it's good to know your level and optimize for general health.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

BadWolf wrote:Ah! thank you! I would much rather address all that with nutrition before I start going down the diagnosis road. I will read those books and go from there.

Do go see the doctor.
Just remember they know very little about nutrients and testing for them.

Status of nutrition education in medical schools
RESULTS: A total of 106 surveys were returned for a response rate of 84%. Ninety-nine of the 106 schools responding required some form of nutrition education; however, only 32 schools (30%) required a separate nutrition course. On average, students received 23.9 contact hours of nutrition instruction during medical school (range: 2-70 h). Only 40 schools required the minimum 25 h recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. Most instructors (88%) expressed the need for additional nutrition instruction at their institutions.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16600952

YES. I am liking the nutrition stuff. I do not trust doctors much, so the least I can involve them, the better.

docs can be pretty helpful - I had a great one who basically came along for the ride during my nutrition learning curve over the last 8 yrs. then she retired.
met the new doc the other day - she was quite nonplussed at the extensive blood work requisition I asked for, but she printed it off anyway.
without helpful docs, I'd be stuck paying a fortune to go through a naturopath for the requisition. this way, it's covered. every little bit helps
I've summarized a lot of the info I've managed to put together re nutrient targets for avoiding chronic disease, in my electronic signature- I can't make the link active but you can either copy and paste the url, or go find the post in regimens if you're interested in reading

welcome to the forum

Okay, all my labs came back normal. My vitamin D is slightly low but nothing she is concerned about. I think I counted 12 vials of blood plus a urinalysis, so it was pretty extensive. She did say there were no autoimmunities but still sent a referral in for a visit to the neuro. I'm not sure what that means, it was a voicemail.

So, there's the update on that. I guess I'm waiting on a call from the neuro to make an appt to go in.

good to hear you got some results back
normal is a very tricksy term. were any other nutrient levels tested? or just vit d?
also, do you have your own copy of the results?
it's often wise to do some research and make your own decisions about what's of concern and what is not.. esp where nutrition stuff is concerned!

I think normal, in this case, means no Syphilis, no HIV, Lyme, no viral evidence, etc. I don't know what other nutrients were tested, I think she also said B12. I am going to get a copy faxed over as soon as they open so I can look at it.

I did start back up on the CAl-Mag supplements and started taking 2000 IU of vit D this morning so we'll see if it does any good. I've read some pretty interesting stuff on the effects of being low on Vit D for those with MS... and even if that's not what's going on it's probably better to be on it anyway as I'm in the cloudy NW.

My symptoms seems to be worsening in some areas and getting better in others. The tremors have decreased slightly, but the lack of coordination in my hands and body is getting worse. I just can't make my hands do what I need them to do anymore.... almost like trying to perform fine motor skills while your hands are frozen and numb. I am also EXHAUSTED all the time, and yet can't get to sleep. Temp sensitivities are getting worse, too. My depression has also come back with a vengeance, haha.