This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hi Everyone,

I went to my doctor the other day and left completely unsatisfied. I am 20 years old and still going to my pediatrician (big mistake), I went in for the first time in almost three years with a list of different symptoms. I am overweight and it seems that all my doctor wants to do is blame my weight for my problems.

I will not be going back to that doctor.

My mother has Multiple Sclerosis and was diagnosed at 26. I am worried that my doctor is dismissing my problems as weight related when they are actually something else.

I am hoping someone could give me some insight and let me know if they think I should consult a neurologist about MS.

In the last 3 months I have experienced (sporadically):

-Sciatic Pain
-Numbness in my feet
-Numbness and cramping in my back (left side only)
-Minor Depression i.e. crying every few days only for a few weeks at a time
-Severe fatigue i.e. especially when sitting still including as passenger in car
-Back pain
-headaches
-Dry mouth/eyes
-leg cramps (calf)

In the last week I have developed new symptoms as well. As if out of nowhere I begin feeling like there is a band around the very top of my leg. It feels as though there is limited blood flow, my calf has the constant sensation you get before/after a cramp. Numbness in feet. And the a feeling of, what I would describe as "micro" cramps in muscles traveling around my body. These new symptoms are affecting my everyday life.

I experienced this yesterday right before my afternoon chores (the busiest part of my day). When I started working I was overcome with an extreme won down feeling in my entire body, i.e. hard to hold myself up, muscles felt weak and overused.

I have not had any eye problems, except for severe vertigo one time 3 or 4 years ago.

Hopefully I explained everything properly and someone can give me some insight.

Thank you so much,
Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn wrote:Hi Everyone,

I went to my doctor the other day and left completely unsatisfied. I am 20 years old and still going to my pediatrician (big mistake), I went in for the first time in almost three years with a list of different symptoms. I am overweight (Insulin is necessary to put on weight; I suspect your insulin level is high – your GP can order a "fasting blood insulin test" to determine if yours is high. The insulin test is NOT the same as a glucose/blood sugar test which is used to diagnose diabetes.) and it seems that all my doctor wants to do is blame my weight for my problems.

I will not be going back to that doctor. I suggest you find a compassionate GP or internist, willing to partner with you and willing to be a "disease detective."

My mother has Multiple Sclerosis and was diagnosed at 26. I am worried that my doctor is dismissing my problems as weight related when they are actually something else.

I am hoping someone could give me some insight and let me know if they think I should consult a neurologist about MS.

In the last 3 months I have experienced (sporadically):

-Sciatic Pain
-Numbness in my feet This is called "peripheral neuropathy."
-Numbness and cramping in my back (left side only)
-Minor Depression i.e. crying every few days only for a few weeks at a time
-Severe fatigue i.e. especially when sitting still including as passenger in car
-Back pain
-headaches
-Dry mouth/eyes
-leg cramps (calf)

In the last week I have developed new symptoms as well. As if out of nowhere I begin feeling like there is a band around the very top of my leg. It feels as though there is limited blood flow, my calf has the constant sensation you get before/after a cramp. Numbness in feet. And the a feeling of, what I would describe as "micro" cramps in muscles traveling around my body. These new symptoms are affecting my everyday life.

I experienced this yesterday right before my afternoon chores (the busiest part of my day). When I started working I was overcome with an extreme won down feeling in my entire body, i.e. hard to hold myself up, muscles felt weak and overused.

I have not had any eye problems, except for severe vertigo one time 3 or 4 years ago.

Hopefully I explained everything properly and someone can give me some insight.

Thank you so much,
Kaitlyn

Welcome to ThisIsMS, Kaitlyn. We don't have all the answers, but we are willing to share our experiences, our ideas, our suggestions.

I have no medical background, but I believe that if you see a surgeon about a problem, he will find a solution only in surgery; if you see a neuro, he will only see the problem/solution in neurology. I have read: "doctors are experts in, and only test for, those parts of the body in which they specialize."

Since you are at the beginning of your investigation and since one of the symptoms you describe is peripheral neuropathy, it might make sense to consider these suggestions from the University of Chicago:

http://peripheralneuropathycenter.uchic ... #bloodtest

Blood tests

Blood tests are commonly employed to check for vitamin deficiencies, toxic elements and evidence of an abnormal immune response.

Depending on your individual situation, your doctor may request certain laboratory tests to identify potentially treatable causes for neuropathy. These include tests for:
Vitamin B12 and folate levels
Thyroid, liver and kidney functions
Vasculitis evaluation
Oral glucose tolerance test (As mentioned, I think the "fasting blood insulin test" is also a good idea.)
Antibodies to nerve components (e.g., anti-MAG antibody)
Antibodies related to celiac disease
Lyme disease
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C and B

One of the areas of investigation is "antibodies related to celiac disease" – this is the severe form of gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity can develop at any time in a person's life. Many of your symptoms, it seems to me, could be due to gluten sensitivity. By the way, gluten can raise the blood sugar level AND THE INSULIN LEVEL more than table sugar!

In December Dr. Amy Myers, M.D. spoke about gluten sensitivity:
http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/gluten- ... t-epidemic

@4:00 Dr. Amy Myers, M.D., speaks on the newly-recognized warning signs of gluten sensitivity: headaches, migraines, inflammation causing brain fog, depression from nutrient deficiencies (zinc, iron, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D), joint pain & arthritis, and skin rashes.

@4:30 she says more than 18 million have been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity; suspects that 1 in 2 probably has gluten sensitivity

@5:00 mention of study in New England Journal of Medicine several years ago that linked gluten sensitivity to 55 diseases

Recent study showed that 56% of people with migraines had gluten sensitivity; gluten-free diet resolved the migraine problem.


Even more of your symptoms are found in a list of celiac disease symptoms, especially the Atypical form.



We are glad you found us, Kaitlyn. Keep searching; keep asking questions. We must be our own advocates. All the best to you

hi kaitlyn, any chance you can visit a naturopath or nutritionist for evaluation? they'd love you if you brought a diet diary with you, itemizing typical intakes of food, fluid and any meds or supplements over a few days. NOT to criticize the amount of food, but to look for patterns and interactions that might not be ideal for optimal health. for example, would you describe your dietary habits as balanced and well rounded? or do you have strong preferences for a few kinds of foods and stick with those?

Kaitlyn, you sound quite like me.
ALOT of my issues, including stabbing-back (indicative of UTI-infection & cold-sores & parasites becoming riled up) were way worsened by computer EMFs (prolonged exposure).
You should stick to lower ghz computers (approx. 1.7ghz or less)
Dimmer screens/ smaller screens.
Very hard to find nowadays - but try older thinkpads such as T42.

DO NOT expect either the conventional or Alt. systems to apprise you of this.
It's not in their boilerplate tomes.
They refuse to catch up with the times (i.e. tech-related health issues)

Try getting hold of these books:
Black On White PDF by Granlund-Lind
Invisible Disease by Nordstrom
Body Electric & Cross Currents (Becker)

BTW I went to 3 podiatrists within the past 3 years, all with different diagnoses.
(i.e. plantar fascitis, tarsal-tunnel syndrome, and the latest:
tendon issues in foot. This recent guy made the most sense.

The cortisone shot of the 2nd guy just worsened my pain.

At this time, I'm in midst of many issues.
Primary ones are:
(1) Feet/legs
(2) eyes

This bumper sticker I made is relevant to both of us:

I am sorry to hear your doctor isn't being sensitive to your concerns. I totally know how it feels to go see a doctor and feel completely invalidated! But if you still have concerns about your health (which it sounds like you do) then you have to keep advocating for yourself. I definitely think you should see another doctor and/or neurologist for another opinion. Don't give up until you feel satisfied with the information you obtain.

I have seen my primary doctor 5-10 times for my health concerns already, 2 neurologists, 1 sleep specialist, 1 rheumatologist, 1 ophthamologist, and 1 infectious disease specialist and still waiting on a referral for a neuro-ophthamologist. I still don't have any answers... but I have to keep trying because I know someone has to be able to help me at some point...

It can be a tough road, but only you can be the best advocate for your own health.

To the O.P. beware of stuff which can clog your feet. For example stimulants such as chocolate or Wasabi or horseradish ALSO COMPUTER EMF's can cause blood to rush to feet, causing a bottleneck for people with narrowed arteries.
Also fatty cheese, pizza, chocolate & condensed starches & condensed "sticky-stuff" can build up in the arteries, causing pain. Basically anything which can clog your sinks, can also clog your arteries, causing pain.

As for eyes:
FreshKote & Hycosan are supposed to be among the best for eyes - though most U.S. doc's & insurances refuse to acknowledge them, and the powers-that-be demand big bucks for approving anything (even wound-honey if you can imagine that).

FYI, not all ophthamologists pick up on issues.

Most do not do Meibography.
Probing can be risky, so most don't risk it.

My first ophtho, was frustrated cuz the clinic provided nothing useful for scientific checking.
Basically he was a very nice guy, albeit lacking the tools he needed.

The second ophtho had more tools but was remote & detached.
He picked up that I have "spheroidal degeneration".
The only reason I know, is because the P.A. read me the dx upon my request.
And even the 2nd clinic failed to assess the meiobians. This they call "science"??

Which goes to show that more doc's need to LISTEN to patients.
See, my G.P. was scoffing when I told him re: U.V. causing red eyes.
Yet the spheroidal dx proved I was right & the G.P. criminal for scoffing.
(no different than my 1st podiatrist was criminal for scoffing re: horseradish.)
Not the first time this happened to me. It's most of the time.
Because current med.practice is VERY narrow in scope. You can't imagine.

The criminal doctors in Sweden (in cahoots with high-tech) were insisting the Swedes had Rosacea even after Dr.Lagerholm of Karolinska picked up that their skin was burnt similar to long-time fishermen.

Well - spheroidal degen. is what fishermen get as well!
Yet all eye doctors keep yapping about RED-EYELIDS is blepharitis - NEVER acknowledging it could be BURNS.

So:
Did the Swedes have Rosacea? NO! Rather Computer Radiation Burns!
Do I have Blepharitis on Lids? NOT LIKELY! More likely Radiation Burns!