I'm sure I arrived here like so many others because of the symptoms I've been having, Google-ing those symptoms and the start of tests from my PCP to rule out MS and other things.
I'm hoping just sharing with you and reading your input will help me to feel better on this journey I've found myself on.
The most recent episodes began about two yaers ago. (Prior to that, I had a month-long or so episode in 2012 that ultimately went away before pursuing anything further. Dr. thought perhaps labrythitis for which I underwent testing which came up negative. Symptoms eventually went away and I carried on.) Until about two months ago.
The recent episodes are: I feel like I'm going to pass out, tunnel vision, hot flashes, and my entire left side goes numb. Often these happen when it feels too warm in my office. Heat of any kind seems to bother me. I've had three of these particular episodes in the last month. Often, an aching where the back of my head meets my neck. Lowering my head to my chest is uncomfortable.
Last Sunday night, had a severe headache, followed by left sided numbness, this time pervading my face. This is then followed by anxiety, weakness, heavy leg muscles. Often at night, my calves and thighs feel as though I've run a 5k (like I used to). Most noticeable in the last year or so is my forgetfulness. I either forgot where I laid something, forget what I was going to do/say, or cannot come up with a word that I know is in there somewhere. I joke that I'm having early onset dementia but coupled with the other symptoms lately, it's not so funny anymore. Additionally, fatigue. I regularly get 7-8 hours a night but still feel like I could lay down for another 4 hours each day. I am often asleep by 9 each night on the couch. I have no energy to do all the things I used to do. I feel like I work all day and sleep all night with very little in between. Other symptoms that may or may not be related are sudden bladder incontinence. I'm 40 and I have 5 children but never had a leakage issue before. (sorry if TMI) I'm 40 but feel like I'm 80.
The Sunday night event led me to my PCP, frustrated. He ordered a list of bloodwork (cbc, lytes, glucose, lyme, c reactive protein, sed rate, b12, folic acid) all of which checked out fine.
He also ordered an MRI/MRA of my brain which I just had Friday and am waiting on results.
What else would he be wanting to rule out, do you think? Obviously, my symptoms are serious enough to warrant an expensive MRI/MRA right? Doctors don't just order those things on a whim.
Do my symptoms sound related to MS?
As an aside and why I titled this post this way: When I had my first recent episode at work, they sent me upstairs to the walk in clinic and the doctor wrote it off as anxiety. But I wasn't even anxious. He gave me 10mg citalopram and I've been taking that for two weeks. Figured, why not. Maybe it WILL work. Except that it hasn't. I still feel all the things I felt. I had my MRI Friday. I was ANXIOUS and SCARED for it. Scared of the dye, etc. If it were anxiety, wouldn't I have had a panic attack then? Am I crazy??
Thanks so much for reading all of this and helping to sort things out with me. I feel like I can't really tell anyone else just yet.
