My Symptoms

[DavidBelfast]

Hi eveyone - I'm 30 years old and physically I feel like I've been on a gradual decline since the age of about 25. Here are my symptoms, I've 'bolded' the stranger ones to see if anyone's heard anything like this before:

Mental Health
-------------

- mood swings
- cognitive issues - brain fog/poor concentration

Physical Symptoms
-----------------

- fatigue - by the time I get home from work at the end of the day and make my dinner I'm pretty much ready to go to bed. Fatigue can also hit during the day
- tingling in hands/feet
- very low alcohol tolerance
- weakness/pain in hands when gripping/playing the guitar - had to stop guitar lessons because joints get too sore
- sometimes feel like I can't get enough air into my lungs
- urgency to urinate/frequent urination
- sensation of needing a bowel movement urgently...only to find that I only urinate
- occasional difficulty emptying bowels
- difficulty getting erections/softer erections/difficulty maintaining erections
- change in gait - I had put this down to bad shoes, and went to see a podiatrist. However they did a gait analysis and my gait seems to be 'clumsier' than it was....my right leg is twisted out more than ever and it's getting worse, walking down stairs is tricky on my right leg because of this twist
- I have pain in the front of my knees, as if I'm beinding them in the wrong way when I walk - hyperextending them beyond the straight position


Vision
------

- over the last year, when I watch TV where white text is on a black background, I see a 'ghosting' effect on the text. This only happens with the contrast of white text on a black background, e.g. subtitles and the titles in movies, that kinda stuff

I think that if I go to my doc and mention all this they'll think I'm a hypocondriac. Are there other things apart from MS that I should consider with symptoms like this?

[gtg287y]

I don't have a diagnosis myself, but I can let you know what I do know from my own doctor visits and late nights on google.

A "clumsy" gait could be described as "ataxic", that might be something for you to look into. If your muscles are twisted, that could be a sign of "dystonia" or "myotonia", which both involve weird muscle contractions. Both of those might explain the hyperextended knees, as well, I think.

Weakness gripping objects can be described as "distal weakness", which means weakness of the hands and feet. Weakness of the body, thighs and upper arms can be described as "proximal". Good words for googling. I understand that distal weakness is more diagnositc than proximal weakness, so that might be a good starting point for you.

I know that some metabolic diseases (such as mitochondrial myopathy) can cause problems with digestion and bowel movements (as well as twisty muscles and air hunger).

I've heard fibromyalgia used to describe brain fog, pain, and mood swings, but it seems more a diagnosis of exclusion than anything else (i.e. no real tests for it).


I absolutely know what you mean about fearing your doctor thinks you're a hypochondriac. The important thing to remember is that you are the expert in your body. If you think there is something wrong, it is their JOB to prove you wrong (i.e. ease your worries) or prove you right (i.e. diagnose and treat you). If they can't do it, then they aren't doing their job and you are free to find someone who can.

[DavidBelfast]

Thanks for the information, this gives me plenty to research/go to my doctor with!