Very concerned.. Could this be MS?

[Scaredmama]

Hello all,
The ophthalmologist diagnosed me with physiologic anisocoria, since I’ve had uneven pupils for years, so it doesn’t point to anything serious or MS related.

I am now waiting on the spinal MRI on the 20th. I noticed that occasionally when holding my phone and/or bending my elbow for a long time, I still feel tingling in my pinky/ring fingers. I also noticed the feeling goes away after position change or shaking it off, which I’m not sure is possible with MS?

Perhaps this is a sign that could point away from the possibility of MS causing these sensory symptoms?

Any thoughts would be appreciated

[Scott1]

Hi,
I'm glad you have been told something useful. A good check of your cervical spine, though, is still the right thing to do.
MS is becoming a remote possibility based on what you have found so far.
If the MRI is clear (no impingement, no damage) then I would start to explore postural issues.
Everything you have said so far points to the cervical portion of your spine as the interesting area but lots of things can cause your symptoms. Whether they find something or not, I'd find a good myotherapist/ masseur/physical therapist who can check you for range of motion and areas of tightness. Not all tight spots can be tracked back to an easy to see cause. Most of them, though, can be relieved with some manipulation.
Regards,

[NHE]

I noticed that occasionally when holding my phone and/or bending my elbow for a long time, I still feel tingling in my pinky/ring fingers. I also noticed the feeling goes away after position change or shaking it off, which I’m not sure is possible with MS?

This sounds fairly normal. I once slept on my arm the wrong way. I woke up and couldn't move it. It was as limp as cold spaghetti. Once the blood flow was restored, my arm started to work again.

Numbness due to MS doesn't go away so fast.

If you're going to have a long conversation, then try using a headset or the speakerphone.

[Scaredmama]

Thank you both for your response. It’s understandable that any sensory symptom would be of no concern when it goes away quickly, but this is only as of recent. When I first experienced these ulnar sensory symptoms 2 months ago, it was constant for weeks and no movement would resolve the feeling. This is what is concerning to me.

The pattern of symptoms is inconsistent in terms of pointing to MS vs. an ulnar nerve injury. Would a nerve issue be felt constantly as well, similar to MS? The EMG was normal and no pinched ulnar nerve was detected, so that leaves me with uncertainty about what could be causing these symptoms besides MS.

Also, can a MS relapse be triggered after an exertive activity like pruning a tree? I had muscle weakness in both arms right after, with other symptoms that came over the course of weeks. I’m getting mixed messages about only temporary symptoms being caused by exercise. I know the way relapses work is lesion locations are random which cause unpredictable symptoms. So since my symptoms were specific to the activity, is this how MS works?

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on this

[Scott1]

Hi,
If we take your last question first, the simple answer is no. MS symptoms are difficult to predict because motor and sensory deficits relate to pathways. If there is damage causing your symptom, it will be on a pathway but it might be very minor. Pathways can be short or long. Remember a nerve is a bundle of neurons. They can relate to both sensory or motor pathways. They can relate to things we can control and things we can't (autonomic pathways). One nerve can emerge from the spinal cord and be made up of neurons from a number of different locations. It's not like there's a single wire involved in each nerve. There are many neurons. Depending on the condition of each neuron and whether an alternative pathway exists, symptoms will vary.
Exertion can cause the signals to be interrupted. Over 100 years ago, a German ophthalmologist ( called Uhthoff) noticed that his patients with optic neuritis had worse vision after they exercised. Now that symptom has been adopted by MS clinicians to demonstrate how heat can change neurologic function. However, you don't have to have MS to experience it.
The fact you had symmetrical weakness in your arms after exertion, again, suggests they should look at your cervical spine. The symmetry suggests something right on the cervical spine. It doesn't have to be MS. It still could be driven by a postural issue.
An MRI will either confirm or rule out any point of interest. That will give you certainty.
Regards,