This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hi everyone, I am a 42 year old woman who has not been diagnosed yet with anything. Two doctors have now mentioned MS & are beginning to start the process of finding out what is going on. I have had several different symptoms for years, but never connected them together. Things that slowly have progressed like memory issues, dizziness, balance problems, general weakness, worsening vision & one incident of sudden flashing & loss of vision in one eye (only lasted a few minutes & went to eye doctor who said I had a floater).

In December is when things really changed. I started waking up at night with hand tingling & numbness. It happens to both hands, but when I lay on the opposite side of that hand. Laying on back results in right leg tingling/numbness. This lasted until February when it almost seemed to peak & I was having right hand numbness during the day, aching pain in both arms at night & shooting pains (like pinches inside) in my arms, head & face. I've had headaches for years, but they have become severe since December. I also have pain behind my eyes whenever I look up. I went to me GP & he referred me to a Physiologist to get a nerve conductive study. He did an xray of my neck which was normal. A week before my consult appt everything (and I mean everything) disappeared. No symptoms at all. I cancelled the appt. A few days ago it has all started up again. I also found that I have urinary incontinence & constipation both times. So, I went back to the doctor, rescheduled my appt for the study. The doctor I saw yesterday did give me some meds for the headaches & a muscle relaxer because I'm having tension feelings in my neck, but no pain. She is scheduling me to see a neurologist.

I had an incident that may or may not be related 13 years ago, four days after having my youngest child. I developed severe pain in the back of my neck that went into my shoulders. I went to the E.R where they could not figure out what was wrong & sent me home with muscle relaxers & pain meds. A couple of weeks later I lost function of my right arm totally. It was like it was dead, I couldn't lift from the shoulder, only at the elbow. If I picked up the arm it would just drop. That lasted for several weeks (Dr sent me to orthopedic who said I needed a neurologist). I had an appt almost two months out & finally regained function of my arm. Yes, I cancelled the appt. I had pain in my arm off & on for years (nerve pain) until it totally went away about three years ago. I have no idea if this is related to what is happening now, but I have a feeling it could be.

Anyways, I'm at the point where I really don't know what is wrong but am working on a diagnosis. I don't know if anyone here can give any insight or anything. Both doctors asked if there was a family history of ms, which there is not. I think they are doing the right thing by trying to rule out other possibilities & still sending me to who will ultimately find the diagnosis.

Kim17 wrote:Hi everyone, I am a 42 year old woman who has not been diagnosed yet with anything. Two doctors have now mentioned MS & are beginning to start the process of finding out what is going on. I have had several different symptoms for years, but never connected them together. Things that slowly have progressed like memory issues, dizziness, balance problems, general weakness, worsening vision & one incident of sudden flashing & loss of vision in one eye (only lasted a few minutes & went to eye doctor who said I had a floater).

In December is when things really changed. I started waking up at night with hand tingling & numbness. It happens to both hands, but when I lay on the opposite side of that hand. Laying on back results in right leg tingling/numbness. This lasted until February when it almost seemed to peak & I was having right hand numbness during the day, aching pain in both arms at night & shooting pains (like pinches inside) in my arms, head & face. I've had headaches for years, but they have become severe since December. I also have pain behind my eyes whenever I look up. I went to me GP & he referred me to a Physiologist to get a nerve conductive study. He did an xray of my neck which was normal. A week before my consult appt everything (and I mean everything) disappeared. No symptoms at all. I cancelled the appt. A few days ago it has all started up again. I also found that I have urinary incontinence & constipation both times. So, I went back to the doctor, rescheduled my appt for the study. The doctor I saw yesterday did give me some meds for the headaches & a muscle relaxer because I'm having tension feelings in my neck, but no pain. She is scheduling me to see a neurologist.

I had an incident that may or may not be related 13 years ago, four days after having my youngest child. I developed severe pain in the back of my neck that went into my shoulders. I went to the E.R where they could not figure out what was wrong & sent me home with muscle relaxers & pain meds. A couple of weeks later I lost function of my right arm totally. It was like it was dead, I couldn't lift from the shoulder, only at the elbow. If I picked up the arm it would just drop. That lasted for several weeks (Dr sent me to orthopedic who said I needed a neurologist). I had an appt almost two months out & finally regained function of my arm. Yes, I cancelled the appt. I had pain in my arm off & on for years (nerve pain) until it totally went away about three years ago. I have no idea if this is related to what is happening now, but I have a feeling it could be.

Anyways, I'm at the point where I really don't know what is wrong but am working on a diagnosis. I don't know if anyone here can give any insight or anything. Both doctors asked if there was a family history of ms, which there is not. I think they are doing the right thing by trying to rule out other possibilities & still sending me to who will ultimately find the diagnosis.

Welcome to ThisIsMS, Kim17.

Your doctors are "doing the right thing by trying to rule out other possibilities" – FIRST.… I am always appalled that many doctors mention MS at the very beginning of their investigation because MS is a diagnosis of exclusion that can only be considered after ruling out the other more likely possibilities.

Numbness/tingling/even pain in the legs and arms is a common symptom in many conditions and is the textbook definition of "peripheral neuropathy." In investigating the cause of peripheral neuropathy, the University of Chicago suggests the following:

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
Antibodies to nerve components (e.g., anti-MAG antibody)
Antibodies related to celiac disease
Lyme disease
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C and B

I suggest you begin by requesting your GP (or ANY doctor you see next) to order a vitamin D test (the 25-hydroxy D test) – I have heard the estimate that 70% of people are deficient in vitamin D.

Then, proceed with vitamin B12 testing (it is estimated that 40% of the American population has suboptimal B12).

A deficiency in vitamin D or vitamin B12 can cause neurological symptoms, such as yours. Deficiencies can develop in any person at any age.

The incident after the birth of your child may well be related to your current symptoms. Pregnancy (and breast-feeding) drains these nutrients from the mother for the developing child. Prenatal vitamins are not adequate to cover the need.

By the way, request your own copy of any test results – it is important to have the actual number results.