This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hi, I'm new here. I'm 44, female, and from Canada. And, of course, I wouldn't be here unless I either have, or fear having MS. I am not one to freely admit to ever being sick so I am here for some much needed advice. Please bear with me.

In 2013 I had a bout of optic neuritis as confirmed by visual field test. I lost three quarters of the sight in my right eye over the course of a morning. It eventually returned about five days later. Once I finally saw an optical neurologist my vision had returned and I chalked it up to stress. I was offered an MRI and dismissed it because I honestly thought the ON was just a fluke thing. I'm regretting that now.

In the last year I've had on and off episodes of intense eye pain. And whenever this flares up I also experience phantom smells ( like car exhaust), a feeling like a lump in my throat (causes continual throat clearing) and a scalp that feels like it's badly bruised. I also experience slight pain in my arms and hands.

On only one occasion, right before falling asleep, I had crazy trembling of my whole body. It was like shivering that I couldn't stop. I wasn't cold, though.

I'm trying not to freak myself out and Google is not my friend.

I'll also admit that while I'm concerned I'm afraid to know, too.

So, could you fine people weigh in, please? It would be much appreciated.

Pistachio wrote:Hi, I'm new here. I'm 44, female, and from Canada. And, of course, I wouldn't be here unless I either have, or fear having MS. I am not one to freely admit to ever being sick so I am here for some much needed advice. Please bear with me.

In 2013 I had a bout of optic neuritis as confirmed by visual field test. I lost three quarters of the sight in my right eye over the course of a morning. It eventually returned about five days later. Once I finally saw an optical neurologist my vision had returned and I chalked it up to stress. I was offered an MRI and dismissed it because I honestly thought the ON was just a fluke thing. I'm regretting that now.

In the last year I've had on and off episodes of intense eye pain. And whenever this flares up I also experience phantom smells ( like car exhaust), a feeling like a lump in my throat (causes continual throat clearing) and a scalp that feels like it's badly bruised. I also experience slight pain in my arms and hands.

On only one occasion, right before falling asleep, I had crazy trembling of my whole body. It was like shivering that I couldn't stop. I wasn't cold, though.

I'm trying not to freak myself out and Google is not my friend.

I'll also admit that while I'm concerned I'm afraid to know, too.

So, could you fine people weigh in, please? It would be much appreciated.

Welcome to ThisIsMS, Pistachio. Your symptoms are common to many conditions – the most likely conditions need to be ruled out first before MS can be considered.

My suggestion: As a first step, ask for your GP to order a simple vitamin D blood test (the "25-hydroxy D" test). Request your own copy of test results – it is important to have the actual numbers and the reference range. If this has already been done, will you share your test results? In January, I was tested and found to be deficient (with 24 ng/mL).

Vitamin D deficiency can cause neurological symptoms. I understand that Canadians are frequently deficient.

lyndacarol wrote:I understand that Canadians are frequently deficient.

lyndacarol:
Excuse me!!!!
Canadians are NOT deficient - our Vit D levels can run on the low side however.

Pistachio: Get thee to an MRI and do it NOW (depending on where you are it could take months from the time of request to the time of scan) There are a lot of thing inside your head that could cause this kind of problem and most of them can be treated IF diagnosed early enough. As you don't have to pay for the MRI and it is a painless procedure, you would be a fool to turn it down a second time. Fear of a diagnosis will not kill you but failure to get a diagnosis could.

oreo wrote:

lyndacarol wrote:I understand that Canadians are frequently deficient.

lyndacarol:
Excuse me!!!!
Canadians are NOT deficient - our Vit D levels can run on the low side however.

Pistachio: Get thee to an MRI and do it NOW (depending on where you are it could take months from the time of request to the time of scan) There are a lot of thing inside your head that could cause this kind of problem and most of them can be treated IF diagnosed early enough. As you don't have to pay for the MRI and it is a painless procedure, you would be a fool to turn it down a second time. Fear of a diagnosis will not kill you but failure to get a diagnosis could.

Thank you, oreo, for my chuckle today. You caught my poorly expressed observation about Canadian vitamin D levels; I know full well that "Canadians are NOT deficient." I am still smiling.

Those smart Canadian researchers:
Lack of the sunshine vitamin raises risk of MS: Canadian study (September 2008)
Martin Mittelstaedt
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat ... le1061838/


On the subject of MRIs… I would just add: The contrast agent used in MRIs is gadolinium, a heavy metal. Anyone having an MRI with contrast should drink lots of water afterwards to help flush out some of the gadolinium.

lyndacarol wrote:
On the subject of MRIs… I would just add: The contrast agent used in MRIs is gadolinium, a heavy metal. Anyone having an MRI with contrast should drink lots of water afterwards to help flush out some of the gadolinium.

Really? I don't lie the sound of that. Yikes!

While MRIs are often used for diagnosis, they are of limited usefulness as detailed in this time lapse MRI:

http://www.msdiscovery.org/news/news_sy ... -meets-eye


Add to the fact that some are symptom free with lesions present and others can have symptoms without lesions present, MRIs have limited usefulness, especially once diagnosed. I had several when diagnosed and shortly thereafter but will not have another (a few months after my 1 year followup MRI which showed no new lesions I had a relapse).