Told to test for MS - Advice needed

[Ladyfresh]

Hi there, hoping for help and advice.

A doctor acquaintance suggested I be tested for MS, but as I'm currently living abroad, this will be difficult. I'm getting progressively more frustrated, and my symptoms seem to be getting worse. Your insight would be greatly appreciated, as I have no idea what's going on with me.

I'm a 31 year old female who has otherwise been in perfect health. I've been having these symptoms for around 2 years, so when I went to a family doctor, they did tests for thyroid imbalance and was told I have Hashimoto's Disease (chronic thyroid condition). I followed up by seeing an Endocrinologist who told me my thyroid is only just mildly abnormal, and that some of the symptoms I'm having don't really fall under the Hashi umbrella. She did not even recommend any treatment at my stage.

Here are my symptoms, that seem to come and go as they please:

• Tingling in feet, legs, hands, arms, and torso that is extremely unpleasant - feels like it's cold spreading through my veins. Mostly at night, but not specific to any position, time, or activity
  Involuntary constriction, tightening and relaxation of the muscles in my thighs and calves, like they're tensing up - also unpleasant
  Joint and muscle aches all over ranging from mild annoyance to cannot sleep or function
  More frequent than usual twitches and tremors in hands and feet, ex: thumb may twitch for 2 min, next day calf will twitch for 5 min, etc.
  Weakness in my forearms - sometimes cannot use them to squeeze objects, but can still pick things up.
  Noticable memory loss and disorientation - feeling confused, performing actions that don't make any sense and having no memory of them. I used to have a vibrant visual memory, but now I literally cannot picture even recent events, or even remember what was said 20 seconds ago in conversation.
  Fatigue. Fatigue. Fatigue - sometimes feeling like I just HAVE to plop down wherever I am and sleep - even in public
  Weird perception of balance - I keep feeling like the world is moving and I'm standing still - or sometimes that things are slanted or at an angle
  My bf keeps calling me out for not being able to walk in a straight line - something I cannot feel or really have any control over, it just happens
  Problems breathing, like there's a heaviness in my chest - like my lungs don't have room to properly expand, so I feel like I'm not getting air
  Sometimes I have bladder leakage. I'll just feel wetness and not realize that I've leaked urine, because I didn't have the sensation to pee
  This only happened once so far, but I had a 2 week period where I was getting these pins and needles feelings all over my body, and a hot sensation that was extremely painful - no rash, and even happened when my body temperature was cool.
  This is the toughest one to admit, but I feel like my personality/thinking has changed. I find myself feeling very anxious when I have nothing to stress about, being increasingly more indecisive and nervous, and my thoughts are becoming compulsive and intrusive. I've never had these traits before, and cannot think of an occurrence that could have caused them.

I'm living abroad in a smallish city in a third world country where health care isn't the best, but also they don't have knowledge of Western health conditions, so I'm not sure how to proceed. My doctor acquaintance specifically said I should be tested for MS, but I don't even know what to ask for or where to go, and whether MS is even a possibility. There's no history of it in my family. My blood tests came back normal. I took B12 supplements for 2 weeks to help with tingling, but didn't notice a difference, so I stopped.

I guess I'm hoping to see if any of what I'm feeling matches up with MS symptoms, and maybe get suggestions on what tests to ask for. And to hear about other similar experiences. I feel very much alone, as my laundry list of symptoms sound like the rantings of some hypochondriac, despite being someone who doesn't fuss over their health.

Your help and advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

[jimmylegs]

personally i would say 'test for health' and if bloodwork is inaccessible try review of diet for compliance with public health nutrient recommendations. to my eye many of your symptoms look strongly connected to magnesium status. i wonder how your diet is for magnesium density. maybe trial a high quality multivit/multimineral, boost rich sources of mag in diet, try a magnesium glycinate supplement, see how you go

[Snoopy]

Hi Ladyfresh,

You may or may not have Multiple Sclerosis the only way to know is to see a Neurologist for a Neurological exam/evaluation and testing. A diagnosis of MS cannot be made on symptoms alone.

All over symptoms such as you describe isn't usually MS, MS doesn't work that way. Many conditions, some medications, vitamin/mineral deficiencies and mental health problems can have similar symptoms as those seen in MS. All other possible causes for a person's symptoms must be ruled out.

[lyndacarol]

Hi there, hoping for help and advice.

A doctor acquaintance suggested I be tested for MS, but as I'm currently living abroad, this will be difficult. I'm getting progressively more frustrated, and my symptoms seem to be getting worse. Your insight would be greatly appreciated, as I have no idea what's going on with me.

I'm a 31 year old female who has otherwise been in perfect health. I've been having these symptoms for around 2 years, so when I went to a family doctor, they did tests for thyroid imbalance and was told I have Hashimoto's Disease (chronic thyroid condition). I followed up by seeing an Endocrinologist who told me my thyroid is only just mildly abnormal, and that some of the symptoms I'm having don't really fall under the Hashi umbrella. She did not even recommend any treatment at my stage.

Here are my symptoms, that seem to come and go as they please:

• Tingling in feet, legs, hands, arms, and torso that is extremely unpleasant - feels like it's cold spreading through my veins. Mostly at night, but not specific to any position, time, or activity
  Involuntary constriction, tightening and relaxation of the muscles in my thighs and calves, like they're tensing up - also unpleasant
  Joint and muscle aches all over ranging from mild annoyance to cannot sleep or function
  More frequent than usual twitches and tremors in hands and feet, ex: thumb may twitch for 2 min, next day calf will twitch for 5 min, etc.
  Weakness in my forearms - sometimes cannot use them to squeeze objects, but can still pick things up.
  Noticable memory loss and disorientation - feeling confused, performing actions that don't make any sense and having no memory of them. I used to have a vibrant visual memory, but now I literally cannot picture even recent events, or even remember what was said 20 seconds ago in conversation.
  Fatigue. Fatigue. Fatigue - sometimes feeling like I just HAVE to plop down wherever I am and sleep - even in public
  Weird perception of balance - I keep feeling like the world is moving and I'm standing still - or sometimes that things are slanted or at an angle
  My bf keeps calling me out for not being able to walk in a straight line - something I cannot feel or really have any control over, it just happens
  Problems breathing, like there's a heaviness in my chest - like my lungs don't have room to properly expand, so I feel like I'm not getting air
  Sometimes I have bladder leakage. I'll just feel wetness and not realize that I've leaked urine, because I didn't have the sensation to pee
  This only happened once so far, but I had a 2 week period where I was getting these pins and needles feelings all over my body, and a hot sensation that was extremely painful - no rash, and even happened when my body temperature was cool.
  This is the toughest one to admit, but I feel like my personality/thinking has changed. I find myself feeling very anxious when I have nothing to stress about, being increasingly more indecisive and nervous, and my thoughts are becoming compulsive and intrusive. I've never had these traits before, and cannot think of an occurrence that could have caused them.

I'm living abroad in a smallish city in a third world country where health care isn't the best, but also they don't have knowledge of Western health conditions, so I'm not sure how to proceed. My doctor acquaintance specifically said I should be tested for MS, but I don't even know what to ask for or where to go, and whether MS is even a possibility. There's no history of it in my family. My blood tests came back normal. I took B12 supplements for 2 weeks to help with tingling, but didn't notice a difference, so I stopped.

I guess I'm hoping to see if any of what I'm feeling matches up with MS symptoms, and maybe get suggestions on what tests to ask for. And to hear about other similar experiences. I feel very much alone, as my laundry list of symptoms sound like the rantings of some hypochondriac, despite being someone who doesn't fuss over their health.

Your help and advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

Welcome to ThisIsMS, Ladyfresh.

Thyroid problems, such as Hashimoto's Disease or Graves' Disease, can result from vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is required by every system in the body and, therefore, a deficiency can lead to any kind of symptom (depending on the particular system affected).

Crushing fatigue is often one of the first symptoms of vitamin D deficiency reported. Changes in personality, too.

I wonder if a vitamin D test was included among your blood tests that "came back normal." By the way, you need to have the actual number result, simply hearing "normal" is not adequate.If you have not had the vitamin D blood test called "25-hydroxy D" and it is not possible to get the test where you live at this time, perhaps it would be possible for you to do the following self test and mail it in:

It is possible to order a 1-time vitamin D test kit from GrassrootsHealth for a $65 fee (+ $5 shipping). This at-home test requires pricking a finger, placing a few drops of blood on the blood spot card, and mailing it in (you get results within a week).
https://www.grassrootshealth.net/proj-welcome/?pr=95284

How to Complete Your Home Vitamin D Blood Spot Test (5 min.)
VitaminDaction Project by GrassrootsHealth



The MS diagnosis can only be considered after other more likely causes for your symptoms have been ruled out. In my opinion, the vitamin D test (and ruling out a deficiency) is the place to start.