Aa
Are most your symptoms on one side only?
I apologize for posting so many questions as a new member. I'm just rather lost in this journey to find a diagnosis.
To recap on me: I'm 33 years old. I had an episode of overwhelming fatigue (and cognitive issues along with it) after the birth of my son 3 years ago. It lasted about 6 months then lifted for the most part. Again, after my daughter was born 10 months ago I experienced the fatigue. I have not gotten as bad as it did after my son was born, and some days are better then others, but it has not gone away yet. In November I started experiencing neurological symptoms. The first was burning/stinging in my hands and feet, lasting about a month, and now my hands are fine but my feet are still a low grade constant stinging. I've had unexplained itchy spots. Numb spots. Shaky muscles and muscle weakness. Vertigo for a few days. I never seemed to experience anything on one side more then the other, especially the shaky muscles and weakness seemed equally on both sides.
Now, I'm getting issues on my left side and not my right. Last Thursday I experienced a feeling like a hot rush of water running down my neck, on the left side from the base of the skull/behind the ear to the top of my back. After an hour it felt more like a warm water gush, not as forceful. Now, 4 days later, it is a cool water feeling and not a strong gush, more gentle.
I've also noticed that for the last week or so at night the muscles in my left arm, shoulder, and leg will "ping", almost like spots are being flicked with a rubber band. Or my arm muscle will twitch.
For the last 3 days my left arm feels heavy. It is tingly, almost like the feeling when your hand (or whatever) falls asleep, the tingle when you start to get feeling back but it's not really back yet. I'm a bit more clumsy with that arm lately too.
And, lastly, the little toe on my left foot is numb. Odd.
Up until now most my symptoms have been on either both sides at the same time, or some on my right some on my left. This is the first time everything is on one side.
It is confusing to try to figure out if something *is* something or not.
Again, I'm sorry to ask so many questions right off the bat!
To recap on me: I'm 33 years old. I had an episode of overwhelming fatigue (and cognitive issues along with it) after the birth of my son 3 years ago. It lasted about 6 months then lifted for the most part. Again, after my daughter was born 10 months ago I experienced the fatigue. I have not gotten as bad as it did after my son was born, and some days are better then others, but it has not gone away yet. In November I started experiencing neurological symptoms. The first was burning/stinging in my hands and feet, lasting about a month, and now my hands are fine but my feet are still a low grade constant stinging. I've had unexplained itchy spots. Numb spots. Shaky muscles and muscle weakness. Vertigo for a few days. I never seemed to experience anything on one side more then the other, especially the shaky muscles and weakness seemed equally on both sides.
Now, I'm getting issues on my left side and not my right. Last Thursday I experienced a feeling like a hot rush of water running down my neck, on the left side from the base of the skull/behind the ear to the top of my back. After an hour it felt more like a warm water gush, not as forceful. Now, 4 days later, it is a cool water feeling and not a strong gush, more gentle.
I've also noticed that for the last week or so at night the muscles in my left arm, shoulder, and leg will "ping", almost like spots are being flicked with a rubber band. Or my arm muscle will twitch.
For the last 3 days my left arm feels heavy. It is tingly, almost like the feeling when your hand (or whatever) falls asleep, the tingle when you start to get feeling back but it's not really back yet. I'm a bit more clumsy with that arm lately too.
And, lastly, the little toe on my left foot is numb. Odd.
Up until now most my symptoms have been on either both sides at the same time, or some on my right some on my left. This is the first time everything is on one side.
It is confusing to try to figure out if something *is* something or not.
Again, I'm sorry to ask so many questions right off the bat!
MS doesn't require all symptoms to be on the same side, though it often happens that way.
That's really just the luck of the draw, as lesions appear on both sides of the brain pretty much equally, speaking statistically and not about any one individual.
What doesn't happen, except very rarely, is identical symptoms on both sides of the body at once. That would require lesions in the same places in both sides of the brain (if we're talking about symptoms from brain lesions). Large spinal lesions spanning the spinal cord could cause virtually similar bilateral symptoms, and such lesions should be fairly easy to spot via MRI.
In advanced MS, where the overall lesion load is large, the possibility of having bilateral symptoms gets greater.
Hope this helps.
ess
That's really just the luck of the draw, as lesions appear on both sides of the brain pretty much equally, speaking statistically and not about any one individual.
What doesn't happen, except very rarely, is identical symptoms on both sides of the body at once. That would require lesions in the same places in both sides of the brain (if we're talking about symptoms from brain lesions). Large spinal lesions spanning the spinal cord could cause virtually similar bilateral symptoms, and such lesions should be fairly easy to spot via MRI.
In advanced MS, where the overall lesion load is large, the possibility of having bilateral symptoms gets greater.
Hope this helps.
ess
I'm not dx yet only probable MS.
When my symptoms started 4 years ago I had both soles of my feet numb, both legs shaky like jello and crawling insects in both legs, both palms burning, but did have numb patch on right check as well as nausea and balance issues.
Now I have had weakness on the left leg ,arm and hand. No weakness on the right, but do have trimeginal neuralgia on the right side of my face and numb tingling toes on right foot.
I would have to say that the left side gives me more problems.
Mistylee
When my symptoms started 4 years ago I had both soles of my feet numb, both legs shaky like jello and crawling insects in both legs, both palms burning, but did have numb patch on right check as well as nausea and balance issues.
Now I have had weakness on the left leg ,arm and hand. No weakness on the right, but do have trimeginal neuralgia on the right side of my face and numb tingling toes on right foot.
I would have to say that the left side gives me more problems.
Mistylee
I'm not diagnosed (although I have a neuro appointment - my first in six years! - tomorrow, so we'll see what happens then) but nearly all my symptoms are on the right side. Right leg gets numb and occasionally smacks against the ground, right eye is blurrier than left one, definitely just less coordination on my right side. I can't play piano with my right hand if the piece is too quick or complicated, and when it's really bad I have trouble using a fork and knife. I also have a bad right ear, but I don't think that's at all related - I had an infection in it a year ago, and it seems to be taking an inordinate time to clear up!
I do have the occasional symptom on my left side (mostly muscles twitching under my left eye) and the obvious things that don't have a "side" like reflux, swallowing trouble, occasional memory problems when I'm feeling really poorly, and the inevitable fatigue.
Oddly, my lesions are all on the right side of my brain, according to my (very outdated) MRI. I would have thought it would be on the opposite side to the symptoms. We'll have to see what the neuro says!
I do have the occasional symptom on my left side (mostly muscles twitching under my left eye) and the obvious things that don't have a "side" like reflux, swallowing trouble, occasional memory problems when I'm feeling really poorly, and the inevitable fatigue.
Oddly, my lesions are all on the right side of my brain, according to my (very outdated) MRI. I would have thought it would be on the opposite side to the symptoms. We'll have to see what the neuro says!
Please do not apologize for asking questions :) Thats what this forum is for.
My answer to your question is....Yes! At least for me, 99% of my sx are left sided.
Now when you are talking about "Big things" such as dizziness and balance as well as cognitive issues, of course that is all around.....Duh! I did not need to even go there did I ?? Like, that is a No Brainer!
Sorry, that you are dealing w/ so many issues :(
Hopefully you will get answers SOON!
Be Safe,
~Tonya
My answer to your question is....Yes! At least for me, 99% of my sx are left sided.
Now when you are talking about "Big things" such as dizziness and balance as well as cognitive issues, of course that is all around.....Duh! I did not need to even go there did I ?? Like, that is a No Brainer!
Sorry, that you are dealing w/ so many issues :(
Hopefully you will get answers SOON!
Be Safe,
~Tonya
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