Are these symptoms related to MS, or some other neuromuscular disorder??? anyone help?

[kimtynes2001]

Last August last year, I started having very weak legs, sweaty forehead and extreme exhaustion. After months of dealing with this i finally went to the doctor. The doctor sent me for an MRI of my lumbar...seens it was just weak legs and throbbing legs after sittting. Nothing showed. I have had no injury to my back or neck. Then weeks later I started to get weak arms, not throbbing like the legs, just very weak. Hard to even wash my hair. So i was then sent for an MRI of my neck...once again nothing. I had a bad bought of Bell's Policy about 6 years ago, and i started therapy of 30 Prentizoid/day. Does this have anything to to with whats going on? I have seen a Rheumatologist whom mentioned Polymyositis and Myesthenia Gravis....but with both those diseases your eyes droop, so much so that you cant keep them open. I dont have that. I sleep 15 hours out of a 24 hr period, because it relieves the pain in my legs. But my back really hurts too. My neck swells, my back kills....between my shoulder blades right down to my hips. I am at a point now where i cant even walk to the end of my driveway....any twisting, lifting, stairs.....just kills me. I feel very light headed, and I cant drink alcohol anymore. I used to have a small bottle of wine with my husband every Fri night, and now i get smashed after 1 glass.....What the hell!!!! I go for a Cat Scan of my brain June 28th, and a muscle biopsy July 9th. Then an EMG after that....but what if nothing shows....i am so scared with these sort of problems, my doctor looks at me like i am crazy with all these new symptoms i get. Am i crazy? What is going on with my body. I went from 6 months ago working 11 hr days, to not being able to bring a load of laundry up my stairs.  Any one with any answers out there
Thank Kim

[jensequitur]

Your pain and swelling are unusual for MS.  MS has spastic pain, from the different muscles cramping and spasming, and paresthesia, which is perceived pain from the nerves misfiring.  However, your Bell's Palsy, dizziness, and exhaustion sound neurological.

Or it could be heart-related.  The sweaty forehead, exhaustion, and weakness could be a sign of heart problems.  

Or it could be your back!  Impingement of your spine can cause weakness and pain in your legs and arms.

There's a lot of options out there, and at this point, without an MRI of your thoracic spine or head, you don't have enough information.  You're going to need an MRI of the brain and thoracic spine with and without contrast, and if that doesn't show enough information, your doctor should schedule you for a lumbar puncture.  

Good luck!  Let us know how it goes - J

[6-paq]

I agree with what jen said.  You need more info.  Some symptoms sound MS-related and others could be a lot of different things.   The throbbing and sweating sounds like something possibly vascular?

As far as a CT scan helping to diagnose MS, that won't help you much.   An MRI is needed for MS.

I'm sorry you are going through all of this and don't have a hint of any answers yet.   You know something is wrong with your body.   You know when it's not right.  A person doesn't develop all of those symptoms in such short a time without something amiss.

I wish you the best and please keep us updated!  

Take care, Pat :)

[doublevision1]

Ditto on the advice above.  

I will add that there is a specific and very simple blood test to detect or possibly to rule out Myastenia Gravis.  Some, but not all of your symptoms do occur in MG, ie: the muscle weakness, fatigue, muscular pain, Bell's Palsy type symptoms.  BTW, your eyes do not have to droop so badly that you cannot open them with MG.  This might happen, but not in all cases.  

So perhaps request a thorough round of blood work to incl. the test for MG (to detect elevated acetylcholine receptor antibodies) if you have not already had this done.  Many of your symptoms do not appear in MG, but why not take the blood test and at least hopefully rule it out.

I too think it is a very good idea to have a MRI of your brain and spine.

db