Could I Have MS?

[kysteve2011]

One night i went out to eat and on the way home i started to feel sick. I had the worst cramping and almost flu like feeling in both my legs. I went to the ER and after they ran electrolyte test and heart test they sent me home. On the way home the cramping came back but the intensity was alot less than earlier. Every since that night over 2 years ago i have not been the same. I have alot of dizziness, heart palpitations, agitation and also i have what some call brain fog. As of late i've noticed that my legs are weak below the knees and my feet as well, almost a numb feeling in both. The most worrisome symptom to me is that when i speak alot it's as if my oxygen levels drop. I feel faint and i get real moody and after a while of being quite it slowly goes away and i feel much better. I have people and Drs. laugh when i tell them of this, but for me it's not too funny. My Dr. rules out anxiety because of some of the symptoms don't fit the anxiety model. I've had a clear non-contrast mri shortly after this all started. I've had 2 clear echocardiograms to see if my heart was causing the dizziness, they were fine. Any advice or help of any kind would be greatly appreciated.I'm a 35 year old male with 2 young babies and after 2 years of dealing with this i'm desperate for some results. Thank you so much.

[COBOB]

Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) needs to be evaluated by a Neurologist.  CSA is where the brain looses the drive to signal you the breath.  It is not like Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) that can be treated with CPAP.  CSA needs to be able to "cycle" (Timed or Timed/Spontaneous modes) and force you to breath even when your brain forgets to.

Bob

[fortywhat2]

You need to wear your machine every night... sleep apnea is very serious no matter how mild.  My husband has sleep apean so i know first hand.  I also use to work in the medical field and know all the issues it can cause from listening to the patients.  It takes approx 1 month to get use to wearing your machine all night long.  You will notice a lot of your issues disappear once you start wearing your machine everynight all night long.  Good Luck!
Debbie
~live as if all your dreams came true~

[kysteve2011]

I have a bipap but i never used it because they said my apnea was mild. I believe they said my apnea is central sleep apnea, where your brain doesnt signal your breathing like it should. I only hope it's something like sleep apnea that can be so easily treated.  I have no neurologist. I had the MRI done a couple years ago as an outpatient at a local hospital. I will be looking for one asap. I really appreciate all who have responded and i'll say a prayer for your situations as well. Thank you COBOB, DEB61 and Willowwoman777.

[Willowwoman777]

OMG yes, sleep apnea is pretty bad..it causes all sorts of problems. I use a cpap. My husband said it scared the snot out of him cause he would hear me actually stop breathing. You say you were diagnosed with sleep apnea, so do you a cpap or bipap? I use a cpap every night. If I don't? I can tell the difference. Does your neurologist know about the sleep apnea?

[COBOB]

Sleep apnea can cause hypoxia.  I have a friend that pretty much stroked out his brain from sleep apnea.  You should see a neurologist.  Sleep apnea can be treated pretty well with CPAP/BiPAP.

Bob

[Deb61]

Sleep apnea can indeed be caused by something neurological.  There's many diseases and problems that can cause these symptoms.  I work with a man that has sleep apnea and many other neurological symptoms.  He had a brain infection a few years ago (either encephalitis or meningitis--I can't remember), but we share a lot of the same symptoms. I worked with a woman who's neurologist was watching her for MS.  She ended up having Devic's--which is similar to MS.  We used to compare our symptoms, and we had many of the same symptoms, too.

Hopefully, your neurologist (are you seeing one--if not should be) runs lots of tests, including an MRI, to help figure out what's causing your symptoms.  Lyme Disease, lupus, Sjogren's, sarcoiditis, hypothyroidism, low B12, are just a few others off the list that cause MS-like symptoms.  

[kysteve2011]

I forgot to mention one other symptom, i have alot of twitching in my arm and chest muscles. No cramps since it all began 2 years ago, just i can feel and see the muscles twitching in my arms, no pain just wierd feeling. Thanks again.

[kysteve2011]

Thanks for your responses.

[kysteve2011]

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and as crazy as it sounds maybe it has something to do with all this. If i sleep for say 5 hours i feel better than when i get 10 hours sleep. My breathing seems to be worse as well when i sleep for long periods. My wife says that when i sleep she can see when i stop breathing. Sometimes i wake up and my heart is racing. I know it's a stretch, but maybe it's the problem. When you go this long any glimmer of hope is reached for. I was tested for lyme disease and it was negative and the mri was only of my brain.

[Deb61]

You need to find a good neurologist to help find the cause.  It could be anything.  There are many, many causes of neurological symptoms.  MS is one, but from what you've described, it doesn't sound like it.  You need to get answers.  Two years is a long time to deal with these symptoms and not know what's causing them.  I wouldn't accept doctors foo-fooing them off and just tell you it's anxiety without doing any kinds of tests.  They sound lazy to me . . .

[Sumanadevii]

Have you had an MRI of both your brain and cervical spine?  I ask breathing issues can come from brain stem lesions.  It would not be seen on a brain MRI.  Also walking problems come with brain stem lesions.

Just a thought.

[Willowwoman777]

Wow..sorry you are going through this. I have my mri's w/o contrast but they show many lesions. Have they checked everything else, autoimmune, kidneys, liver, diabetes, thyroid, etc? Lyme's disease? You know your own body, you are obviously on the internet so maybe you could like go into Mayo Clinic symptom checker for clues..You have to be your own best advocate and as some of the other people recommend - keep a journal of your symptoms and when they start, what you were doing, etc. Ya never know..maybe a pattern will emerge and shed some light. Sending some prayers your way :)