Aa
DX is Fibro, could it really be MS?
After reading all of your posts I am beginning to doubt my fibromyalgia dx. I had my gallbladder removed 2 months ago but my symptoms did not go away. I presented differently from most as it presented in my back mostly. Now I have been experiencing a horrible squeezing pain just below the ribs (like the boa constrictor some have mentioned) the pain moves up between my ribcage and settles just below the breastbone, very difficult to breathe. It has been happening every four days or so. Read about the MS hug, my doc looked at me like I was nuts but they still can't tell me what it is.
I also have severe pain in back, very tight and spasms, leg and arm pain, vertigo, jumbled vision (rare), dizziness, headaches, chronic fatigue, etc… could this be MS? Just started looking into MS because my mom finally found her birth father and he had MS but has since passed away. Any help is appreciated.
I also have severe pain in back, very tight and spasms, leg and arm pain, vertigo, jumbled vision (rare), dizziness, headaches, chronic fatigue, etc… could this be MS? Just started looking into MS because my mom finally found her birth father and he had MS but has since passed away. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks for the note Karen99 and thanks to all who posted. I was released from the hospital on Sat. Apparently the docs don't think people want to go home on a holiday. No docs came in on New Years Day, I suppose they are entitled :-)
Unfortunately I have very little info aside from what I had in my last post. The only other thing that showed was my thyroid meds still need adjusting, been working on that with my primary doc.
Yesterday was not terrible but then I woke up today and I felt that same thing that I will just call the MS hug since I don't know how else to describe it. This time it built up over the course of an hour or so and then peaked for about 30 minutes of excruciating pain. The difference is it never fully went away (still bothersome now 12 hours later) and I had severe dizziness, vision probs and weakness.
So I guess my question is, could the Neuro really tell me I definitely don't have MS with just an MRI and checking the strength of my hands, feet and following his pen with my eyes? I still have no idea what the MRI report means. I see my doc tomorrow to get a refferal to a new Neuro. Thanks for all of your help, I really do appreciate it :-)
Unfortunately I have very little info aside from what I had in my last post. The only other thing that showed was my thyroid meds still need adjusting, been working on that with my primary doc.
Yesterday was not terrible but then I woke up today and I felt that same thing that I will just call the MS hug since I don't know how else to describe it. This time it built up over the course of an hour or so and then peaked for about 30 minutes of excruciating pain. The difference is it never fully went away (still bothersome now 12 hours later) and I had severe dizziness, vision probs and weakness.
So I guess my question is, could the Neuro really tell me I definitely don't have MS with just an MRI and checking the strength of my hands, feet and following his pen with my eyes? I still have no idea what the MRI report means. I see my doc tomorrow to get a refferal to a new Neuro. Thanks for all of your help, I really do appreciate it :-)
How long did the vision disturbance and arm/hand tingling/numbness last when you went to the ER? Those things, plus dizziness (and a bunch of other things), can be signs of a migraine attack. Migraine attacks can occur with--OR WITHOUT--headache.
Migraine wouldn't explain a lot of your other symptoms, though. Sounds like you have more than one thing going on.
Best of luck getting a diagnosis (or two)... sounds like it's not going to be easy, but hey, join the crowd. :)
Migraine wouldn't explain a lot of your other symptoms, though. Sounds like you have more than one thing going on.
Best of luck getting a diagnosis (or two)... sounds like it's not going to be easy, but hey, join the crowd. :)
Hi. Please don't apologize for being a "pain." It is good that your employer had you go. A visit to the ER can often get things sorted out quick, instead of waiting months to get an MRI or see a neurologist. I don't know much about arachnoid cysts except what I read on the internet. Most times they cause no problems and are found incidentally without symptoms. They leave them alone unless they cause significant problems - and sometimes can be managed by medication. Other times they need to be drained, as I'm sure you've read.
I hope that your neurologist will answer more of your questions before you go home. He sounds a bit grumpy with having to be on call last night. Tsk, tsk.
Sorry to hear you brought in the new year being in the hospital. I could handle a new years buffet at one of the casinos right about now. How's the food at the hospital?
Keep us posted.
I hope that your neurologist will answer more of your questions before you go home. He sounds a bit grumpy with having to be on call last night. Tsk, tsk.
Sorry to hear you brought in the new year being in the hospital. I could handle a new years buffet at one of the casinos right about now. How's the food at the hospital?
Keep us posted.
Oh yeah, forgot to tell you. He finally diagnosed me with "Vertigo" LMAO. Really?
Well everyone, here is an update...I am in the hospital now and not sure when I get to go home :-( Yesterday at work I was feeling awful as usual but the dizziness and vision issues seemed worse. I had difficulty getting my brain to function properly, for example, trying to input an address into the computer, I've done it a thousand times but couldn't get it entered right to save my life. About 15 minutes later my vision got worse and my left arm went numb and fingers tingling. My employer insisted I go to ER. Once there they did a CT that showed two "spots" one on the right posterior frontal region and one on the posterior right cerebellum...I have no clue about what any of this means. They thought I'd had a stroke. The Neuro was the biggest jerk ever! Very rude and condescending. I actually heard the lady across the hall give him an ear full and tell him to get out LOL.
Anyhow, I had MRI today But don't understand what the doc said and he was too busy to explain, said he had other patients to see. Does anyone know what this may mean? It says...
1. low attenuation area right posterior frontal region on comparison CT is felt to be due to volume averaging with sulcus.
2. lenticular hypodense structure posterior righ cerebellum on CT is felt to indicate arachnoid cyst or possibly arachnoid granulation.
Thankfully the nurses are great here and got me a copy of the report.
I have looked both of these up but still don't understand what it means and what I do about it. I will say that when I asked the doc about possible MS he said I definitely don't have MS and cancelled the spinal MRI that the other doc ordered. Does anyone have any knowledge about what these findings may mean? Thanks for your help...AGAIN :-) sorry to be such a pain. Hoping to go home tomorrow, hoping, hoping, hoping.
Anyhow, I had MRI today But don't understand what the doc said and he was too busy to explain, said he had other patients to see. Does anyone know what this may mean? It says...
1. low attenuation area right posterior frontal region on comparison CT is felt to be due to volume averaging with sulcus.
2. lenticular hypodense structure posterior righ cerebellum on CT is felt to indicate arachnoid cyst or possibly arachnoid granulation.
Thankfully the nurses are great here and got me a copy of the report.
I have looked both of these up but still don't understand what it means and what I do about it. I will say that when I asked the doc about possible MS he said I definitely don't have MS and cancelled the spinal MRI that the other doc ordered. Does anyone have any knowledge about what these findings may mean? Thanks for your help...AGAIN :-) sorry to be such a pain. Hoping to go home tomorrow, hoping, hoping, hoping.
Hi There,
Well, Im undx, as of yet. But I do have Fibro, have had it for 18 yrs now. I can tell you, started having MS- like sx about 8 months ago. Bam Bam Bam one sx after another. One or two earlier sx, I think I've had a tiny bit longer, maybe by months not years. But, in all the 18 yrs of Fibro, I have never had any of these sx. I am pretty sure I had the MS hug. I also have gallbladder problems, and pain on right side all the time. Always soar over there. I do have a fatty liver infiltration, and some of the discomfort feels like it's by the liver area. They took several tests, scans and blood work, cause I am also diabetic, and everything is normal.
One night though, out of the blue, I was reading something at the table, kinda bent over. All of the sudden, a tight gripping feeling. started creeping up the right side of my back, like a very bad muscle spasm, and then it wrapped around to the front over where the gallbladder is, and it just squeezed, but it was like spasms. Like muscles contracting, and I found it hard to take a deep breath, or even to breath right. Could not find a comfortable spot to sit. Lasted a couple of hours before really let up. The next couple of days it felt soar, but it never happened again. I asked my sister about it cause she has ms, and she said she had the same thing once.
I was never told my ON was from Fibro though or the tremors. Never had any of that until 6 months ago, now looking into MS. Now my Rheumy thinking I never had Lupus, but MS. But still have fibro. Hope you find out whats goin on. Keep us posted.
By the way, my sister went with the Copaxone for the same reason. She's just having a little problem with the injection sites though. Have you had any side effect from it? Sandie
Well, Im undx, as of yet. But I do have Fibro, have had it for 18 yrs now. I can tell you, started having MS- like sx about 8 months ago. Bam Bam Bam one sx after another. One or two earlier sx, I think I've had a tiny bit longer, maybe by months not years. But, in all the 18 yrs of Fibro, I have never had any of these sx. I am pretty sure I had the MS hug. I also have gallbladder problems, and pain on right side all the time. Always soar over there. I do have a fatty liver infiltration, and some of the discomfort feels like it's by the liver area. They took several tests, scans and blood work, cause I am also diabetic, and everything is normal.
One night though, out of the blue, I was reading something at the table, kinda bent over. All of the sudden, a tight gripping feeling. started creeping up the right side of my back, like a very bad muscle spasm, and then it wrapped around to the front over where the gallbladder is, and it just squeezed, but it was like spasms. Like muscles contracting, and I found it hard to take a deep breath, or even to breath right. Could not find a comfortable spot to sit. Lasted a couple of hours before really let up. The next couple of days it felt soar, but it never happened again. I asked my sister about it cause she has ms, and she said she had the same thing once.
I was never told my ON was from Fibro though or the tremors. Never had any of that until 6 months ago, now looking into MS. Now my Rheumy thinking I never had Lupus, but MS. But still have fibro. Hope you find out whats goin on. Keep us posted.
By the way, my sister went with the Copaxone for the same reason. She's just having a little problem with the injection sites though. Have you had any side effect from it? Sandie
Hello. You can have fibro and MS at the same time. I too have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. My history of diagnosis' started as arthralgia & myalgia, then came fibromyalgia, then a year later came the dx of MS. At the onset of strange sensations more than one doctor looked at me strangely while I described my symptoms. I became accustomed to their facial expressions which they tried to hide but weren't good at. :-0 They really did not know what to think of me when I told them that I KNEW my symptoms were stemming from my central nervous system - I felt as though my brain were on fire. I'm sure they were wondering what kind of nut case I was. LOL I had to laugh when I described my symptoms. My rheumatologist stuck with me and did not laugh me out of her office so I stuck with her. She did take my complaints seriously, but it took a while before my symptoms clearly pointed towards MS. She came to know me after time and knew that I didn't complain unless there was something to complain about.
I have a fair amount of pain with fibromyalgia and MS. What sets the pain aside from fibro and MS is that I have joint pain and tender spots that aren't usually seen in MS (as far as I understand anyway) Most of the time my body feels like it has the flu - that fluctuates from a general achiness to weakness with more pain that will put me to bed. At the moment I have a cold that turned into a sinus infection. I felt an infection coming on because of a sharp increase in pain and fatigue (before I knew I was sick) Any infection in an MS patient needs to be treated immediately to prevent a flare. An infection or flu/cold in a fibro patient will bring on more pain. Both make me very sensitive to more fatigue and more pain when overly tired, stressed or any viral or bacterial thing comes my way.
When I was diagnosed with MS, I already had a bout with optic neuritis a year previous. (it was not properly dx at the time but the damage was seen later showing a pale optic nerve). Both MS and fibro can cause visual "disturbances." It was sudden and severe double vision that got me into a neuro and diagnosis of MS.
If I could go back in time, I would like to have had a brain MRI when I was dx with fibromyalgia. I would bet my last dollar that I had brain lesions at that time. It can be confusing discerning what is caused by what with MS and fibro. When I had my first MS attack, it knocked me out of my socks for six months. It was then that I knew the difference between the two.
Your symptoms are enough that a good neurological exam is in order, especially what could be the MS hug. Your other symptoms are suspicious of MS also. I've never heard of fibro causing tremors.
The good news: my neurologist made an observation in his practice with his patients who had dx of fibro and MS. It is his personal theory based upon a huge amount of experience. He said that his patients who had both fibromyalgia and MS tend to have a milder course of MS. When deciding which of the DMD's to use, I went with Copaxone because the others can cause "flu-like" side effects. The thought of additional flu-like symptoms is an intolerable thought.
Do you have an appointment with a neurologist?
I have a fair amount of pain with fibromyalgia and MS. What sets the pain aside from fibro and MS is that I have joint pain and tender spots that aren't usually seen in MS (as far as I understand anyway) Most of the time my body feels like it has the flu - that fluctuates from a general achiness to weakness with more pain that will put me to bed. At the moment I have a cold that turned into a sinus infection. I felt an infection coming on because of a sharp increase in pain and fatigue (before I knew I was sick) Any infection in an MS patient needs to be treated immediately to prevent a flare. An infection or flu/cold in a fibro patient will bring on more pain. Both make me very sensitive to more fatigue and more pain when overly tired, stressed or any viral or bacterial thing comes my way.
When I was diagnosed with MS, I already had a bout with optic neuritis a year previous. (it was not properly dx at the time but the damage was seen later showing a pale optic nerve). Both MS and fibro can cause visual "disturbances." It was sudden and severe double vision that got me into a neuro and diagnosis of MS.
If I could go back in time, I would like to have had a brain MRI when I was dx with fibromyalgia. I would bet my last dollar that I had brain lesions at that time. It can be confusing discerning what is caused by what with MS and fibro. When I had my first MS attack, it knocked me out of my socks for six months. It was then that I knew the difference between the two.
Your symptoms are enough that a good neurological exam is in order, especially what could be the MS hug. Your other symptoms are suspicious of MS also. I've never heard of fibro causing tremors.
The good news: my neurologist made an observation in his practice with his patients who had dx of fibro and MS. It is his personal theory based upon a huge amount of experience. He said that his patients who had both fibromyalgia and MS tend to have a milder course of MS. When deciding which of the DMD's to use, I went with Copaxone because the others can cause "flu-like" side effects. The thought of additional flu-like symptoms is an intolerable thought.
Do you have an appointment with a neurologist?
Thank you for your response. I will definitely start writing a timeline. I do know my sensations from anxiety and this is definitely different and beyond worse than anything I have experienced. My pain is all over and on both sides of my body, however, it is worse on the right side. I do have a wonderful PA at my docs office, I guess I'm so tired of hearing myself complain, that I assume she is sick of me too LOL.
I seem to have gotten progressively worse over the past year. I am now on intermittent FMLA. The dizziness, vertigo, my new friend the boa, the jumbled vision and the type of back and neck pain are all new this year. My thighs go numb if I lay on my stomach, sometimes on their own, Arms feel heavy, legs too. I get a tingling sensation sometimes all over my body at once, other times just certain parts. I always ached and felt flu like but it never debilitated me like this. I'm so tired all the time that I could sleep all day (once I was able to fall asleep) if the pain would let me. Other symptoms include...
Tinnitus
IBS
memory problems
can't find the word I'm trying to say
comprehension problems while ready something simple (have to re-read to get the words in order)
no interest in sex
loss of coordination
stuttering (infrequent)
muscle weakness
sleap apnea
tremors (usually early in the day)
I'm sure there are more but this gives you a better idea. Thanks again for your input.
CASSROX,
I have read somewhere else about people experiencing the same thing with the gallbladder issue. I can't remember where though. It is definitely interesting and I too am curious as to how many people have their gallbladder out but continue having these awful symptoms, only to find out it was something like fibro or ms. I hope you get answers soon :-)
I seem to have gotten progressively worse over the past year. I am now on intermittent FMLA. The dizziness, vertigo, my new friend the boa, the jumbled vision and the type of back and neck pain are all new this year. My thighs go numb if I lay on my stomach, sometimes on their own, Arms feel heavy, legs too. I get a tingling sensation sometimes all over my body at once, other times just certain parts. I always ached and felt flu like but it never debilitated me like this. I'm so tired all the time that I could sleep all day (once I was able to fall asleep) if the pain would let me. Other symptoms include...
Tinnitus
IBS
memory problems
can't find the word I'm trying to say
comprehension problems while ready something simple (have to re-read to get the words in order)
no interest in sex
loss of coordination
stuttering (infrequent)
muscle weakness
sleap apnea
tremors (usually early in the day)
I'm sure there are more but this gives you a better idea. Thanks again for your input.
CASSROX,
I have read somewhere else about people experiencing the same thing with the gallbladder issue. I can't remember where though. It is definitely interesting and I too am curious as to how many people have their gallbladder out but continue having these awful symptoms, only to find out it was something like fibro or ms. I hope you get answers soon :-)
I was first diagnosed with fibro about two years ago, but when I started having trouble with my right eye and numbness in the right side of my face, the rheumatologist said it was neurolgogical...henceforth my journey in limboland.
What really caught my attention about your post is that I first started having troubles almost six years ago - with my right side. Everything under the sun tested, and a surgeon and pain specialist finally decided they should remove my gallbladder, even though the tests for gallstones and poor function came back negative.
Well, here I am all this time later and have the same problem still, and a new gastro doc thinks it's neurological - possibly MS hug. MS specialist has mentioned t-spine mri to check for lesions there.
I also know a guy who was diagnosed several years ago with MS that first started out with similar problems and had his gallbladder removed needlessly. I don't know how common this is, but I'd be curious to know if any of the others on here have heard of this happening.
I hope you can find some answers, and I can definitely understand your questioning of the diagnosis.
Take care,
Cass
Still in Limboland
What really caught my attention about your post is that I first started having troubles almost six years ago - with my right side. Everything under the sun tested, and a surgeon and pain specialist finally decided they should remove my gallbladder, even though the tests for gallstones and poor function came back negative.
Well, here I am all this time later and have the same problem still, and a new gastro doc thinks it's neurological - possibly MS hug. MS specialist has mentioned t-spine mri to check for lesions there.
I also know a guy who was diagnosed several years ago with MS that first started out with similar problems and had his gallbladder removed needlessly. I don't know how common this is, but I'd be curious to know if any of the others on here have heard of this happening.
I hope you can find some answers, and I can definitely understand your questioning of the diagnosis.
Take care,
Cass
Still in Limboland
This does sound quite suspicious. Unfortunately your age and gender work against you. Many of the symptoms you describe are those listed for a diagnosis of somatization.
As you tell the neuro about the sensation around your chest be sure to describe it like you did here, like being squeezed by a boa contsrictor. Explain that you aren't short of breath, but that it feels like something is preventing your ribs from expanding.
Also you can always ask the neurologist not to look at you like you're nuts. You know the sensations you have from anxiety (if you do) and these are not part of them.
I don't know what your diagnosis might be, but in the context of MS, the MS Hug is from a lesion in the thoracic spinal cord. You need to have an MRI of the brain, and the entire spinal cord. More than one person here had the Hug as their presenting symptom of MS.
Have you made a timeline of your symptoms as they have appeared and resolved? Try reading this:
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/The-Importance-of-the-Timeline/show/765?cid=36
You already have an appointment, but I looked up doctors in Reno and found one that two people really liked on the MsNeuroRatings site:
http://www.msneuroratings.com/showthread.php?t=1573
This does not sound like Fibro to me, though you have told us only a little.
You mentioned arm and leg pain. Do you really mean just one arm and just one leg? Or is it both?
Good luck, keep us posted.
Quix
As you tell the neuro about the sensation around your chest be sure to describe it like you did here, like being squeezed by a boa contsrictor. Explain that you aren't short of breath, but that it feels like something is preventing your ribs from expanding.
Also you can always ask the neurologist not to look at you like you're nuts. You know the sensations you have from anxiety (if you do) and these are not part of them.
I don't know what your diagnosis might be, but in the context of MS, the MS Hug is from a lesion in the thoracic spinal cord. You need to have an MRI of the brain, and the entire spinal cord. More than one person here had the Hug as their presenting symptom of MS.
Have you made a timeline of your symptoms as they have appeared and resolved? Try reading this:
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/The-Importance-of-the-Timeline/show/765?cid=36
You already have an appointment, but I looked up doctors in Reno and found one that two people really liked on the MsNeuroRatings site:
http://www.msneuroratings.com/showthread.php?t=1573
This does not sound like Fibro to me, though you have told us only a little.
You mentioned arm and leg pain. Do you really mean just one arm and just one leg? Or is it both?
Good luck, keep us posted.
Quix
Thanks for your reply :-) I went to the ER with my worst attack 1 month ago, they too thought heart attack and I ended up in the hospital for three days. They did stress test, ct scan of chest and abdomen, heart ultrasound, bloodwork and all came back normal except one set of blood tests showed elevated liver enzymes (they think from the pain meds). 2 weeks after that went to opthamologist and all good except dry eyes. I am going to see a neurologist on the 21st of Jan. Luckily I don't need a referral. Aside from telling him my symptoms is there anything you would recommend? I guess I feel a bit foolish and worried that yet another doc will look at me as if I'm nuts. I know what I am feeling is real and am really sick of the looks and the "oh it's just your anxiety" answer for everything. Thanks again...
Laurie
Laurie
Have you been to a neurologist? You may also consider going to the ER when you have this chest pain again--even if you do suspect that it could an MS hug. The pain from MS hug can be confused with a heart attack or the other way around. Plus, this may be a way to call attention to this problem if your doctor has blown you off.
Migraines can cause blurriness, but so can a whole bunch of eye problems. I'd see an opthalmologist if you're having difficulty with your vision again. It may be that fibro is at the root of all your symptoms, but a neurologist can help you better figure out if there's something neurological going on.
Migraines can cause blurriness, but so can a whole bunch of eye problems. I'd see an opthalmologist if you're having difficulty with your vision again. It may be that fibro is at the root of all your symptoms, but a neurologist can help you better figure out if there's something neurological going on.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Multiple Sclerosis Community
Top Neurology Answerers
Australia
ON
Queensland, Australia
Queen Creek, AZ
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
