Does this sound like MS?

[beth0277]

I have an anxiety disorder and my main fear is that I have MS. My main reason is that because 2 years ago, shortly after starting a new medicine, I had a few days of urinary problems. I stopped the medicine and the problems seemed to go away.

Fast forward two years and I really started thinking about MS and urinary issues. I then started to, over the course of a few days, lose my bladder sensation. I was able to empty and was not retaining but just didn't have my normal sensation. After a few days, this has gotten better. The whole thing lasted one week.

Both of these times were two of the most stressful times of my life and my psychiatrist thinks I am causing these problems myself by worrying too much about it.

I am getting an MRI but the neuro said it would be rare to have MS only affect your bladder since it would have to be such a small lesion that hasn't changed in two years.

As far as a relapse or flare up, I have read it is new or worsening symptoms, neither of which really apply here, right? It is not new because it happened once before and it is not worsening because it was completely gone for all this time.

My psychiatrist thinks I am somatizing physical symptoms but I am still scared. Does this sound like MS? I really have no other symptoms that are relevant, I think. I did have one bathroom accident but I think it was caused by IBS and nothing more sinister since I had been sick to my stomach for days before it happened,

Any input?  

[SarahL2491]

Keep us posted!  Certainly a strange turn but then there is always room for that!  Make sure they draw blood before AND after the LP and send it along with the spinal fluid to the lab............

[beth0277]

Yeah, I definitely heard him right. I have a brain and full spine MRI this week and most likely a lumbar puncture afterwards. I wasn't expecting that either. He said since it has happened twice, let's go ahead and test me centrally and if it is clear then worry about pelvic/urology tests. It has been twice, two years apart that I have seemed to lose complete sensation for a few days. I can't say how much of it is my over thinking though.

[SarahL2491]

Am puzzled at your neuro, it would take far less time to rule out urinary with a urologist than to rule out MS......did you hear him correctly?  I'd hate to have you waiting years to deal with a urinary problem that could be cured in 3 months when ruling out MS make take years!  Just saying......

[sllowe]

Hi there,

I do not feel you need to worry about MS. Hope that brings you some relief.  If it were me, I would continue visits with the psychiatrists, and be honest always with your doctors, and let them know how you worry about having diseases you read about.

[kwarendorf]

Not to minimize your issue, but relative to MS...

My urinary issues were so far down on my symptom list that I didn't even mention them until after I had be diagnosed. :-)

[beth0277]

Yes, my neurologist recommended I follow up with my urologist but he wants to rule out ms before anything else. The resident that I saw didn't seem concerned but the attending physician wants to be safe, I guess?

[SarahL2491]

Seldom do MS patients start with urinary difficulties.
You will have to rule out all other possibles first, it can be a long haul

I'm with Kyle, I don't think MS would materialize with just a urinary issue
nor would a neurologist order a full work up based on just that s/s.  And that work up, to exclude everything else that mimics MS, could take years.  

MS affects the CNS, meaning you would have other issues that would show up probably first........go to the MS national website page or to the s/s page on this forum.....

Have you consulted a urologist?  Your neuro would want you to do that anyway.  

[kwarendorf]

Hi :-)

I'm not a doctor, but I do have MS and urinary issues. My issues are difficulty starting and failure to completely empty my bladder.

My urinary issues are just two of many MS related issues. And in my case they do not go away. I'm not sure that all by themselves, your urinary issues would point me in the direction of MS.

Just one man's opinion.

Kyle