Just curious on MS,, Help ASAP..

Here is my story short handed! In September I had a bout of dizziness i payed it no mind for a few days but I was set up to have foot surgery on sept 30th so I had to go to my dr and get a chem 7. Mentioned to him about how I was feeling he shrugged it off and said blood pressure was high take these pills I did and started passing out so I quit!! Anyway went throught the surgery and about 5 days later I noticed my vision was blurry thought it was from the meds so I quit taking them.. I still took the 1 asprin a day tho.. Well 2 weeks ago I woke up feeling rough and just out of it. Went to er they said blood work was good sent me home.. I seemed to get worst maybe anxiety drove me there.. Well wednesday I had a bad dizzy spell to hit me and right after my right arm started to tingle next day my lips and cheeks both sides a small burning sensation on my left forearm.. I have had a CT scan done which was normal.. Went to a nurologist on Friday and he said on my CT he saw a density in one of my artieries which scared me! He is going to do a MRA and hopefully if insurance approves a MRI with and w/o contrast! He did his exam gave me something for dizziness and a prednisone pack.. I still feel dizzy the tingles seem to be gone and I just feel out of it.. Still waiting to hear back from my GP on blood work he did.. Like Liver. AC1, RPR. LIPID. B12 vitamin tests! So can anyone tell me if this sounds like MS or something else?? My neuro did say he wanted to do the MRI to see about MS. Kind of worried.. I have never felt like this just out of it the brain fogginess any input would be great. I am a male 37 no family history of MS!! Help ASAP...

[Sumanadevii]

Well, to start off, naughty boy not to take the blood pressure meds!!!!!  Really naughty!!!  You need to contact your PCP and let him know how your body reacted to them but ya can't just blow meds like that off.

Now, to the real questions.  It sure seems to be a neurological problem.  There is no doubt about that.  I am sure you are aware that there are many MS mimics but your PCP seems to have a handle on it.  

For your sake I hope it isn't MS but if caught and treated early you will fare well.  In fact, I truly think with the newer meds for MS that many of us will never dream of a wheelchair in their future.  I am also hopeful that within the next ten years the cause of MS will be known...and perhaps your own grandchildren will never hear of MS!!!  Let's hope!

Keep us posted on your journey and call your doctor ASAP on those blood pressure meds!

Sumana

[alienshadow]

I hope it isnt MS.. The reason I stopped the BP med was because it was up due to anxiety and being on crutches and passing out isnt a good combo!

Any input on the density the nurologist saw with one of my arteries maybe a bad film?? To be honest I think my anxiety has caused more issues than anything. I just feel really out of it and even before I went to the nuro I was really worried.. now more than ever!!  I mean there are so many what ifs running through my head..

Do you think he saw a cause on my CT Scan to suspect MS??? Because his first words to me was the ER didnt tell you but your CT was abnormal talking about the artery. Then he said lets do an MRI and check for MS really worrried. My wife is worried also. If it is MS how badly will my life change??

[Lulu54]

Hi Alienshadow and welcome to the forum.  You have thrown a bunch of questions out there so let me see if I can be of any help.

White coat anxiety (being at the doctor or hospital) can certainly cause havoc with your blood pressure.  Do you normally have a low BP?  Of course you have checked with your doctor about this change of med, right?

You are smart to recognize that anxiety can cause a number of phantom problems when you are dealing with unanswered medical questions.  Keep that knowledge tucked in your brain and try to remember it when you start feeling some of these vague new symptoms.  It is hard to truly gauge what is the cause of everything.

So your CT scan really wasn't normal.  Don't just wonder what this is supposed to mean - speak up and ask  the question of the doctor.  There are all sorts of abnormal things that might show up, incuding true masses, bblockages and even false shadows (but not as often).  What location of your body was this mass seen?  

I am no medical expert, just a person living with MS, but my first instinct looking at all you have listed is perhaps some type of correctable heart/circulation problem.  But that is just my uneducated guess.

As for the MRI and mention of MS - it sounds like your doctor is being thorough in hte testing.  If you do have MS, keep in mind MS doesn't kill anyone.  It can be life-changing but most people with MS continue to work and live normally with little need for special accomodation.  There are a wide variety of drugs available now for disease and symptom treatment but there are even many more coming in the next few years.  If ever there was a good time to have MS, that time would be now with all of our tretment options.

I hope somehting in here makes sense - I'll check in tonight if you have questions.  I am off to work!

be well,
Lulu

[alienshadow]

Thanks I had a CT Scan done on my brain they thought i could of had a TIA i guess... My BP is usually around 130 over 84 unless my anxiety takes over so for the last week its been real high.. like 157 over 110.. I had a stress test done also it came back normal so not sure on the heart thing there... I was doing really well until right before my foot surgery and then after surgery seems things really went down hill.. I hope its a b12 issue but I eat well I do suffer from IBS just not sure what to ask or say.. I have a wife and 3 kids who depend on me. The nurse did tell me she has been a nurse for 20 yrs and only seen one man with MS. So that tellls me maybe its rare for a man to get MS but on the net seems many men have it.. I am gonna stop here I get to worked up.. Thanks for the comfort up here..

[sllowe]

Alienshadow -

You've been given such good advice. I would not worry about MS - please DO worry about your BP. Since the meds made you feel badly, it would be in your best interest to report this to your doctor so you can get on a med that will make you feel well.

Much of what you describe can be attributed to your BP. Hypertension, high bp can and does cause stroke. People can die from those. I've experienced it with a family member. Not saying this to scare you, just so you recognize the seriousness in not getting it under control before you experience brain changes or event worse, an event that leaves you forever changed.

Wishing you the best, and sure hope you get back to your doctor :)
-Shell

[alienshadow]

Ok you guys say not to worry about MS.. Today has been a rough day for me.. 2 weks ago I woke up feeling out of it cant seem to shake that feeling.. Along with a dizzy attack on wednesday. Then came the tingles and numb feelings in my right arm and on Friday night in my face. Today my right arm has tingled constantly and my face has also.. I am really worried what is going on. Like I said the Dr put me on a dose pack but it hasnt done much.. Any comments will be so helpful at this point and time.. I really feel when I get and MRI done it will show MS..

[alienshadow]

Dr called me tonight and said my A1C test was normal my liver test was normal my cholestrol has come way down 65 points I am negative on the RPR test.. Only think he saw a little out of whack was my B12 he said it was 285 told me to take 1000mg a day.. So with all this being said could this B12 stuff be causing me to feel so dang bad?? He said he likes to see it above 400 the net says 250 to 500 is normal any input???

[Sumanadevii]

I stick by my original comment that some of the things you describe are neurological in nature.  If your PCP won't refer you to see a neuro, I would refer myself.  Something isn't right.

[alienshadow]

Suman I am going to a neuro and I did a MRA and MRI today hopefully will know results tomorrow.. The technician told me he would not loose any sleep tonight maybe he was telling me things are ok i dont know!

[alienshadow]

??

[alienshadow]

MY MRI IS negative I am moving on from this!! Dr says he thinks my anxiety is to high and thats from a nuro dr!!

[Sumanadevii]

Alien, I am sorry that I have been out of pocket for the last days and missed your post.  So your MRI is negative and this comes from a neuro doctor.

I want to say...big deal...lol...I had a neuro doctor tell me I had a pinched nerve which was causing my back pain and made me unable to walk any distance.  I said, "Are you absolutely POSITIVE a pinched nerve could cause this?".  He answered he was positive.  I, too, had a negative MRI.

It would be three and a half years later when I began to lose the use of my right hand that I got mad enough to find another neuro.  Within twenty four hours she had me dxed.  So neuro by sheepskin ain't like some bible.

This is my advice.  The numbness and tingling is there.  That could be caused by anxiety.  Yes it could.  Anxiety can cause those things to become bigger than life.  I take Xanax to calm some of that myself.  It helps my pain level.

BUT...There is still a possibility that the numbness and tingling is caused by something else.  Don't let a doctor ...any kind of doctor...tell you what your body is telling you.  If it is anxiety, ask for treatment.  If it doesn't go away and continues, I personally would find another neuro.  Your dx doesn't have to be MS.  There are many neurological problems that are caused by other things.  

In the end, it is your body and you know it best.  You have to become your own advocate.  Just because one neuro blames it on anxiety or like mine, on a pinched nerve, doesn't mean it is true.

Please keep me posted.  I will even accept a private message from ya (winks).....Don't run from the problem.  Give the anxiety angle a bit of time then, if necessary, move on...

Sumana

[alienshadow]

Heck I feel better already tingling has stopped. Think it was my anxiety honestly.. You know how you can read on things and your body will mimic what it reads!! Well I guess that was me.. This nuro specialised in MS and he told me if he thought there was any chance of MS he would do a LP along with some other testing.. I seem to suffer from anxiety and when your mind wonders it intensifies.. Thanks for all the kind words. And yes I will be working on my BP for sure!! My heart was in over drive yesterday and it got over worked waiting for the MRI/MRA results. Remember I was also worried I had a Blockage in my artery in my brain..

[Deb61]

I am very happy to hear that your MRA/MRI was negative!  Low B12 can cause some of the tingling and numbness symptoms that you were talking about.   Plus, a TIA can also do that.  

Hopefully, you found a BP medicine that doesn't cause you to feel lousy.  There are others that have very little side effects.  Watch that diastolic number!  110 is very high indeed!  The diastolic number is the one (if high) that is most closely related to stroke.  I know this because I've had a high diastolic number.  Now, it's always 70.  I can't even make it get higher with anxiety because my BP medicine has this controlled really well.

I'm glad you popped into this forum, anyway.  Keep us updated on how you're doing.

Deb

[alienshadow]

Deb61 I am sure I havent had a TIA or the MRI would of showed something I asked!! Havent started BP meds yet because my BP is 130 over 82 and Dr wants to wait and see now he thinks my anxiety took over my mind lol... B12 is definately an issue and have been told it could take a few weeks to get back to normal being I am only taking the pills not the shot. I dont want to go in monthly and pay a dr visit everytime to get a shot.. The thought of MS scares anyone along with thinking of a possible blockage anxiety anxiety anxeity goodness!!!!! BTW my Dr told me a BP of 200 over 120 is stroke danger so maybe just maybe I will get past theis weak feeling and the tingles they seem to be worst when my mind focuses on them but I know it will get better with time.. Surely its not MS thanks for the kind words!!