Motor Vehicle Accident cause MS relapse?

[Suze2]

I was the driver of my van when a guy in a car blew through a stop sign and t-boned my vehicle, which resulted in having my vehicle written-off.  I was in shock at the time of the accident and was injured...lower back and knees and a wicked case of whiplash.

I was fine before the accident.  I never took a sick-day at work.  I was active and busy all the time.  But I couldn't get better after the accident.  

I recently discovered the possibility of having MS when the Neurologist wanted to send me for MRI of the brain and spine.  I had the MRI's done this past Wednesday and will be given my results in a couple of days.  

My question is:  Would a traumatic experience cause a Multiple Sclerosis Relapse???  

I didn't know I had MS, if I do.  The insurance company is trying to get out of taking responsibility for my current condition.  

If anyone can shed some light on this topic for me, please contact me at your earliest convenience.  

Thank you!

Suze2

[sicntirdmom31]

I FELL ALL YOUR PAIN...LITERALLY!!! I was 28 years old when I was rear-ended by a completely irresponsible kid at a yellow light on his 21st birthday.  My accident occurred on Dec 6, 2007... Since day 1 I have been sufferring severe dibilitating headaches that last for days..I have a difficult time speaking, it's not the talking, it's the finding the right words for what I want to say, My memory is horrible (and it's causing problems in my marriage), my vision has gotten foggy and nite time driving you can forget it.  I've been thru 2 neuropsychologists who have given me something called an "impact test" which I completely failed and indicated I was a 7 year old, however neither doc believe my responses were truthful..one actually had the nerve to say I had a drug problem (but i've only been given torodol for my headaches which doesnt work anyway so I dont take it)  I have one doc who has been treating me since day 1 who is nothing but a sports injury doc, but has been saying all along that I have nerve damage and post concussion...of course who believe a sports injury doc...nobody!!! I've had one Neurologist discharge me as his patient claiming he exhausted all his treatment methods and didn't know how to help me, and I've had one actually have the nerve to call me the day prior to my 1st appointment and tell me He's NOT going to do anything more than what the first one did, so he cancelled my appointment and refused to see me. I've been thru 3 different physical therapist who want to insist on ICE AND HEAT as the only solution, and a Chiropractor was started out great, but once the insurance company refused to pay...dropped me as her patient.  As for Intercourse..I dont even know what that is anymore..I haven't been able to get intimate, physically or emotionally with my husband since my accident...the pain is unbearable!!!  Even when I'm not having a headache...( I regret ever using that as an excuse when I wasn't in the mood)...I think I covered EVERYTHING...  FInally about a year ago I found 2 great docs, one is a brain based injury eye doc (only few in u.s.) in Marquette, Mi by the name of Heidi Johnson, the other is a well-known Neuropsychologist in Traverse City, MI by the name of Glenn Johnson.  He wrote a very informative giude for us TBI sufferrers...you can find it at (www.tbiguide.com).. After a horrible 8 hour session with him, I was diagnosed with something called "POST CONCUSSIVE SYNDROM" which is the reason for all my headaches, memory and speech problemsI .. A few months later I seen the eye doc, and after 3 seperate sessions was diagnosed with something called "POST TRAUMA VISION SYNDROM"  Add that with the PTSD, we might have all the acronyms covered!!! I have yet to get an accurate diagnosis for my pain in my neck and shoulders, the sparatic tingly sensations down my left arm/hand/both feet, and balance issues..oh and I too get this sharp shooting pain above my left eye that radiates to my ear and left cheek (but that just started about 6 months ago).  I have been to literally 7 IME exams for both my auto insurance company and the other party I am suing.  Their docs flat out said I was narsistic and completely healed of all my injuries pertaining to this accident.  Now it is Aug 18, 2011...Have yet to receive any treatment (still waiting on insurance co. approval) I'm now 31 years old and Recently started having totally different symtoms..... Last Thursday, as I was sitting in my recliner just watching TV with my husband..out of the blue the room started to spin, that lasted for about 10 mins...then i got really ill feeling like a hangover, so I got up to walk to the bathroom and Within seconds I was completely paralyzed from the neck down, my body was shaking severely and my speech was completely slurred...All I felt was the overwhelming tingling run through my entire body starting with my hands down to my feet, it felt like i was being electricuted ( it even felt like the space around me was tingling..that doesnt even make sense)...my chest and stomach felt like it was beintg sqeezed from the inside, my eyes hurt to open..the only thing i could do was breath and swallow..i had no control over anything...this lasted for about 45 mins..of course it would lighten up as soon as the ambulance arrived.  Which they took their sweet *** time with me, even stopping to drop off a pizza at their home on the way to the hospital.  So I get to the hospital, and as usual you dont get a real doc anymore, but a student..and he tells me im fine and sends me home with atavan.  He even told me I WAS NOT HAVING SEIZURES!!!  I end up back in hours later, admitted and sent home the next day.  They actually called the Psychiatrist to evaluate me for a mental disorder, which was shot right down.  Since then I have had over 20 episodes and been turned down by 3 different hospitals.  I am now going back to my original doc (yup..you guessed it..the sports injury doc) to have a complete work-up done with all necessary testing.  He thinks my symptoms sound like MS.  I have no idea what is happening with me, ALL I know is nobody cares and nobody believes me... EVEN MY HUSBAND IS STARTING TO DOUBT MY HEADACHES!!! What kind of **** is that?!?!?!?  So, I hear you all loud and clear...We need to all stick together and stand by eachother for support...It's so sad that family and friends can't be there for you, but total strangers can!  THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, I'M JUST SORRY IT'S UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES...And i just happen to find this because it's 3:50 in the morning and I can't sleep, so I was doing the usual...researching online.... I WISH ALL OF YOU GOOD LUCK AND HAPPIER FUTURE WITHOUT PAIN!!!

[BronxJewels]

As I sit here I am crying. Was in a terrible car accident rear ended by a tractor trailer. Was taken out of car and rushed to the er. Had knee surgery shoulder surgery and been going to pt for back and neck pain along with numbness and tingling in arms hands and fingers. They tell me it's from the herniated disk in my neck and that is causing the nerve pain. Lever mind I can't sleep and get migraines. Now On my way! To the doc yesterday and I start to get pins and needles in my forehead cheeks and chin. It was a awful feeling. So of course they want a brain scan. Which I already had done. Series of blood work to rule out all diff things. Waiting on results but that does not help my pain. Yes my 1 st doc said I can't do anything more for u. I'll be happy just to find the light on the other side. Yes I do believe it is accident related. Cause before this I had no health issues at all

[LGaut]

I see your original post was a long time ago but here goes anyway : ) I, too, was in a car accident in August of 2007, and then later diagnosed with MS. Before the accident I was fine, no symptms, no problems. My accident happened when a guy tried to make a left hand turn in front of me and t-boned my car. He hit me so hard it broke the front axle, I lost control of my car and hit another car (totaled that car) then jumped the curb and ran into a brick wall, well, through a brick wall, and into a tree. I broke the C2 vertebra and suffered herniated discs in my neck and lower back. I was also bleeding from the brain. I had a MRI at the hospital (with contrast because of the bleeding) and 2 small lesions were discovered. I was surprised because I had never had migraines, or any MS symptoms. I experienced lots of pain, numbness, tingling, etc, that everyone else mentioned as a result of the accident and went to physical therapy for a little over a year. After the physical effects of the accident had started to wane I started having new, cognitive symptoms. I had a hard time with my memory, forgetting simpple words, confusion, etc. I woke up one morning and could not walk because both legs were numb. That's when I started worrying about MS. I began getting a clinical workup from a nuerologist and was diagnosed with MS in January or 2009. The interesting thing for me was that my white blood cell count started to climb immediately after the car accident and my orthopedist told me he that many times in his practice he saw MS show up after a severe trauma to the body. He thought my WBC count was rising because my body was trying to fight it off. Well, evidently I lost that fight. My MS diagnosis was long in coming, partially because I never developed any more lesions and it wasn't until January of 2009 that the definitive ogliconal bands showed up in both my blood and my spinal fluid. I absolutely believe the accident brought out my MS. I hope it all worked out with your insurance company, I hope your MS symptoms are tolerable or in remission, and I hope you are well.

[Sparkysarah]

Wow this was an interesting post and I just wanted to say hi to you and several other new faces and names who I have not come into contact with before.

I also had a traumatic accident 2 years ago when I tripped over a fork lift truack and ruptured all three ankle ligaments. I do not think this caused MS (as I think it had been lingering for asome time before this) but I do think that the stress that happened afterwards knocked me and certainly did not help my immune system.

I think that there are many possible triggers for MS but without any scientific evidence to base my own feelings on, I just think there are lots of potential reasons and it is going to be a long time before anyone can fit all the tiny pieces of the puzzle together.

Love Sarah

[coffeeom]

  Thank you Red..Im sorry about your Ms diagnosis too....
Its Great we have sites like this  xoxo  Linda

[RedFlame]

WOW,  we really have alot in common, I am in denial phase too.  I think anger peeks it's ugly head at times too.  

Both of us have just been diagnosed!!

I was officially diagnosed July 27, just 4 days ago although they had been fairly certain before that date.

I'm so sorry you have MS!!!

Be good to yourself today


((((Hugs))))

Red

[coffeeom]

Hey  Red.. :)   I  hope I didn't come across wrong I didn't mean to.   Who knows if my Ms would have come out anyway...it just seems like the accident brought it out.

...I was just diagnosed July 22nd and Im still in the denial stage ..im sorry if I came across harsh.    :)  Linda