Unexplained Parasthesias becoming worrisome

[Cat081957]

Hi, I am new here so here goes a little about me .........I am not seeing any specialist right now about the symptoms I am experiencing and have not been diagnosed with anything that has been going on with me lately. For the last couple of years I have experienced very mild and transient parasthesias on my body. Usually right side of face and on the extremities. Can be sensations of warmth that last a few seconds to burning, zapping pain, go through a spell of muscle cramping and twitching, tightness, some weakness when climbing stairs but goes and occassionally overwhelming fatgue but usually happens after eating and also go through spells of that. Most of this has been so mild as to hardly be noticable. Now since December it started with nausea, flu like aches but no fever, lasted weeks then got severe burning sensation in mid back and felt like it radiated from my spine. that has since gone but now I have prickling sensations in my arms, hands, lower legs and feet seems worse after any form of exercise, feet usually burn most of the time, right side of lower part of face sometimes down the neck feels like it is more sensitive but not painful. And when lying down I feel at night sometimes this vibration in my legs, very strange.Going through an episode of stiffness in the back and neck area, also feel a little disjointed in the hips at times and slightly weak in the lower back when I walk or bend forward. I also feel like I got sea legs by that I mean I feel slightly off balance but not where I am going to fall over or fall down, its more a feeling when I move about. I seem to notice the parasthesias more in the extremities when I am sitting or lying down. I also have joint pain mostly in both of my elbows and sometimes the joints of my thumbs. If I said all this to a doctor they would think I am nuts, I know because I have tried in the past to let the doc know about my previous symptoms and I am lucky if I can get it all out before being interrupted. Anyways I was told maybe a virus, so had blood work done and it all came back normal, recently had ANA done and it is normal, RA is normal, sed rate is normal. I want to forget and ignore it all but I am a little concerned because I have to have surgery for a prolasped cervix and bladder and worry that it might make my condition worse by going under anasthesia, think I will mention this to my gyno tomorrow when I see him. Please if anyone can give me any suggestions of what you think I would appreciate it.

[Udkas]

I am not an expert on MRI I think a doctor should explain this to you.  MS lesions are usually in certain areas of the brain and a certain shape etc., so usually doctors and radiologists can tell if they are MS lesions, sometimes it can be unclear and there might be a watch and wait approach to see if any new lesions form etc. and of cause everybody's MS is different so sometimes the lesions are in different parts of the brain and even with specialists there can be confusion and debate.  This is why a second opinion never hurts.

Many things can cause spots on the MRI, from migraine headaches to age spots, to TIA attacks, I would want someone to clarify what they think the spot is. Your report sounds like they are just non specific spots (maybe just normal) that are not attributable to your symptoms.  Your case is difficult, I think you need a good doctor that you can trust.

It is hard if you just go to the walk in clinics as a doctor doesn't get to build up a relationship with the patient (which sometimes helps with diagnosis), not the lovey type of relationship but a trust and understanding for what is going on.

I would try and find a general doctor that you like and then try to continue to see the same doctor so they can get  a view of not just the trees in the forest but the whole forest, I hope this makes sense.

Take care, someone else might add to this a bit better than me.
Udkas

[Cat081957]

I actually got all my records today from a GP that I saw but I am no longer seeing. I do not have a GP at the moment and when I have to I go to the walk in clinics.

I have had 2 MRIs done on the brain only with no contrast. The first one was actually done looking for epilepsy and the second one was supposedly done to MS protocol.

Both showed the same thing, here is what the last report says.....small white matter hypintensities, nonspecific but not meeting criteria for multiple sclerosis. No appreciable change since march. That was March of 2008. What do you think? I really do not understand this stuff.

[Udkas]

Hi there and welcome to the MS Forum,
I hope that you get some answers for your problems soon.  Some of the symptoms that you describe could be caused by MS or could be caused by a number of other things including migraine headaches, etc.

MS does not cause joint pain but things like lupus can, I noticed that you have had the testing for lupus.  Lupus can mimic MS and testing is not always conclusive.

I think you should find out what the small thing was in your frontal lobe that needed investigating, you have a right to know.  I would find another doctor who is willing to listen to you and help you work out what is wrong, having all these symptoms is not normal, I am not an expert but I don't think it sounds like MS, but some things could be.

What strength did you have your MRI done on?  Did they do your cervical and thoracic?  Did you have a thorough neurological exam and if you did have a good exam did the neuro make any suggestions as to what he/she thinks your problems might be?

Have you had tests done for lyme disease as I believe this can cause transient sensory symptoms.  

Hopefully someone with more knowledge than myself will answer your post.

Goodluck, I hope you feel better soon.
Udkas.

[Cat081957]

Hi, I wanted to add to my first post that I also have an area of my back a large patch that is permanently partially numb, which the doctors seem to have no concerns about,

plus I have had 2 MRIs in the last couple of years last one just over a year ago in which I heard nothing back about and the one previous to that the radiologist said something small in the frontal lobe  which he recommended needed further investigation but the neurologist said it was nothing, probably more to do with my age (52).