Quixotic1

[Hope38]

I just had a quick question for you.  I've been reading alot waiting to go to my EMG exam and I read a post that you had replied to.  You told this person that you believe of all people on this board you feel she really has MS.  You also stated there are a few that you have a little doubt about and some you really doubt having MS.

You have been answering many of my post which I truely appreciate :)  I've been having all these problems for 10yrs and this is the first time a DR wanted to test me for MS.  Since he doesn't believe in Fibro.  I am beyond tired of tests.

I wanted to know if I am one of the ones that you doubt have MS?  10yrs ago I had almost every single symptom of MS ( NO ON).  Now I have many but not as I did back then.

I just want you "opinion", nothing more.

Thanks
Lisa

[Hope38]

I just got back from my EMG and Nerve test........my muscles are healthy and my nerve test was perfect :)  So nothing going on there.

My leg is still hurting though!

Lisa

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Good news about the EMG/NCV.  Those are peripheral studies and often normal in MS.  I reread what I could of your posts.  I don't understand the symptom of "shooting stars in the shower" so I don't know where to put it.  My gut reaction is that you indeed have Fibromyalgia, or something else like Celiac disease, both of which can be far more debilitating than MS.  But, in the absence of the results of the MRI's I just don't know.  so I guess my opinion is that as I read your posts I don't have a deep expectation that they will show MS.  But, in my mind, there is not the feeling of "not a chance" either.  You have a lot of sensory abnormalities that would not be characteristic of fibro.  

I don't have disdain for the diagnosis of fibro at all.  Too many of my friends are flattened by this.

I'm sure this was mammothly unhelpful.  Sorry, quix

[Hope38]

I just wanted to thank you :)  You were very helpful.

As to the shooting stars in the shower / fireballs, the Neurologist says its a hallucination.  I have found many on another MS board that has this same problem AND it ONLY happens in the shower, once I get out it goes away, the others with MS says it may be due to the heat in the shower.  Thats why they "think" it happens to them.

The Dr who gave me my EMG says that me getting sick during the heat that suggests MS, but when he asked me if I get numbness/tingles during the heat and I said no, then he thinks it is my Fibro.  He said I'm very strong very a tiny girl, 5'4 110pds........he was actually shocked at the strength I had in my arms and legs.  This also doesn't seem to fit MS, I told him my limbs "feel" weak when I'm flaring BUT when I need to do something that requires strength Im able to do it.  Its just the feeling.

So he feels its Fibro.  He thinks my MRI of my spine will be the same as my brain.  He was surprised though that they DX'd me with Fibro without ruling out MS first.  He said that should have been done along time ago.  He thinks this is still a good thing to do to make sure, but he is pretty sure its my wonderful Fibro.

He was a doll, I wish all Dr's were like him.  Its so sad that most don't care enough.  I told him just how wonderful he was and thanked him.  I think we are to eager to jump on bad Drs' and when we get a good one we don't take the time and let them know just how special they are.

Lisa

[Quixotic1]

THAT's where the forums can also be wonderfully helpful!  When you have a weird symptom that doesn't appear in the medical articles and other diagnosed MSers hump in and say, "Yes! That happens to me, too!"  That is great information.  And it helps me.  It says that the "shooting stars" could certainly be the reaction of possibly damaged optic nerves to the heat of a shower.  

Suggestion - Take a cool shower and see if the same thing happens.  If it does, then we don't know what causes it.  If it doesn't then likely the heat is the culprit.

I went onto an older MS forum and asked about "Zaps"  I've heard people called them brain Zaps, body Zaps, electrical surges, all sorts of things and they made not sense tome.  I asked my neuro and he just looked at me like I'd sprouted a new head, then he patted me on both.  In the forum a dozen people jumped in and shared their experience with Zaps and Zings. so I knew, then where to "put" reports like that.

You are correct about needing to spend the time praising and extolling our good doctors.  The world needs to know that they exist.  It feels wonderful to be told that, I can attest and it brings in positive vibes tocounteract the negative ones.

Thanks, Lisa.  Quix