Starting to doubt myself

[nat2006]

I am new here and have a question... for the past 4 years, I have noticed strange symptoms. I am very used to them and didn't think they were anything abnormal until I came back from working at a summer camp (at 22 years old) with left hand finger tremors amongst other strange little things. I saw a neuro who was very dismissive and it completely discouraged me from seeking help. Then 2 years ago, new/stronger symptoms. A GP suggested MS and referred me to another neuro who saw me for (literally) 5 minutes and said that he couldn't help me because I wasn't having any symptoms at the time. Needless to say, I left it all alone again. Now with a baby and 26 years old, I am concerned that my new symptoms are something that is progressing and I'm worried I am letting something get worse that can be delayed. Problem is... my brain MRI 2 years ago was normal. And since I started documenting my daily symptoms, I feel like maybe I'm just imagining these things especially on days when I feel nothing unusual. My new insurance picks up in August so I will have a new MRI then. Until then... has anyone felt this way with MS?

Here are my symptoms, they can last seconds/hours or be on and off for days at a time: occasional severe burning pins and needles, random small muscle twitches, occasional wobbly legs, right hand tends to feel heavy/ weak to grasp things, shaky right wrist, occasional slurred speech and difficulty processing language, completely numb toes or forearm, SHARP excruciating pain behind ear, behind eye or on cheek, knees buckle or lose balance, flashes of light in peripheral vision, hot/cold trickles or water feelings on leg, random chest pain or chest tightness.

Recently the most concerning was my right hand went numb/buzzing, and a week prior I suddenly was confused and clueless when at a restaurant and the waitress asked what I wanted. I was so confused, like she was suddenly speaking a different language and I couldn't concentrate at all. It was very strange and new. I didn't know what to say or how to read the menu, my husband had to help me. It lasted about 5 minutes.

My husband is very supportive but thinks I am just dehydrated. Any tips or stories would be nice to hear :) Am I crazy?? lol

[nat2006]

TLC with such a severe flare, did you recover?

JB I'm really wishing I still had the copy of my original MRI from a couple years ago. Lesson learned. Thank you for the link

[johnniebear]

I would encourage you obtain copies of all your records and MRI'S disc also.  there isn't a clear path or any simple test for MS,  it may take years in some case..



this is from our health pages.
DISEASES THAT MIMIC MS

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/MS-Mimics---Part-I/show/375?cid=36


Hope this helps you.
take care
JB

[TLC_31]

I had numbness in my leg back in 1994; the PCP referred me to a neurologist who did a few tests on me. They both were stumped, and the numbness went away maybe after a month. Most notably in the years following I’d have bouts of vertigo; when I saw the PCP it would be attributed to viruses. When I had ringing in my ears and went to have my hearing tested, it was perfect. MS was never mentioned. I never bothered to check when I struggled to focus with my vision a couple times. I find it fitting that the PCP has since moved on to specialize in nephrology, and the neuro now specializes in sleep disorders.

In the summer of 2003 I had just bought a new bike, but the heat seemed unusually oppressive and I didn’t want to ride much. In the fall I would sit down to watch TV with a drink to my left, and I really had to concentrate to lift it and set it down. Then I went on a routine 4.5-mile run one night on our riverside path, and midway through I was passed by somebody I had passed easily a couple miles earlier. I didn’t think I’d slowed down that much. A couple of minutes later I had to stop and walk, and bizarrely walking wasn’t any easier. My legs just didn’t want to do what I was telling them to do. The new PCP got a call the next morning, I had an MRI and a new neurologist a month later, and I had a diagnosis another two months after that (although the symptoms had subsided somewhat by then). Relatively speaking, it had been a severe flare, more so even than the two I’ve had since then (summer 2004 and early 2006) that were treated with IV solumedrol.

With your excellent documentation and the tests to come, I’m confident your new neurologist will help you find answers soon.

[nat2006]

Thank you TLC_31, yes it was very discouraging to not have a doctor take me seriously. Hopefully this neuro will be better...third time's a charm! How many years did you go undiagnosed? Was it a severe flare that led to your diagnosis or little symptoms that added up?

[TLC_31]

Your symptoms seem to point to MS, although many other conditions can mimic MS (I don't think dehydration is one of them in this case). I'm not impressed with your neuros, who should have tried to find answers. I had a neuro like that once about 15 years ago. Thankfully, even though I wasn't diagnosed until a few years later, I didn't progress much. One more month waiting for an MRI probably won't harm you in the long term, although I know it can feel like a long month. Whether MS or something else, you certainly will need other tests as well.

A "normal" MRI doesn't let you off the hook for MS. Older machines might miss lesions, and an MRI should be done with contrast.

Ask questions anytime!