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Unexplained Neurological Symptoms for 10 months
To Dr,
I am writing to you as for the last 10 months I have had reoccuring neurological symptoms that have thus far gone unexplained.
In early May 2008 I came down with a viral feeling of muscle aches and pains and a general rundown feeling. This proceeded a fatigue like sensation for 3 days that then followed onto a burning sensation in the groin in early June of 2008. This burning groin either side lasted from the 10th of June through to the 15th of June where the symptoms then proceeded to a cold burning sensation down both legs. The legs continued to burn with pins and needles and band like feeling around the waist at roughly T9 occured on the 20th of June lasting about a week. The banding was thin and with the band after a week came a stinging senstation in the spinal cord at the same level of the banding. I had pins and needles in my hands (which I believe came about due to anxiety surrounding the situation) This then subsided slightly but I continued to have burning sensastions on the spinal cord and in the legs through to early July where I saw a neurologist. He at first suggested I may have Guillian Barre`, following normal MRI of Brain w/wo contrast as well as a normal spinal cord MRI w/wo contrast. I was discharged from hospital in July only to see the neurologist again in mid-july complaining of an extreme headache at the back of my head accompanying the neuroligical symptoms. He suggested it may be Post Viral Headache Syndrome and I was admitted to hospital in late July for a 1 week treatment of IV methylprendisilone. I also had a Lumbar Puncture Performed and other than an elevated Glucose Level all other paramaters were normal including oligloconal bands.
August came about after my discharge and the symptoms as above reoccured. MRI was performed once again on the Spinal cord w/wo contrast and normal MRI of brain. Both were normal. The symptoms also caused a spasam cramped feeling in the arches of both feet as well as a buzzing sensation. These disipated over the month of September. In Early October I had a burning sensation in the left side of my body including my arm and leg. I had a nerve pain down the back of my buttocks as well as my left arm. This lasted until late October. It went away for a few days and then in early November I had a inflammed feeling occuring on my upper left scalp that progressed over the weeks in November to a burning sensation on the left side of my face. December brought about more symptoms on the 14th I had my right arm pins and needles that lasted only one night after a all nighter. Then near christmas I had a inflammed feeling in my spine (thoratic area lasting into the new year) In January I had pins and needles in my lower right leg and foot which became intense around the 3rd of Feb.
On the 7th of Feb I had the numb/inflammed feeling return to my spinal cord in the same area as above which then resolved after a week. It then returned on the 2nd of March and lasted 2 weeks until the 16th causing cramping in the arches of my feet again. This then resolved and now only 2 weeks later on the 31st of March 2009 I have had symptoms return with the same inflammed feeling on my tail bone area of the spinal cord with buzzing and cramping of feet.
I should mention that in late January I had a follow up MRI and LP including the brain and spinal cord and both came back normal as well as the LP results. These MRI were not done with contrast.
I am confused at these symptoms and as what they may be.
My questions are:
Does RRMS relapse every 2 weeks?
What can I make of my negative MRI and LP with a 6 month follow up?
Is a 6 month follow up enough time to determine if what I am experiencing is MS?
Do any of the above sound like probable Multiple Sclerosis?
I am at a loss as to what I could be experiencing.
As a diagnosis the doctor (neurologist) wrote Viral Myelitis although no proof in the blood testing or LP and MRI suggested a definitive myelitis.
I am writing to you as for the last 10 months I have had reoccuring neurological symptoms that have thus far gone unexplained.
In early May 2008 I came down with a viral feeling of muscle aches and pains and a general rundown feeling. This proceeded a fatigue like sensation for 3 days that then followed onto a burning sensation in the groin in early June of 2008. This burning groin either side lasted from the 10th of June through to the 15th of June where the symptoms then proceeded to a cold burning sensation down both legs. The legs continued to burn with pins and needles and band like feeling around the waist at roughly T9 occured on the 20th of June lasting about a week. The banding was thin and with the band after a week came a stinging senstation in the spinal cord at the same level of the banding. I had pins and needles in my hands (which I believe came about due to anxiety surrounding the situation) This then subsided slightly but I continued to have burning sensastions on the spinal cord and in the legs through to early July where I saw a neurologist. He at first suggested I may have Guillian Barre`, following normal MRI of Brain w/wo contrast as well as a normal spinal cord MRI w/wo contrast. I was discharged from hospital in July only to see the neurologist again in mid-july complaining of an extreme headache at the back of my head accompanying the neuroligical symptoms. He suggested it may be Post Viral Headache Syndrome and I was admitted to hospital in late July for a 1 week treatment of IV methylprendisilone. I also had a Lumbar Puncture Performed and other than an elevated Glucose Level all other paramaters were normal including oligloconal bands.
August came about after my discharge and the symptoms as above reoccured. MRI was performed once again on the Spinal cord w/wo contrast and normal MRI of brain. Both were normal. The symptoms also caused a spasam cramped feeling in the arches of both feet as well as a buzzing sensation. These disipated over the month of September. In Early October I had a burning sensation in the left side of my body including my arm and leg. I had a nerve pain down the back of my buttocks as well as my left arm. This lasted until late October. It went away for a few days and then in early November I had a inflammed feeling occuring on my upper left scalp that progressed over the weeks in November to a burning sensation on the left side of my face. December brought about more symptoms on the 14th I had my right arm pins and needles that lasted only one night after a all nighter. Then near christmas I had a inflammed feeling in my spine (thoratic area lasting into the new year) In January I had pins and needles in my lower right leg and foot which became intense around the 3rd of Feb.
On the 7th of Feb I had the numb/inflammed feeling return to my spinal cord in the same area as above which then resolved after a week. It then returned on the 2nd of March and lasted 2 weeks until the 16th causing cramping in the arches of my feet again. This then resolved and now only 2 weeks later on the 31st of March 2009 I have had symptoms return with the same inflammed feeling on my tail bone area of the spinal cord with buzzing and cramping of feet.
I should mention that in late January I had a follow up MRI and LP including the brain and spinal cord and both came back normal as well as the LP results. These MRI were not done with contrast.
I am confused at these symptoms and as what they may be.
My questions are:
Does RRMS relapse every 2 weeks?
What can I make of my negative MRI and LP with a 6 month follow up?
Is a 6 month follow up enough time to determine if what I am experiencing is MS?
Do any of the above sound like probable Multiple Sclerosis?
I am at a loss as to what I could be experiencing.
As a diagnosis the doctor (neurologist) wrote Viral Myelitis although no proof in the blood testing or LP and MRI suggested a definitive myelitis.
Sorry about the lengthy story I didnt realise it would have looked soo long once fully typed.
I just wanted to get some other peoples opinions on my scenario. I also have lactose intolerance and fructose malabsorption which went undiagnosed for about 5 years along with dyisbiosis and candidia infection just recently diagnosed which has caused vitamin and trace element deficiency.
Just wanted to know if the above symptoms taking in this added history is coherent with MS?
I just wanted to get some other peoples opinions on my scenario. I also have lactose intolerance and fructose malabsorption which went undiagnosed for about 5 years along with dyisbiosis and candidia infection just recently diagnosed which has caused vitamin and trace element deficiency.
Just wanted to know if the above symptoms taking in this added history is coherent with MS?
At this point, there's not enough information to fret! With a negative LP and clear MRI, diagnosis of MS is only possible with clinical dissemination through time of symptoms.
Your symptoms sound neurological, but everybody with MS has different symptoms. Some have more paresthesia, as you describe, while others have more problems with motor and proprioperception.
So you're basically stuck with the waiting game. Keep a timeline of your symptoms, and continue to see your neurologist, and with any luck he'll find something to diagnose you.
Your symptoms sound neurological, but everybody with MS has different symptoms. Some have more paresthesia, as you describe, while others have more problems with motor and proprioperception.
So you're basically stuck with the waiting game. Keep a timeline of your symptoms, and continue to see your neurologist, and with any luck he'll find something to diagnose you.
Thanks for the info first and foremost.
I am willing to hear feedback about my situation by anyone at this stage, those with MS and those who could remember their first symptoms.
My fear is that these symptoms of a probable myelitis which had no MRI eveidence were kicked off by a virus and in turn I now have RRMS.
Do any of the symptoms, their patterns etc sound as such?
Is it possible for a series of negative MRIs to show nothing at all early in MS if it was a virus that kicked off the symptoms?
I had MRI of Spine last June, MRI w/wo constrast of Brain on 3T machine in July, more MRI without contrast of Spine and Brain in July and August of '08 and then a follow up by my neurologist in Janurary/Feb of this year where he perfromed MRI or spinal cord(whole) and Brain without any contrast along with a Spinal Tap and all results were normal. Symptoms are still occuring with no explanation.
I am willing to hear feedback about my situation by anyone at this stage, those with MS and those who could remember their first symptoms.
My fear is that these symptoms of a probable myelitis which had no MRI eveidence were kicked off by a virus and in turn I now have RRMS.
Do any of the symptoms, their patterns etc sound as such?
Is it possible for a series of negative MRIs to show nothing at all early in MS if it was a virus that kicked off the symptoms?
I had MRI of Spine last June, MRI w/wo constrast of Brain on 3T machine in July, more MRI without contrast of Spine and Brain in July and August of '08 and then a follow up by my neurologist in Janurary/Feb of this year where he perfromed MRI or spinal cord(whole) and Brain without any contrast along with a Spinal Tap and all results were normal. Symptoms are still occuring with no explanation.
Hi, and Welcome to the Patient-to-Patient MS forum. Though you are quite welcome here, the forum with the MS Neurologist on it is the Expert MS Forum:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Multiple-Sclerosis-MS/show/322
He accepts only one free question a day, so sometimes you hvae to try at different times of the day to get an answer. You can also pay $25 to get a guarnateed answer from him.
We, here on the forum are people with MS and people still looking for an answer to their neurological mysteries. If you would also like to hear from us, just say the word. I am a physician, but am no longer in practice and was NOT a neurologist. I do have MS, though.
Welcome, again.
Quix
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Multiple-Sclerosis-MS/show/322
He accepts only one free question a day, so sometimes you hvae to try at different times of the day to get an answer. You can also pay $25 to get a guarnateed answer from him.
We, here on the forum are people with MS and people still looking for an answer to their neurological mysteries. If you would also like to hear from us, just say the word. I am a physician, but am no longer in practice and was NOT a neurologist. I do have MS, though.
Welcome, again.
Quix
I should also mention that between these relapses of symptoms during the last 10 months I have no symptoms at all, when they do resolve they resolve completely even if it is only for a few days. The longest I have gone without symptoms has been 2 weeks.
Having also investigated vitamin b12 deficiency have found that with that syndrome the symptoms are constant, and I dont have constant symptoms, just frequent symptoms every 2 weeks or so. I am at this point at a loss as my neurologist has no idea neither do I.
Having also investigated vitamin b12 deficiency have found that with that syndrome the symptoms are constant, and I dont have constant symptoms, just frequent symptoms every 2 weeks or so. I am at this point at a loss as my neurologist has no idea neither do I.
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