What kind of brain-thinking things happen with your MS?

I am having more trouble today that kind of scared the beggebies out of me. First my left side arm, cheek and lip are tingling pretty bad including numb feeling (not actually numb). But here is a new one...I have been having trouble with losing train of thought, forgetting stuff that just happened, and forgetting where I am supposed to be. Go up stairs and forget why I went etc.

Today however I left a business meeting and went out to the parking lot and at first did not recognize my car. It was only for a few seconds...but can I tell you the confusion freaked me out!!

Is this a possible MS thing? Or maybe something else like I am showing early alzheimers or something?? What is typical for MS?

[Wobbly]

hey, I go through that and don't know the answer.  I always think it's my age.. in the fifties

so looking forward to hearing from others to see what they say.

I forget so much.
wobbly ( I think)

[Sidesteps]

I had trouble finding words, remembering things and having "delays" in my memory. I think it is most noticeable in my typing. I'm used to typing all day long and there are days that I find myself having to re-edit my writing over and over and over again. I'm also usually very articulate but during bad times, not so much.

I had a mini-relapse about a month ago. I had sensations that felt like someone was sticking a needle in different spots around my face, it wasn't HORRIBLE, but it did hurt. Ever since my face itches....it's crazy!

[MissLauraI]

Wobbly- I wondered if it was age related because I am 52. I would be OK with that more than it being MS. I think the confusion was what scared me the most.

Sidesteps- So finding words and remembering seem to be common. I also write a lot and have had some of the same issues. Didn't even connect that. Arghhh...So sorry about the itchy face. That must be really annoying!

[figuerpa]

I have cognitive issues as well. I forget everything, always have to give myself reminders, usually an alarm on my phone lol. I have never not recognized my car though, that would be scary as heck.

I have gotten lost while driving in a place that I frequent ALOT, my 10 year old son had to tell me how to get to where I was going, now that was scary.

I forget everythng and I also have trouble with typing and find myself spending more time correcting my posts on here than it actually takes to type it.

I also talk backwords and lose words.
Know that you are not alone in this we all have had some kind of memory lapse during the process.

[wiggles94]

I am 56 - and find myself forgetting things - like books I have just read - like how did it end - where I put things - why I went somewhere in my house - they seem like little "glitches" - it's the worst when I am tired, or overwhelmed (like in crowded confusing places.).

[jensequitur]

There are some very specific cognitive problems that are seen in MS.

One is recognition - faces and objects seem to be the most common.  Not recognizing a face when you see it every day, or not being able to recognize your own car.

Another is the ability to process a task.  Getting everything done in the right order, like cooking a meal, can be very difficult.  I've messed up simple things like making Hamburger Helper because I couldn't follow the instructions.

Then there's the weirdest one - calling objects by the wrong noun.  Calling the fridge the stove, for example.  Sometimes I dont' even hear that I used the wrong word - hubby has to ask "Did you mean to say that?"

I discovered that the way we process language is auditory when I started using homynyms in my written speech.  Instead of typing 'would' I would type "wood."  It seemed that if there was a homynym for that word, I would use the wrong one.  I also discovered that I had become dyslexic.  Every time I tried to type something, the letters would come out in the wrong order.

Not being able to track from one moment to the next - I think that's a problem with short term memory.  Weirdly, I can forget something in the short term, and remember it later, because it's moved to the long term and it's now accessible.  So it sounds like I actually still remember it, I just can't get to the memory.  I think that's true - sometimes I'll be sure that I've never heard something before, and later I'll remember (embarrassingly) that I had actually heard it.

So all this sounds scary, and it is.  At my worst I was having real trouble processing, to the point where I asked about Aricept (at the recommendation of my psychiatrist after my neuro-psych exam.)  It helped quite a bit.  It got me over the very gray foggy mist that permeated my brain for two years after my first flare.

Since then, I haven't had as many problems.  I know they're there, and they still pop up, but now I'm aware of them, and I can double check myself and make sure it's right.

[kerrtelli]

I am going through that right now.  I am music teacher and play at mass every Friday for the kids at the school.  I play the same songs all  the time and two weeks ago I was at the piano,having practiced the short responsorial at least ten times right before mass and when the time came to play the song, I couldn't for the life of me remember what I was supposed to do.  I just sat there for what seemed like an hour and just the the response.

I also have the problem of seeing and hearing what i want to say but the words just wouldn't  come out of my mouth.  Name recognition has become very difficult also.  Is this typical for ms?  I am still in the process of diagnosis so I have no idea.

By the way, i couldn't find my car either one nit and it freaked me out a little.

Good luck.

[MissLauraI]

Wow I feel better--I think :D

I thought when I couldn't recognize my car that i had totally lost it. I started to cry once I did.

I think, other than my leg not working, that was one of the scariest moments here recently in the last 2 years. My grandma died of Alzhiemers 3 years ago and I thought maybe I was following in her footsteps really early.

jensequitur that is good to know about Aricept. I will keep that in mind to ask about. The brain fog and stuff seems to be increasing.

I emailed my doctor because I wasn't sure what to do. He sent a message back indicating that I may be having seizures so not sure what that is about. I think he is looking at all possibilities at this point since I am un-dx. He has me scheduled for an EEG now.

[cheesymum]

Hi!  I'm new and not dx'ed but I wanted to respond to this.  I lose trains of thot and words that are supposed to come next in whatever sentence I was trying to say and I often call something by the wrong name (as in jensequitur's example above, calling the stove a fridge) or switch words around in a sentence - "Hand scissors the me" instead of "Hand me the scissors".

I haven't yet not recognized my car but I have come out of the store and been stumped for a second as to what it was I was supposed to do when I got to the parking lot.  I have also come out of the store and had no idea which car I drove there or where I parked it.  (I very rarely drive my hubby's car so it's not as if swapping around cars is a common thing)

I completely understand about worrying about following in a relative's footsteps.  My mother died in '02 from complications of progressive supranuclear palsy.  When I started having all my "weirdnesses" (as I call them), I panicked.  I just knew I had PSP like mama.  In fact, when I went to the neuro the first time, I talked at length about mama and PSP and how worried I was.  Now, every time I go, he makes sure one of the last things he tells me is "And, yes, I'm pretty certain it's not PSP."  It's become his standard line with me "Make sure you are taking care of yourself; call me if you need me, with any new symptoms or if you just feel like I need to know something or you need to come in; I'll see you on ________; and, yes, I'm certain it's not PSP."  LOL  

[cheesymum]

Oh, and, I, too, write it off to my age (45)....

[MissLauraI]

Cheesymum- thanks for sharing your experience too. I am sorry that you are also un-dx. It is frustrating. I read the symptoms of menopause and some of the things I am going through are similar. So I was thinking it is my age too. But then my age doesn't explain all the stuff when I was a lot younger or other symptoms I have right now.

I am sorry you lost your mom to PSP. My mom has been dx with fibro but I am wondering if she may actually have MS. I will be investigating this with her as she has many of the same symptoms and many do not fit fibro.

[cheesymum]

Thank you for your sympathy.  It's more appreciated than you know.  Losing your mother is tough, I'll admit.  Losing your mother and then seeing yourself develop neurological symptoms when she died of complications of a neuro disease scares the pants off ya, for sure!

I hope both you and your mom finds some answers and soon!  It is very frustrating to not know and to wonder if you want to know and to wonder if you'll ever know.  But, we will all get our dx sooner or later.  I have to believe that.  Here's a prayer that we are ready for them when we get them.  It's weird to want something so badly and yet be afraid to get it at the same time.

[jensequitur]

Hey, I had to argue a bit with the neuro about the Aricept.  He and my new neuro think that it doesn't really do any good.  My personal experience is that I was having serious cognitive problems for a year and a half, finally got on Aricept, and within three months I was much better.  The fog wasn't gone, but it was much thinner, and I could think more clearly.  So the question becomes - did the Aricept help?  Or was I going to recover anyway?  

[MissLauraI]

cheesymum- wanting to know and not wanting to know. That was where I was when I was 26 and this all started (I think). Back then I just blew it off since most of the symptoms resolved. Today I am tempted to do the same and just take what comes and forget all the dr. appts. Now I am older and wiser. I want to be proactive so that I can be as healthy as I can until I am a shriveled up old lady :D

Jenn- as long as you are better that is what really matters. Somethings are a mystery :D

[cheesymum]

Oh, I'm definitely going to be proactive.  I don't know any other way to be.  LOL  Sorry to take so long to respond.  It's been a rough week for me body-wise.  :(  Oh, the bright side, though, Friday was my 16th wedding aniversary and today is Mother's Day so life is good, even if my body is not this week!  :)

[gypcwmn]

I have gotten in someone elses car. I could not figure out why the key would`nt go in the ignition. It was awhile before i realized it was`nt my car.

Was`nt even the same make or color as mine :-) Oh well ya gotta laugh

[MissLauraI]

Cheesymum- Sorry it has been a hard week. I hope you feel better very soon!

Gycwmn- oh wow...that made me remember something from last summer. I opened the passenger side of car that was white like mine and just started to get in. I couldn't figure out whose stuff was in the seat and then realized I was in the wrong car!

Thanks for sharing that with me...it makes me feel better...and laugh a little too :D