When is a symptom not a symptom?

[ANonnyMouse73]

I'm typing up my list of possible symtpoms in preparation for my trip to the neuro and it feels like I'm being a hypochondriac! I thought it would be helpful to put down anything and everything I could think of in case some of it is relevant, but the list is looking a bit long and all out of order.

Would someone kindly check it over and maybe give me some guidance on what can safely be taken off the list as definitely not relevant to MS?

Here it is (and apologies for the spelling).

~~~
possible symptoms?

May 2010 - "my ribs suddently felt like they couldn't expand for me to take a deep breath! I could breathe, but only shallow. It was SO scary!!!! It took me a good few minutes to calm down enough to take some regular deep breaths again, and the point at which my lungs loosened up again was quite noticable. It was sort of like having a band of really tight material around my ribs so that they couldn't expand when I breathed in. " (During sex)

While 34 weeks preg with third child - spasms in abdomen for several hours - excrutiating, couldn't breathe, couldn't move... had me in tears. Came in waves - lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Definitely not related to pregnancy.

In my 20's - Muscle spasms in back... my entire back spasmed for several hours. Came on at 2am while I slept... got to doc at 8am, finally relaxed later that day. COuld only breathe teeny tiny breaths - was excruciating. Was limited to laying down. Couldn't straighten up, had to be carried painfully to car for doc visit. Further lesser spasms occurred randomly with up to a year in between... always hitting in the night when I was asleep.

bowel troubles since 20's. Constipation, occasional leaking, fissure. Worse during pregnancy but never completely good. Spasms in rectum that make sitting painful.  

Recently (last year or so):
skin crawling like bugs on it.
random pin pricks like being stung by an ant
feeling like I've walked into a cobweb on my arms... keep trying to brush it off but the sensation remains

Since 20's - sore scalp quite often. Spots feeling bruised. Usually after my hair has been tied up (even loosely) but also if it has been parted.. or when the hair is moved to the oppsoite direction.

since 20's - occasional inability to swallow - as if I've forgotton how. I have to try and get a lot of saliva worked up and try to swallow without thinking, because if I think about it while this is hapening I just can't swallow.

Since teens - occasionally can't handle cutlery due to weakness. E.G. Can pick up knife and fork but can't cut meat.

A lot of SI spasms and issues, sciatica, piriformis muscle always very painful to touch, random hip cramps etc since my 20's.

recently - feeling cold wet sensation on leg, like a trickle of cold water or raindrops.

last week to present - deep buzzing throbbing noise in ear not in time with pulse, loss of balance, possibly related to cold? Feeling like floor was lurching to the left, worse when changing direction or moving eyes too quickly.

Eyesight - got rapidly worse during recent pregnancy. One eye changed a fair bit, couldn't focus, feels like not enough light was getting in. Eye checked out fine by optometrist, got new glasses script.

last year or so.... while walking I'll go through a phase of one stubbing one foot repeatedly, as if it's not lifting clear of the ground fully.

last year or so... while walking around the house will go through stages of misjudging doorways and hitting the frame on the way through. Making what feels like a left turn when trying to go straight.

last couple of years - unbearable itch on the inside of both ankles - no visible rash or bites - just incredibly itchy crawling skin. It comes and goes all day for a few days at a time.

bladder issues while preg (not likely to be related but listing it anyway) resulting in dribbling incontinence as well as the expected stress incontinence. Sometimes feel a need to go when there's only a few drops there.

during my second pregnancy (18 months ago) and ever since - I'll be walking fine then suddenly feel as if I've walked into a wall of mud - my feet and legs slow down and I physically can't go any faster. Stopping for a minute to collect my thoughts and rest seems to fix this for a while.

for years - insomnia - bone tired during the day but can't actually fall sleep until well after midnight. Occasionally will have "catch up" sleep of 10 hours or more. Then I'll have weird days of extreme energy despite the lack of sleep.

since 20's - ice pick headaches, migraines without headache (just the aura and patch of missing vision then a foggy brain feeling for a few days afterwards). Have had one "proper" migraine where I was nauseated, light sensitive and had a throbbing headache with visual aura.

last few years - sensitivity to noise. TOo much noise, movemen or visual clutter around me will leave me feeling attacked and really agitated. Stopping the noise will instantly make me feel calm and relaxed.

4 years ago - major depression reaulting in some very uncharacteristic behaviours and then a marriage breakup.

late 20's - major depression.

Since 20's - throbbing headaches in the front of my head and behind my eyes that last for around 24 hours each. They come in clusters - a few in a month, then nothing for a year or so.

Since 20's - pins and needles in my scalp/back of neck area - mainly when lying with my head on the arm of couch but also mild pins and needle feeling in the same spot at random times as well.

very recently - forgetting words, losing train of thought, short term memory and concentration have been terrible. Forgetting how to spell words. Can't conentrate on a conversation at all. Can't think - can't make grocery list or menu.

Very recently - numb spots on feet, knee, chest etc. Feels like I've had a local anaesthetc needle. Electric pains: Pain in foot on certain movements. Pain in finger when pressed at knuckle. pain in knee when kneeling.

Since teens - body thermostat out of whack. Feel cold when it's hot, feel hot when it's cool, feet burning like they're on fire at night.

Recently - pain in feet on waking - trying to walk on them feels like they're bandaged up in to ball shapes, so it's hard to balance as well. It goes away within a few minutes of walking.

~~~~~

That's all of it.

Thanks to anyone who got this far!

[ANonnyMouse73]

Thanks everyone, and especially to Suman for putting it in a much better format. AT the time I wrote that out it wasn't intended to be read by the neuro - more to give me a prompt of things I might forget to mention that may or may not be important.

I'm still thinking much of it is probably totally unrelated to MS, but I guess all I can do is to go in with everything I have and let the Neuro rule out the irrelevant ones. I think I felt it necessary to gloss over some of the ones that had only happened once or twice, or to qualify them with a time frame or alternate explanation... I think I'm still in a bit of denial.

Either way, I got sick of waiting for the public hospital neuro "team" to send me a letter with an appointment date, and I've contacted a private Neuro with a special interest in MS who has agreed to see me on 27th January, so I have plenty of time to fine tune the list and sort it into a timeline of sorts so I have perhaps one version that is suitable to hand over, and another one for my personal journal of what's happening and when.

[Sparkysarah]

I think that Suman has does a brilliant job as the danger of having too wordy a list is that the neuro will just glance over it and not read any of it. If is is short and concise he can glance over it and see the relevant words.

Best of luck and hope it goes well for you

Love Sarah x

[lovemy6monkeys]

Everyone gave great advice already...so I'll just add a big old GOOD LUCK!!
~Jess

[wiggles94]

Hi Annony,

Thanks for this posting!

I have a follow up today with my second opinion neuro. And I made up my list last night and had the exact same feeling you had!  I told my husband that I felt like a hypochondriac and I must just be making all these things up!   He then asked me if I took my MRI and painted in all the lesions.  HA!

The other ladies had great suggestions so I have nothing else to add.  JUST good luck!  
Carol

[sllowe]

Annony and Sumana - Well done!!!!

Annony,
Will someone come along to the appt. with you?

Remember, you don't have to necessarily give this list to doc. It's your timeline.
If you can, add "current" to what you are experiencing now. That will help. Also, highlight the major issues because during the appt. you'll not be able to address everything w/the doctor.

Hopefully the doctor is thorough and brings out a lot of this during a look into your history.  And, since your current is fresh on your mind, you'll be covered at both ends.

Good luck to you. When do you go?
-Shell