Worried - help me! :)

[drhansen]

Hi everyone :) I'm 18, male and worried about MS. The reason why I am worried so much is because my Mother died of MS. I am a self-confessed hypochondriac for obvious reasons...

This all started in early April, so quite a while ago now. I was at a concert and suddenly I felt this pin like feeling in my finger on my right hand. I was head banging. I have always had a very dodgy right side of my neck, I fell on it some years ago. Anyway, I thought I had a splinter and thought nothing of it, finished at the concert and then went to a nightclub. The next day the feeling still resided occasionally but wasn't too noticeable, my back started to hurt, just on the right side and I got tingling sensations in my hands and feet. My right leg began to hurt and I started to get random muscle twitches all over my body as well as sharp pain in my hands. Since then the tingling sensations have died down but i still get twitches from time to time, the sharp pain in my hands/fingers. I was on LSD at the time, and had done it 5 times before that - is it possible the LSD had any implication in this? Possibly Seratonin Syndrome? I have been to the chiropractor, the doctor, had a brain scan (MRI) and an xray - no one can seem to help me. The chiropractor believes I have a damaged disc in my neck and the doctor told me not to worry. But my symptoms are so strange, I have never felt this way before and am worried :( I just need some more advice on what this sounds like from a outside point of view, particularly people who have MS or know some who do. My mum didn't go into it much but from my memory these symptoms are different to hers anyway. Thanks a lot!

[supermum_ms]

No, MS still isnt the 'most likely' even with a family association because  firstly genetics only 'slightly' increases likelyhood, secondly MS doesnt behave/present as you experienced, thirdly you dont have clinical signs or MRI evidence suggestive of MS and fourthly you do have a reasonable explanation for what you experienced, to put simply a cause and effect.

Anything beyond that is only speculatory, more reading into rather than evidenciary. Rather than speculating about MS probability due to a sinus infection, it would be more logical and pro-active to evaluate life choice and make adjustments as you see fit.

Cheers.......JJ    

[drhansen]

Wouldn't this immunological problem just be MS? Because I remember reading that MS can be triggered by bacteria - considering my genes, isn't this most likely then?

[Gio77Italy]

interesting.. I asked that because many other people recently have had neurological symptoms associated or following to an infection.

my theory is that whatever caused the Sinusitis in the winter has caused also the other symptoms. a Immunological problem triggered by an infection. you would have caught it travelling or in crowded places.

if that was the case it should have affected your cognitive functions too, slowed you down a bit. forgetfulness, irritability, sometimes lethargy.

it could be something that will regress spontaneously but you should avoid possible sources of infection not to burden your immune system with more. stop drinking and all excesses because you're not very healthy in this moment.

good luck.

[drhansen]

Hi, im sorry if anyone took it in a bad way i wasnt meaning negatively, i am  just more concerned about the symptoms itself not what caused it but you make a fantastic point and will take it into account. You have been very helpful to me :)

[supermum_ms]

I dont think anyone is intending to 'lecture' you, you need to be realistic though, you mentioned LSD, hypocondria, drinking, head banging etc. Drugs of any kind, can at times be part of the big picture, as can life style, its illogical to assume the things you choose to do are not possibly related because you'd prefer it. Its still your choice to do with your life as you choose, and thats fine though if you ask for unbias advice, try not to shoot people for giving you what you asked for.

For what its worth, applying Occam's Razor principles (which is the simplest answer is usually the correct answer), then i'd be looking at 'head banging' being responsible for your sx's, its a better fit. MS being the least likely explanation because of the nature of MS, MS doesn't fit in with what you've described. Damage due to MS lesions doesn't usually behave/present like that but 'head banging' related neck injuries actually does.

Cheers............JJ    

[Lulu54]

Hi.  That may sound reasonable but only your doctor can tell you for sure. It's worth asking .....  and I hate sinusitis!

[drhansen]

I got a sinus infection, a particularily bad one while I was in England over winter, its gotten better but I have had a blocked nose since then, sinus headaches and bad post-nasal drip which the doctors have labeled chronic sinusitis, does that sound right to you?

[Gio77Italy]

if LSD is what you were given there should be no correlation with the drug.

none of the symptoms is specific of MS. also if your mother was diagnosed with MS consider that it is practically a diagnosis by exclusion this types of auto-immune syndromes aren't perfectly defined one could go to 10 different doctors and get 20 different diagnosis.

did the MRI show mucous in the sinus? the headache makes me think that you caught an infection, maybe viral, that disturbed your central nervous system directly or indirectly.  

did you do CBC ever this year? you could have had indirect signs of infection between winter/spring , loose stool, nasal drip, bladder symptoms, etc.

you could see a specialist Rheumatologist maybe and do the autoimmune work up including Complements System.

[drhansen]

haven't done it since mate! I understand where you're coming from but I didn't ask for a lecture on the use of 'illegal' drugs, as far as I'm concerned i've done more damage drinking.

[Lulu54]

you are obviously asking all the right questions, including the involvement of the use of extracurricular drugs.  Can you take a step back, evaluate your personal situation both emotional and physical,  and chart a course for better health and lifestyles?    That goes a long way in quieting the concerns, especially since you say you are prone to health anxiety.

I am sorry to hear of your mother's battle with MS, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are on the same course.

[HVAC]

Your case is complicated and no one but a Doctor can say whether you have MS. The treatment for MS is so much better in the last few years and it it is rare for people to die of MS. I would start with a GP they can do a neurological exam and see if you have to see a Neurologist. There are many non neurological reasons for MS like symptoms. Genetics plays a part in MS but not as great as in other diseases.

Alex

[Gio77Italy]

you know the phrase

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get"

is quite fitting when buying illegal drugs...