please take a look at this, I would like opinions.

[ohpenny]

I apologise in advance for this very long and probably boring message, but your opinions are very important to me. Now I have been with this site since 2010. Couldn't believe this when I saw it, so really 2 years since I joined this forum, and really no nearer to what the problem is. When I first joined I only really had a few symptoms.

I went to see my neurologist for the second time on Tuesday. This was a review and a referral from the neurologist nurse, my first appointment was just for headaches/pains and they weren't interested in my other symptoms, they thought perhaps they were side effects from some medication I was then taking to help with my balance problems, given to me by my ENT, I have problems with blocked ears and that could be the cause of my terrible balance and bobbing up and down like I am on a boat feeling. But there is some uncertainty about this. Below I have copy and pasted my symptoms into this message, this is the exact copy I showed the neurologist on Tuesday.

Symptoms:

Blocked ears/balance issues

Head/face pains and aches (mainly left side sharp pain) Pulling head pain bottom back right. Flu type headache and neuralgia

Speech issues

Hot burning feet (use cooling spray)

Occasional cold face, goosebumps (left side)

Tingling/numbness-Hands (mainly left), feet lips and face (left side) aching hands

Muscle twitches, thumb, thigh, tummy area, upper left arm (pressing on bladder) some lasting weeks.

Skin sensations-burning speckles all over inc lips producing more saliva, raining on skin. Burning inside of mouth and on tongue.

Dexterity, finger and hand pain-occasionally struggle to move and co-ordinate fingers.

Left Arm-Tightness around top of left arm (lasted 3 days) arm with aches/pins and needles /numb patches in left hand/fingers followed by  heavy tired arm struggling to use without having to keep resting . This symptom returns periodically feeling bruised also around the elbow.

Right Arm- occasional aches and numbness in finger ends

Leg aches (both) cannot flex ankles forward after 2 seconds they shake and are tired. (rectified) Left leg feels like it is not co-ordinating it feels heavy and tired compared to my right leg.

Sudden tiredness lasts from minutes to hours and arrives and goes in a flash.

Ache in left calf muscle tingly numb toes and left foot.

Left Wrist- Strange numbness in one small area.

Right lower leg-small area of warmness then went away came back but covers more area etc, continues to spread over a few days.

Right toes feel cold like blood rushes out of them lasts a while then happens again.

Numbness on left side of left foot and left side of left hand fingers go numb and tingle as do the the toes. Left palm of hand occasionally feels like I am holding something in it. Area on left heel feels numb when touched or rubbed. (spreading upwards)

Pain in  arms and legs.

Tight left calf muscle notices when walking from ankle to knee joint.

Sharp pains happen everywhere (electric shock type pain)

Now the list has significantly grown, my symptoms have progressed some have become more pronounced. My symptoms seem to flair up and then calm down (not completely) some months my period sets them off for a while again. Even from seeing the neuro on Tuesday things have changed as my monthly cycle seemed to cause a flair up. The aching I am currenlty experiencing is horrible it feels like I am about to get pins and needles, it is occuring mostly in my left arm and hand. The left is significantly worse for symptoms than the right. Also muscle fatigue in left arm and leg is a new symptom for me and it really is terrible compared to how I was not long ago, very active with sports etc.

My neuro has done some bloods and ordered an MRI. The thing is though he said that my symptoms don't seem to fit any specific catagory of disease he said this is good news. He fleetingly mentioned MS hence the scan and blood tests but added "I would be very, very surprised if it is MS as your symptoms don't fit and I am the wrong age, I am 33. If my mri comes back crystal clear I am going to be discharged from the neurology department.

Do these symptoms fit MS? I know there are many mimics of this terrible illness but he didn't mention them either. Why would he be surprised if it is MS? I can't ignore them I have already tried thinking they may be in my head. I think he thinks I have read these symptoms on line and decided I have MS. But it is the other way round. I found my symptoms then looked them up. Not just from the first time I had experienced them but from them recurring over and over again.

I have n't had symptoms of Optic neuritis but I am having pain arund the eye and what feels like the eyeball. Is this anything? it has been going on all week.

I know you are not doctors but you are the people who are suffering with MS and your advice and sharing of your knowledge and experiences are a great help and have been to me since 2010. So thank you all again.

By the way he did some tests in his office which lasted a couple of minutes, he did the babinski test with my socks still on! grr

[Sailorsong]

First off I would think about finding another Neuro because of the age thing.  if you google ms age of onset you will see that MS can start anywhere between 10 and 80. But the average age of onset is 30 to 34. This would mean you are in the prime age for onset of MS. For your Neuro to say you are the wrong age means he either doesn't know anything about MS or he just doesn't want to deal with a patient with MS.

Both the ears and flu like headache sound like allergies to me. I spent many years suffering with allergies to just about everything and what you describe sounds just like what I was going through. But then about 7 years ago that all stopped for some reason. The only thing I can think of for this change was I moved from a large city to the country.  

The rest of the things you mentioned in your last post do sound neurological and could be from MS or the many mimics.

Dennis

[ohpenny]

Thank you for the time taken to read and reply to my message. You have actually highlighted what could be part of the problem with the neuro. It is very difficult to explain and have others understand what you mean when trying to get accross how particular symptoms feel. How I explain things maybe different to how others would try to explain so i suppose it gets very confusing.

Just to clarify,

I have had blocked ears for many years and i realise this is not a symptom of ms, but may explain why my balance is so terrible. Hence the ENT. They feel full, similar to being on an aeroplane.

Flu type headache.m I was experiencing this on a daily basis, basically it felt like I was coming down with a head cold, every afternoon this would occur, however recently my headaches come in flair ups.

Speech issues-for me this occurs periodically and i basically stutter and get stuck on certain letters, f,s being the main ones. I never used to have this problem. Sometimes i slurr, i don't drink either.

burning skin- i often experience, during a flair up, small hot patches of skin which I feel inside but not to the touch, there are no marks its just what i can feel, this is accompanied by a burning mouth and tingly hot lips.

I have had a strange tiredness symptom for a very long time, looking back probably the first symptom i had, but didn't realise. It is not like being tired at the end of a long busy day, it can come on any time and i feel as though I am drained of all my energy and it feels very extreme compared to normal tiredness, it can last a while but it can dissapear without having rested. But not every time.

I kept having a sensation where the smaller toes on my right foot would suddenly go cold.

The pains in the arms and legs is very simiair to just before you get pins and needles, but without the pins and needles the aches just stay and last a long time, arms legs wrists feet etc.

sharp pains occur in ankles.

The neuro said i am the wrong age for ms. As far as I am aware the mri is of my brain only, he didn't mention one for the spine. I have never felt such fatigue in my legs before, this is far far worse in my left leg. I also now walk with a limp (to the left side) to compensate for my balance being off. This never used to be either, it is getting to the stage also where I am struggling to get my foot to clear the floor. It's all very strange.

Thanks again for your time

[doublevision1]

where I put questions marks, I did not know whether those symptoms are seen in MS.  If anyone else knows, or if I am off base on any of the above, please chime in.  And apologies for the typos!

[doublevision1]

Re: whether your symptoms sound like MS symptoms, here's my take below.  Where I wasn't clear what you meant, I asked for details.

Remember that just because some of your symptoms are syptoms of MS, does not mean that you have MS.  As you understand, MS has many mimics and the differential diagnosis is extensive.  


Blocked ears - not sure what you mean by this
balance issues - yes

Head/face pains and aches (mainly left side sharp pain) - could be trigeminal neuralgia, seen in MS and other conditions

Pulling head pain bottom back right.- yes

Flu type headache - ?

speech issues -can you be more specific?  do you mean slurred speech, hoarse voice, word finding difficulty, etc?

Hot burning feet (use cooling spray)  - yes.  does the cooling spray help only when you're using it or does the relief last afterwards?

Occasional cold face, goosebumps (left side)  - ?

Tingling/numbness-Hands (mainly left), feet lips, face (left side) - yes

aching hands - yes

Muscle twitches, thumb, thigh, tummy area, upper left arm (pressing on bladder) some lasting weeks.

Skin sensations-burning speckles all over  - yes
lips producing more saliva, raining on skin. Burning inside of mouth and on tongue. - ?

Dexterity, finger and hand pain-occasionally struggle to move and co-ordinate fingers - yes

Left Arm-Tightness around top of left arm (lasted 3 days) arm with aches/pins and needles /numb patches in left hand/fingers followed by  heavy tired arm struggling to use without having to keep resting . This symptom returns periodically feeling bruised also around the elbow - yes to all

Right Arm- occasional aches and numbness in finger ends  - yes

Leg aches (both) cannot flex ankles forward after 2 seconds they shake and are tired. (rectified) Left leg feels like it is not co-ordinating it feels heavy and tired compared to my right leg. - yes

Sudden tiredness lasts from minutes to hours - yes
and arrives and goes in a flash - ?

Ache in left calf muscle tingly numb toes and left foot.

Left Wrist- Strange numbness in one small area - yes

Right lower leg-small area of warmness then went away came back but covers more area etc, continues to spread over a few days - yes

Right toes feel cold like blood rushes out of them lasts a while then happens again - ?

Numbness on left side of left foot and left side of left hand fingers go numb and tingle as do the the toes. Left palm of hand occasionally feels like I am holding something in it. Area on left heel feels numb when touched or rubbed. (spreading upwards) - yes to all

Pain in  arms and legs - can you describe?.

Tight left calf muscle notices when walking from ankle to knee joint - yes

Sharp pains happen everywhere (electric shock type pain)  - if you mean they randomly migrate, I understand this is not typical in MS.  Electric shock pain yes, but in my experience this occurs in the specific areas, and pverr time may spread from original site of this sensation.


The eye pain that you describe can be a sympotm of optic neuritis.  Usually vision is affected, but not always.

Did your neuro tell you that 33 is the "wrong age" to get MS?  This is inaccurate.  Most often first MS shows up  between age 20 - 40, but it can happen to anyone at any age, from children to the elderly.

It's good you will be getting an MRI.  Will it be of just your brain or spinal cord as well.  Hopefully, both as many of the sensory symptoms you describe in your limbs could be caused by spinal cord lesions.

Has your neuro discussed with you the other diagnositc tests (lumbar puncture, evoked potentials) usually done to rule out or dx MS?