Does this sound like MS? Opinions would be appreciated....

Hi, My name's Jeff Haynes, I'm from Toronto Canada....
I'm 28 years old, never had any significant health problems up until last December.

In December 2009 I started to get a tingling burning sensation in my back around my left shoulder blade, after a week or so I started to notice my right shoulder blade was also sore...by the end of December the burning spread to my upper abdomen (the upper most part of my stomach) The burning would go back and forth between my back and stomach....My family doctor didn't know what was causing it....then about a month ago at the end of May...I caught a cold and sore throat from my girlfriend...well that virus set off something and my nerves went haywire...I started getting extreme weakness and tingling in both legs and to a lesser extent my arms...the weakness and tingling is bilateral and comes and goes in waves....I also get tingling between my scrotum and rectum from time to time......then my eyelids started burning pretty bad...that lasted a couple days leaving my eyes red and weak....I've also felt tingling in the back of my head along with pretty frequent dizzy spells...this has been going on for a month now...my initial problems with my burning shoulder blades and top of stomach are still present....I'm unable to work and waiting to see a specialist....I'm very scared....I have a 10 month old son and I'm praying I'm gonna be ok....  Does this sound like MS?? Lyme?? Any input or opinions would be appreciated!

[Londres70]

Has your family physician done any basic labs at all?  

He/she can rule out Lyme's Disease by ordering blood tests.  

I cannot say this could NOT be MS, but I don't think so.  

Post in the MS Forum too.    

[Shortyrock]

Hey, Thanks for your reply...
I've been tested for Lyme...haven't received the results yet..
I've also posted in the MS forum...
All my weakness and tingling is bilateral...and started with back pain ..is that common in MS??

- Jeff

[Londres70]

You can have these symptoms with MS, but keep in mind you can have these symptoms with alot of other conditions, diseases and disorders.  That is why I asked you if you have had any labs drawn.  I know you mentioned a lab for Lyme's, but any other labs?  Your PCP/Family Physician can also order an MRI of the head/brain with CONTRAST to check for MS lesions.  

Secondly, what kind of specialist are you seeing and when?  

[Shortyrock]

All I know is that they tested for Lyme....
I have an appointment on Wednesday with a Neurologist....but I don't think I can make it till then....The burning and weakness in my arms and legs is getting so intense that I can barely stand or hold a cup.....I will be going to the ER soon...I'm very scared....I hope they admit me and run tests there....I'm praying I'll be ok....

[Cathy122169]

Hi Jeff -

I am no doctor, so please do not consider this medical advice, but experiencial advice, but I definitely know my way around the symptoms you are describing - all too well. There are 2 specific areas that I keyed in on - the initial visit to your GP with nerve related pain and then catching a bad flu from your GF. It sounds to me like a post viral autoimmune reaction - sometimes our bodies can attack peripheral nerves and cause alot of irritation and damage. It's our bodies way of doing a final sweep to rid the body of infectious agents - if there is something floating around your central nervous system that mimicks the inital infectious agent, your immune system will attack it - even though it is harmless and not causing infection, but only somewhat similar in it's proteins causing a mimicking of the inital infection your immune system fought off.

If you can barely stand or hold a cup I think you should be checked out immediately. Do not rely soley on info here - this is a support and info exchange site and we are not medically trained.

I have had the same symptoms after I had the H1N1 vacc - in my case my immune system did the same thing - kinda the same mechanism but I did not catch a flu.

Inflamed nerves are a total b#!tch and can take a long time to heal up.

I have been there and I believe you should see a doctor and get checked out. They will run tests and check your motor skills, muscles etc. They will rule out something called Guillane Barre Syndrome (GBS), which is impartant to do.

If you want immediate attention call an ambulance and get there so you will get priority treatment - they take these things really seriously.

Good luck and let me know how it goes either by replying here or to me privately.

Cathy

[Shortyrock]

Here's an update....
I called an Ambulance on June 26th...
I was admitted to hospital that night by the ER doctor who suspected Guillaine-Barre syndrome or Myathenis Gravis....They did a CT of my spine...an MRI of my brain and spine...and an EMG...all came back normal..they also ran blood tests to check for Thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies...those were normal too....This is a rather small hospital close to where I live and the neurologists that work in this hospital have offices 30 minutes away and are rarely ever actually at the hospital....I was released today after 9 days in the hospital..still with no answers..and still barely being able to walk due to the burning and weakness in my legs and arms...they told me to just keep following up with the neuro.....I feel like not enough investigating was done....how do they just send me home without a Diagnosis and barely being able to function??? Should they not have done a lot more tests??? Spinal tap Maybe?? I'm considering going through this all over again at a bigger hospital with more resources...What does everybody think???

-Jeff

[Shortyrock]

???????

[dvjd2010]

Hi, I'm no doctor and my advice may be way off. I had a injury which was not severe at all, but it set off all these weird things that I couldn't explain. Long story short. Get checked out for Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome 'CRPS". Unless your doctors are know about this Syndrome they will miss it and miss diagnose you.

With all the testing you have been through, ask your doctor about it and ask to have a 3 layer bone scan.

Right now I take a nerve blocker Gabantin to help with this crazy disease. Good luck and I hope this helps.

[Shortyrock]

........just updating........
I've decided I'm going to check myself into a bigger hospital with more resources...my legs are still very weak...I'll be heading to the ER this afternoon....
Hoping for some answers....and praying I'll be ok.....
Thank you guys for all your help.....cross your fingers for me
I'll update as soon as I'm able to....hopefully with news..

- Jeff