Is this MS?

[Alline]

I woke up on 8/19 with Vertigo.  I went to my GP and he gave me antivert and said it should go away in 2 wks.  It did not.  Then I went to an ENT who said everything was fine.  I've had my eyes dialated and they looked fine.  I'm not dizzy anymore but now I have weakness in my legs and some times my face feels weird.  When this first happened, I also felt like my right arm was heavy.  This comes and goes.  I've had a head MRI and CT which came back normal.  I'm going back to my GP to see if he will refer me to a nuerologist.

As a confession, i also saw a chiropracter.  After one adjustment, i couldn't open my mouth all the way.  I think the face thing started after that.  I've stopped going.  I'm extremely scared and can't sleep and have no appetite.

[Jazz101]

I am not taking any medications for the complicated migraines at the moment. I do have acid reflux disease and am taking 40 mg of a PPI each day.  I tried taking feverfew but found it made my heart race like mad so I stopped taking that.  However, ever since I stopped going to the chiropractor, my episodes of the complicated migraine have diminished significantly.  I do find, however, that I sometimes get mild episodes (numbness in feet, tingly limbs, face, etc) when there is a change in barometric pressure, if I am really tired or my sleep pattern changes.  I really hate taking medication of any sort and have decided to try and combat everything (including my reflux) with proper diet, rest and exercise.  Hard to do when you are a working mom with 2 kids but I'm trying!  So far it's helped somewhat but I still take the occasional extra strength tylenol for that hard to get rid of headache.  I understand your frustration and I wish I could be of more help.

[De-De]

I've just recently been diagnosed with "complicated migraine".  Never had any problems in the past with other than the occasional headache.  It began in the Spring with overall weakness, feeling like I was going to pass out and looking and feeling very much like I'm having a stroke.  I'm too young for this - 43. This "thing" has been unrelenting since then.  I'm having "episodes" at least 2 x week now.  It's been extremely difficult trying to hold down a career and family, but recently have realized that I have to make changes...reduced work hours, working from home.  I keep telling myself that these changes are temporary not permanent.  I've had every test in the book...CT's w/dye & w/o, MRI, MRA, Lumbar Punctures, EEGs, blood cultures, cardiac cath, cerebral cath, checked for all the autoimmune diseases, MS and vasculitis.  Results, normal, normal, normal.  However, recent cerebral cath found smaller than normal arteries in the back of the head.  Drs. say this is what they usually find in people with migraines.  Kinda makes the diagnosis more plausible.  Drs. tell me the key is to prevent these episodes from happening, boy, wouldn't I love that!  I'm taking Verapamil 360 1x day and on aspirin therapy.  Within the last 2 weeks, have experienced neck pain (low right sided) that moves to the back of my skull.  Been to the internist who says that I now have an inflammation of the neck muscles.  Have you been successful with any medications to stop your attacks?  What are they?  I'm getting to the end of my rope and thinking of taking a trip to Cleveland!

[Kimmy]

Your only peace of mind will come from a neurologist.  With a normal MRI and CT of the brain I doubt it is MS.  I developed a similar list of symptoms and it turned out to be a viral infection that caused some minor inflammation within my head.  Causing vertigo, ringing in my ears, stiffness in my jaw, fatigue and somnolence.  After three months of this my internist Rx a Medrol Dose pack.  It worked.  I think you've possibly got yourself really scared over something that can be a minor problem.  Your lack of sleep will exhaserbate your symptoms or cause additional non-related symptoms to develope.  Within this stress you might be grinding your teeth at night and not know it causing the jaw pain.  Relax.  Go see the neuro and I'll bet you'll receive some peace of mind.  Health problems are scary, and can cause unneeded amounts of stress.  Skip the chiro until the neuro sees you.  Best of luck sweetie.

[Jazz101]

In the spring, I started going to the chiropractor regularly twice a week for shoulder/neck problems due to continuous computer work.  After about 3 or 4 weeks of treatment, I started getting tingly sensations down my arms and legs (mainly my left side) and my feet would go numb (felt like I was walking on  pillows) My face would also tingle and my tongue would go numb. I would also experience some vertigo and dizziness. Fearing M.S. or mini strokes, I had my doctor refer me to a neurologist who, after sending me for a battery of tests (carotid artery, echocardiogram, CT scan of the head) determined I was having complicated migraines as my tests all came back normal. (I used to get migraines quite regularly but their frequency had diminished over the years).  I didn't tell him about my trips to the chiro. as I didn't think at that time it could've been the cause.  I felt really good after my treatments.  Finally, after thinking about it, I quit going to the chiro. and the sensations stopped.  I still get my shoulder and neck aches but I have started massage therapy and try to do streching exercises regularly.  It has helped some.  I would stop going to the chiro. and see if this has any affect on your symptoms.  If not, have your GP refer you to a neurologist for tests.  In the meantime, don't worry about it...it's probably something very minor.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

I'm glad that your testing thus far has not shown anything and that some of your symptoms have abated. It's normal to be concerned when you have neurological symptoms that are unexplained. But it's quite possible that your new symptoms are related to the chiropractic manipulations. A complication that has been well described in the literature is tearing of the artery/ies in your neck such as the carotid or vertebral causing a stroke in your brain or brainstem. These can cause focal neurological symptoms that can be picked up by a formal neuro exam and MRI with special studies. However, this would not include the dizziness which could have been benign positional vertigo or could have stemmed from any pre-existing cervical spine disease.

As for the diagnosis of MS, the normal eye exam and MRI are reassuring that there is no overt lesions as of now. I agree that a neurological consult would be very helpful in making sure everything is ok. Best of luck to you.