numbness and tingling

[Lottoburrito]

Hello
I hope someone can help.
I'm posting on behalf of my wife. She is 34, a mother of 2, realtively fit, healthy, good diet - but she has a worrying numbpatch on her back, half way up, to the right, spreading to the left.
It causes her no real pain - but she has now started to experience severe tingling and intense pins and needle feelings in her hands (her right more than her left but often both) sometimes her thigh, and occaionally her upper arms.

Sometimes this pain is intense - so much so that she can't sleep at night. Yet at other times, she can experience no symptoms for weeks.
She has been to the doctors and they are in the process of testing her for what seems like every ailment on god's earth. But he did casually mention that it looked like the early symptoms of Multiple sclerosis, which wasn't really that helpful.
Can anyone shed any light on this?

many, many thanks

[Garveypup]

I don't have thyroid issues--had all the tests for thyroid--and was convinced that I had m.s. because I had a sudden onset of "buzzing" in my right foot, replaced by tingling and partial numbness of the balls of both feet, the valley between the balls and toes, and my toes.  Pretty panicked, I went to my internist who agreed that a b-12 of 300 warranted treatment (she, like many in the medical community, think that below 400 can make or b12 deficiency).  Anyway, I am scheduled for a daily shot of b12, for the next four days, after getting my first shot, today, and already my feet are thawing.  She wanted to try b12 shots before sending me to the neurologist because she didn't want me unnecessarily exposed to the claustrophobia of the MRI and the assault on my kidneys from gadalinium (sp?).  Given that I am not much of a meat-eater and that b12 is best absorbed through injection, I will likely be titrated down to a monthly shot.  B12 is majorly undiagnosed and informs everything from restless legs to fatigue to breathlessness to parasthesia and more.

[worried415]

i have to say that my symptoms come and go..but i feel ive never had a real "attack" with a definate start and stop time.  If i have its been very mild...and i didnt recgnize it a s an attack..but i cant remember a time where they lasted at least 24 hours and during that time they always seem to wax and wane...   In lyme, are the symtpoms always there?  

anyway, im going to an ms center in NJ on 2/22. wish me luck!
The dr. there is from the Cleveland Clinic...I'll know one way or the other as scared as I am, it has to be done.

[lat67]

Hi,

I too am a mother of two with similar issues.  What I can tell you is I have spent two years going to neuro's and MS specialists.  Ms has been ruled out.  I then in May was dx with lyme disease and am in treatment.   I would get your wife into a neuroligist and have some testing done....like MRI'S with contrast, evocked response and even a lumbar puncture.  If all these are clear and normal seriously look into Lyme disease....it can mimic MS.

Good luck,

email me if you have any questions.

***@****

lesley

[worried415]

I am also a mom of 2 and have had ms-like symptoms for 18 years!!
I was tested 15 years ago for ms, which they ruled out back then, but I have had other symptoms since--mainly vision and sensations (tingling, numbness, burning)..i now have some muscle twitching or jumping (mild), and my first main symptoms was with the bladder.
anyway, here I am more than 15 years later and finally scheduled another appt. with a neuro/ms specialist.
My post with details is under 1/8??? i think and im worried 415.

What kind of dr. diagnosed lyme and what were your symptoms?

[cat457]

Hi Lotto,
Over the last 18 years, did your symptoms come and go or have they been all the time?
I agree with Lat (Lesley)--have a complete neurological work-up and if they find nothing, you may want to pursue a Lyme Literate Doctor.  As Lat says, Lyme mimics so many different diseases.
Also, Primetime is going to air the MS/Lyme mystery sometime in February.  Check at their website for the date.
Good luck!

[cjzabel]

I have read that with ms there tends to be definant start and stop times with the symptoms clearing or getting alot better in bettween, there is something called progresive ms but from what I read its rare. You should look into other causes like Lupus, B-12 deficiancy, and possibly Lyme disease. If it is ms it is very treatable. From what you write her symptoms seem to wax and wain as well as change positions which does not sound to much like ms. Hope this helps a little thats all I can realy say as I am not a doctor. God bless