What could this be?

[Pgon]

I have been experiencing some tingling in my extremities (most on my right side) for the past couple of months.  The doctor first told me to stop drinking alcohol although I didn't think I drank a lot.  I stopped totally for 3 weeks but still had tingling...a lot in my foot and lower leg.  I then started having the occasional spot of a frozen feeling...like when the freezing starts to come out after a visit to the dentist...on my arm, face and leg.  Next he thought it could be a vitamin B12 deficiency so I started taking a multiple vitamin.  The feelings were coming and going with a few days between.  The last couple of days I have been having more frozen spots on my right side and face (including my eye) that are lasting for a longer period of time and a weird feeling in my head.  There is a feeling of pressure behind my nose with the occasional small headache.  Does anyone have any idea what this could be?  Thank you for any help you can give me.

[aldez]

Hi, all of the symptoms you describe on  your post are symptoms that I and I am sure other MSers have had but that doesn't mean you have MS.

Let me explain:

MS is a very unpredictable illness and each and every person that has it would experience it different from another MSer.

Optic Neuritis is a very common (first symptom) in MS. Usually affects one eye but just to show you I had Optic Neuritis during my 1st. and 2nd. Attacks and both of my eyes were affected. You might want to look at  http://www.ms-multiple-sclerosis-symptoms.com/Optic-neuritis.html

On your post you mentioned ” The last couple of days I have been having more frozen spots on my right side and face (including my eye) that are lasting for a longer period of time and a weird feeling in my head." I would make an appointment with a good neurologist (one with experience in Multiple Sclerosis) and discuss with him or her all the symptoms you have mentioned. You might want to visit http://ms-multple-sclerosis-symptoms.com/MS-symptoms.html

I can tell you that when it comes to diagnosing MS a lot of times it is very difficult to reach a definite diagnosis. My first neuro told me that if nothing happens in the next 5 years I had nothing to worry about (A year after that I had my second episode).

You can read more about some of the usual test performed to diagnose MS at http://www.ms-multiple-sclerosis-symptoms.com/diagnosing-multiple-sclerosis.html. I hope this information helps you. Take care.

Alex

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. You have been having tingling and numbness all over your body including your face, some vague headache sensation, not responding to cessation of alcohol and multivitamin supplementation. Cervical disc prolapsed or degeneration cannot be responsible for these neurological sensory symptoms. A strong degree of suspicion needs to be kept for multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating neurological disorder where the disease phase is characterized by active phase and remissions. It has multiple symptoms and signs and is a diagnosis of exclusion. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis are loss of balance, muscle spasms, numbness in any area, problems with walking and coordination, tremors in one or more arms and legs. Bowel and bladder symptoms include frequency of micturition, urine leakage, eye symptoms like double vision uncontrollable rapid eye movements, facial pain, painful muscle spasms, tingling, burning in arms or legs, depression, dizziness, hearing loss, fatigue etc. You have many of these symptoms. The treatment is essentially limited to symptomatic therapy so the course of action would not change much whether MS has been diagnosed or not. Apart from clinical neurological examination, MRI shows MS as paler areas of demyelination, two different episodes of demyelination separated by one month in at least two different brain locations. Spinal tap is done and CSF electrophoresis reveals oligoclonal bands suggestive of immune activity, which is suggestive but not diagnostic of MS. Demyelinating neurons, transmit nerve signals slower than non-demyelinated ones and can be detected with EP tests. These are visual evoked potentials, brain stem auditory evoked response, and somatosensory evoked potential. Slower nerve responses in any one of these is not confirmatory of MS but can be used to complement diagnosis along with a neurological examination, medical history and an MRI and a spinal tap. Take care.