What should I ask the Neuro now?

[HollyHuney]

Hi Everyone! My name is Holly, I just joined because I have been seeing a Neuro and am starting to go through some tests (again! UGH) Hopefully some of you can shed some light or similar experiences with me so I know what to talk to my Neuro about. Thanks a bunch in advance!

Ok, back in 2001, I started getting right sided numbness, not tingling, just "dead" numb. Nothing hurt, it wasn't painful. My face, head, shoulder, arm, body, hip, leg, etc (The ENTIRE right side) Went to Boston and spoke to an MS specialist (I thought Boston was supposed to have the best, however, I got the flake! Couldn't even do an LP on me, told me I had scholiosis! Yeah, real winner! LOL Didn't go back to him!) Nothing came from that appointment, then I found a Neuro close to home, He did an MRI and LP. Nothing of substance showed. Nothing in LP, nothing on MRI. I had lived with the numbness for a good 6+ months at this time and decided just to "deal" with it and didn't continue testing (Yeah I know, young and stupid! LOL)

I continued with the numbness, but it subsided. Sometimes it was bad (to the point I felt like the right side of my face was sagging, but wasn't), sometimes it was almost completely gone. I developed an eye twitch of the right eye, outside corner and lid. Figured it was stress, so I ignored it. After some time, it became less and less frequent. Had some hand tremors for a while, but that also subsided and only "visits" me occasionally.

Now, in 2009, I am getting some more symptoms. Again, nothing is painful, just numb! Now I am getting numbness that sets in within seconds in both my arms and all 10 fingers. Tingly AND dead type feeling. Normally happens when I am doing something with them, washing dishes, talking on the phone, writing a letter, etc. My right leg has started the numbness/tingly, dead feeling also. (Mostly while I sit on the couch or while driving, gets kinda scary during the driving!) My Neuro scheduled a couple tests - another MRI, a Nerve Conduction Velocities, A Visual Evoked Potential, a Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential, a Somatosensory Evoked Potential - Upper and Lower.

So I went to all my tests and MRI this past week. Man oh man, I felt like I had just been ran over with a mack truck! Couple of the tests I think I failed on. I questioned the tech and she wouldn't give me any info, but that's not her job to analyize the results.

I had something really weird happen to me though during the test. I was doing the upper SSEP, and during the 500 (x 2) shocks to my right hand it felt like the shocks were varying. Like they fluctuated from soft to hard, slow to fast. After the first round of 500 I asked the tech if those were supposed to be fluctuating and she told me that it was a steady pulse and strength. My peaks in my right arm (the one .with the fluctuating feeling) were 21. What is the norm for peak numbers in arms? I've look all over and can't find the answer.

Also, during the left arm, right arm and right leg "shock therapy" (LOL) I actually fell asleep, I could barely feel the shocks. (Yeah, tech told me I was snoring, that's how relaxed I was LOL)

Oh forgot to mention, my memory has been terrible lately! Also, I've been having the occasional right sided blurry vision, losing my balance, walking a straight line then somehow the wall jumps out in front of me, seems funny now, but when it happens it isn't! LOL

Last year a psycologist diagnosed me with Bi-polar type 2 (my emotions can fluctuate minute to minute) and ADHD. I know I have read that depression is one of the many symptoms and fatigue is also. If I don't take my adderall (adderrall) for my ADHD I could sleep all day, however this isn't always, 7 times out of 10 I'm tired. But I am really wondering if this could all be tied in together!

My grandmother on my father's side AND my father both had PD. Two of my cousins have MS. Numerous strokes and TIA's in the family. I don't know where to look!

Any thoughts / advice / really funny jokes (lol) are much appreciated! I would really like to know if any of this has happened to anyone else here, or am I the only one in the world with this really weird stuff going on!


Thanks a bunch everyone,
Holly

[ILADVOCATE]

Multiple sclerosis can cause moodswings and personality changes similar to bipolar. What you described physically sounds like MS as well. But only a neurologist could make an exact diagnosis. Perhaps you could contact the chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation nearest to you to find a referral to a neurologist who specializes in MS and would understand it better.

[HollyHuney]

Thanks for the comment hun. I have done tons and tons of research and, to me, everything does point towards MS, however, with the PD on my father's side of the family, I had to throw that question out there.

Thanks for the reference to the MS Foundation. I will check it out and see about getting a second opinion if my current Neuro doesn't find anything in the tests I just took.

Thanks again.