Could this still be MS?

[smmr211]

Hi,

I am a 30 yo female and I have been having neurological symptoms for the past 5 weeks. It started with the fingers in my right hand losing sensation (I would say numbness but this always implies tingling and there is no tingling just lost sensation) along with dizziness. The week after this started I woke up with very heaving legs and severe weakness in both, walking was very difficult. It got better by the end of the day but I was not back to normal completely. I was weak and stiff and dizzy for the next week, I had a tremor in my right hand when I was holding something, even something very light (I noticed it when stamping checks at work) and I was having trouble with dexterity in my right hand also, like picking up something small or flipping a paperclip over. The week after this I noticed the inside of my lips were going numb. By the next day the left side of my tongue and face were swollen and numb. The right side was completely normal. This again started to get better by that evening but the next day I felt incredibly stiff all over and weak legs again, also some pain in my legs around the joints.

Since that last new symptom I have still be weak and tired, and very shaky all over. My legs shake when I walk down stairs and my right hand still shakes when I am using it. I also am very twitchy. It's funny to say that but my arms or legs will twitch and I don't seem to be able to sit still very well. I have been having muscle spasms randomly in an arm or a leg and yesterday in my ab muscles as well which was very weird. I have had muscle spasms for years and they will just randomly come and go quickly but the ones I have been having lately are lasting for minutes at a time.

These same types of symptoms happened a year and a half ago but mainly in my legs. The same weakness and heaviness happened but to a worse degree actually, but I made a full recovery and it didn't go on for nearly as long. At that point my doctor noticed that I tested positive for CMV and attributed it to this (she didn't check for an active infection though and I know that once a person contracts CMV I will test positive for this always even if the infection isn't "active").

I have had a cranial MRI that came back negative and a whole host of blood work checking vitamin levels and an arthritis panel all coming back negative. I finally went to my first Neuro appointment today and we did a feel test that showed my right arm and hand, left leg, and left side of my face all have diminished sensation. One point on my left calf I had almost no feeling at all and she was poking me with a safety pin, not lightly I might add. The neurologist is not concerned with MS because my MRI came back negative. She said since my symptoms are "all over the place" she thinks it was just a viral infection. I have seen a doctor every week since this started and have never had a fever and there has never been a rash either....?

Could this still be MS or does this sound like it is something else? And at what point should I and how do I start pushing for a better diagnosis than "I don't know what is causing this but you seem to be slowly getting better"? I know I can get a second opinion but I hear that neurologists can be rather unhelpful as a whole and I tend to clam up when talking to the doctor just nodding and taking in what they say but not really contributing. I really just need some direction from people who have been in similar situations. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[Kittykat899]

I'd get a second opinion , but don't assume Ms :)

[Kittykat899]

I'm having symptoms similar to this ! Hope it isn't ms

[smmr211]

Hi, thank you for your help. No I have not had a spinal MRI just a cranial. If I'm understanding though you can have lesions in the spinal region and not the brain yes?

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome to our little MS community,

MS 'could be' one of the possible explanations, i would advice a second opinion with a neuro who specialises in MS and doesn't only focus on MRI evidence. If your neurologist isn't capable or bothered in discovering why "my right arm and hand, left leg, and left side of my face all have diminished sensation. One point on my left calf I had almost no feeling at all and she was poking me with a safety pin, not lightly I might add." it is probably in your best interest to get a second opinion and a better explanation than i don't know.

Not all neurologist are unhelpful, you could always ask your local MS society for their list of neurologist around your location, the MS society is less likely to recommend someone who's not got a good reputation with MSers.

Cheers..........JJ

btw have you had a spinal MRI?