Again....symptoms of MS

[Heather3418]

This is something that needs to be repeated.  There have been many posts that are attributing too many symptoms they are having, to MS.  In most cases, any symptom not in the information below can be SECONDARY to "possible" MS.

Please read the symptoms below.  This was taken directly from the MS Society Website:

Bladder Dysfunction  
Bowel Dysfunction
Changes in Cognitive Function, including problems with memory, attention, and problem-solving
Dizziness and Vertigo
Depression and other Emotional Changes
Fatigue (also called MS lassitude)  
Difficulty in Walking and/or Balance or Coordination Problems
Abnormal sensations such as Numbness or “pins and needles” Numbness
Pain
Optic Neuritis
Spasicity

Less Common Symptoms

Headache
Hearing Loss
Itching
Seizures
Speech and Swallowing Disorders
Dysphagia (Swallowing Problems)
Tremor  

[Heather3418]

There are certainly others, but YOU represent what this forum is REALLY all about.

Your post and humor made me smile.  Despite all that you go through, you still have the innate ability to make us laugh.

Gosh I love you....Heather

[TonkaSpirit]

This is a good subject.  It brought out some passion out of some of us--including me.  I just came from another doctor's apt. though and am still frustrated over knowing nothing still.  I have been feeling so much better lately, sometimes the last 6 months seems like a bad dream, except for ta-da------my temperature sensitivity, light sensitivity, and what  I call "the creepy-crawlers", those vibrating twitchy shakes, and an abnormal drippy feeling on my face------I know most of you can interpret my silly descriptions.  None of these symptoms causes me pain, although I have had PAIN, those painful muscle spasms, sharp-stabbing facial pain, and migraines.  I hope to never get them again.  Those hurt.  Oh yeah, it still takes me forever it seems to pee still!  Just in case any of you were wondering....HaHaHaHa.......Everyone here is so smart and kind.  I wish we could all go camping together and eat smores.  Happy Holidays and the feelings of good health to you all!!!!
Much love & hugs, Terrie

[Heather3418]

Yes there are moderators on this forum.

Hope you get to feeling better soon.

Heather

[PlateletGal]

P.S. -- are you a moderator on the site ? Cindy had told me once that they did not have moderators here. Did that change ??

[PlateletGal]

Hi Heather,

I don't take anything personally. This was written by a physician, a Harvard graduate, who is an expert in CFS. Unfortunately, like MS, people don't realize how disabling CFS is either. In addition, many of us have overlapping conditions. I know I have chemical sensitivities and possibly some fibromyalgia symptoms. It makes it rough on physicians to diagnose and really... to do accurate research sometimes. You know how many CFS patients have been diagnosed with lyme disease and vice versa ? The people on the protocol I'm on now have various diseases, but all of us share so many of the same symptoms ! We just tell everyone we have a Th1 inflammatory disease. = )

All the best,

PlateletGal

[cjacks]

I didn't mean my post to sound flip ... I know this is a seriuos subject

[cjacks]

Hi.

There seems to be some upset going on in a couple of the posts today.. most be atmospheric pressure ( My friend and I make this joke OFTEN)..  I wish I had some great wise words but that's the best I can do.

Heather you have been doing an excellent job as moderator . I am truly sorry you are feeling so unwell this week and for you I know this means pain. As I have only experienced it for a small amount of it  , I don't know how you and the others do it .  Its a true wonderment!!!!   As moderator are you able to take a brake if you're not feeling up to par??  

Feel better soon

Your local weather person

Jo

P.S. Sorry about the empty space at the top, I'm am not proficient at this YET!!

[Heather3418]

Ess, I have learned enough about what YOU are going through to say that you DO understand and can speak with authority about this article....based on your OWN experiences, with what I personally believe very well could be MS.  But as you know, this is only an opinion and I am NOT a doctor.  I cannot diagnose you.  I go merely, by what I know about your specific case.

Yeah the temperature regulation thing caught me off guard too.  Remember the post of last week, where we were all talking about hot and cold  Boy was that a good post.  Too bad, Dr. Bell doesn't read it.  It could really give him some information.

I AM glad that Platelatgirl posted this though.  It gives us an idea of what kinds of things are out there and what is being said about MS and other diseases   You know, it's no wonder there is so much confusion for people going through limbo-land.  Gosh, I shudder when I think about it.

Heather  

[essdipity]

I can't comment with Heather's authoriity, having no diagnosis. However, I've learned a lot here and elsewhere about MS symptoms. I totally agree with Heather. This man is way off base in some regards. No temperature regulation problems? Hah! No muscle pain? Double hah!!

ess

[Heather3418]

White I write this, please understand that I am merely talking about the article NOT anything you state.  So it's nothing personal

There is a part of that article just to point out one ot two things about MS and pain.  As a MS patient for going on 13 years, I can tell you with absolute certainty that PAIN is a HUGE part of MS.

There can also small lesions or large lesions with MS.  Fatigue with MS IS a crushing type of fatigue, not just mere weariness.  Please trust me on this.

There are many parts of the article that are simply not true statements.  This misrepresent what MS is REALLY about.  So instead of picking out each and every piece that I find not "true to form," I will just stick with a couple.

As an MS patient, some of this man's article actually upsets me.  Because it's so untrue.  I have felt the FULL brunt of MS this past week, so I am not up to par.  I apologize in advance if I upset anyone with my comments about this article by Dr. Bell.  I would like to meet with the man personally and tell him what MS is REALLY all about.

Thanks for posting this though.  I took from it what I wanted and discarded what I couldn't use.  But I thank you for posting it.  Gives us something to discuss amongst each other.

Heather

[PlateletGal]

Here is something that may also help diagnose some of the patients that are here looking for answers. Many CFS patients share many symptoms that MS patients do.  ~ PlateletGal

The Lyndonville Journal:

Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

David S. Bell, MD, FAAP

Published in Lyndonville News, March 1999

For the majority of patients with CFS, the diagnosis is relatively simple. The pattern of fatigue, malaise, muscle and joint pain, headaches and cognitive problems makes the diagnosis if standard blood tests are normal. There is really no other illness quite like it. The pattern of CFS is so distinct that patients are easily able to recognize it in others. But some patients have symptoms that are weighted more toward the neurological and the distinction between CFS and multiple sclerosis (MS) becomes difficult. I recently saw a patient who has been to about twenty physicians. Some said she had MS, some said CFS, and some that she was a fruitcake. In this person the thin line between CFS and MS became blurred, a very important distinction as treatment options for MS differ widely from those of CFS. After evaluating this pleasant woman, I was still not sure whether the proper diagnosis was CFS or MS, but she definitely was not a fruitcake. I will never understand why so many physicians insist on this diagnosis when they are baffled. The purpose of this article is to note the differences between MS and CFS for the minority of patients where there is confusion.

Fatigue is usually different in MS than CFS. Typically the fatigue of CFS is a crushing exhaustion, while the fatigue of MS is more of a "burned-out" tiredness. The diagnosis of MS is made mostly by the true muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and abnormal reflexes, rarely seen in CFS. MS rarely has muscle pain, temperature regulatory disturbances, sore throat, lymph node pain, and abdominal pain. But the symptoms of some patients may be strikingly similar.

When symptoms are heavily neurologic, laboratory testing is useful in distinguishing between the two illnesses. In CFS the MRI scan of the brain may have small punctuate areas of high intensity, but not the big blotches of MS. While these high intensity areas are of questionable significance in CFS, the big areas of MS are not. It is rare that the high intensity areas are midway between CFS and MS, but it does happen. Visual evoked response and brain stem evoked responses are usually normal in CFS and abnormal in MS. If a patient has true optic neuritis, MS is the diagnosis. It should be noted that CFS patients have many eye symptoms, but eye examination is normal, without true optic neuritis. And most importantly, the spinal fluid of MS patients contains "oligoclonal bands" something that is not found in CFS. By itself this is probably the single most important differentiating factor, but it requires a spinal tap. If the diagnosis of MS is in doubt I would usually suggest a spinal tap to clarify the issue. While a spinal tap is not much fun, it should be able to help with the diagnosis. In summary, the separation would be as follows:

Illness CFS / MS

Symptoms:

Fatigue +/ +
Muscle pain +/ -
True muscle weakness -/ +
Joint pain + /-
Headache + /+
Sore Throat +/ -
Lymph node pain +/--
Cognitive + /+
Urinary incontinence - /+
Temperature instability +/-
Abdominal pain + /-
Eye symptoms + /+
Numbness/tingling +/ +


Physical examination:

Pallor + /+
Muscle wasting -/ +
Muscle weakness -/ +
Abnormal reflexes - /+


Laboratory:

Visual evoked response - / +
Brain stem evoked response -/ +
MRI small lesions / big lesions
Oligoclonal bands - / +

source:

http://www.pediatricnetwork.org/medical/CFS/bell-commentary/ms-cfs.htm

[worried houswife]

Thank you for the information.  There are some symptoms listed here that I never contributed to my possible MS before and have not comunicated with my Dr.  This may explain why he seems confused.  I have been reluctant to discuse my mood swings, and cognitive problems in fear they would write me off as a nut or something.  Now I am more confident that I can discuse this with him.

[Rena705]

Great idea Heather...there has been a bit of confusion and this should really help to clear up that confusion!

[Heather3418]

There has been some confusion on the board in some posts (not yours) that are talking about some symptoms that are not related to MS.  I post this merely to help some understand what the primary symptoms of MS are, so they can use it as a guideline.

So this is for information only....

[Heartshome]

Sorry, I'm a bit confused by this post. What is it that you are trying to convey to us?

[Heather3418]

Please note that this is a list of common symptoms and not so common symtpoms.  It in no way describes the course of MS.  Such as relapses and remissions.  Please do not confuse what I am trying to convey.  I am merely trying to list the symptoms.  Can there be a few other's not listed, yes.  Can you have some of these symptoms but not all listed?  Yes.