Aa
Back again!
Hello out there. First I'd like to thank this forum, you are all a great source of information and support. So I posted here in Sep 2013 and I'm back again. Sadly. I'm an otherwise heathy 42 year old female. In 2013 I had an attack of vertigo come on suddenly along with parasthesias, and some minor arm and leg weakness. Vertigo came first, followed hours later by the rest of the supporting cast.
I had an awful virus/sinus infection at the time but after I asked Dr. Google about vertigo and tingling, every website said I had MS. I went to my doc whose wife has MS and he is knowledgeable and he didn't think I had MS but sent me to his neuro. My vertigo was uncomfortable then but manageable for me, I just learned to deal with it. The parasthesias were strange. Mostly burning sensations and then some little numb spots but they would constantly move around my body, often bilaterally. They'd change spots every so often, minutes or an hour first it was my shoulders and then 20 mins later my shins, then my neck.
Anyway, neuro said my reflexes were a little off but not terrible. Did nerve conduction test which was normal and sent me for a brain and spine MRI without contrast. Those I went for while I was in the middle of this episode about a week into it. Results? Normal MRIs. Doc said probably viral maybe TM but not sure. He said it would be better in a few weeks and I grasped onto that. And Lo and behold 2.5 weeks after first symptoms started, they all just stopped literally over two days. I should say before this episode I have NEVER had any neuro issues at all. Nothing. Not even a little vertigo, or a numb finger, nothing. So, life goes on.
Now I'm 2 years 7 months later completely symptom free. On 4/14 I woke up feeling a little vertigo and then by end of day, it was bad. Then next morning it was better for 2 days, still there but manageable. Then next day it was awful like I was holding onto things and so nauseous. Then it waxed and waned over the days, but never getting as bad. Parasthesias started the first night a few hours after vertigo. Like here come symptoms again! Parasthesias moving again and not always bilateral but often they were. Like both shoulders burning. Then 15 mins later they subsided but the tips of both thighs were cold. About a week into this I started getting leg weakness and wobblyness.
Like my legs felt shaky, like what happens when you are in bed without high fever and then get up and walk. You feel weird. Or like how you feel when you are shivering and you shake every few seconds. I also felt strange walking, as if my top of my body and the bottom with my legs weren't connected, but I looked like I walked fine. Proprioception maybe. I've never had anything remotely like this. Also, I kept doing Rombergs tests and when vertigo was bad I immediately felt swaying when I closed my eyes. Still feel that but not as bad. Also, was doing babinski on myself (not even sure you can) and didn't seem normal on right side tonight.
I have a Nyc ms neuro already in my sights. My worry is, I'm right in the middle of waiting for my disability and life and long term care insurances to process, and I have no interest in seeing a doc for this until those clear. Just in case this is MS I want that in place before hand. So I'm gutting this thing out myself. It's been 2 weeks today. Still have neuro symptoms. Vertigo has been better mild, legs still shaky. I feel off balance but not sure if that's ataxia or the vertigo making me feel off balance.
My question to you is, if my first episode in 2013 was a CIS would my MRI have been normal even though I had neuro issues? And, the fact that I'm in another attack of these symptoms but the vertigo is worse this time, and the off balance and Rombergs and leg weakness is worse...does it make sense that this may be a relapse of MS? I'm assuming I will find out when I get to the ms neuro which I'm expecting will be in another few weeks. Would an MRI in a first attack be totally and completely normal even in the presence of neuro symptoms clinically happening? If it's happening again, does that indicate ms? A second attack qualifies as MS? It all points to ms to me, except the clear MRI in 2013, and of course the fact that I'm not a doctor. I'm just going by clinical symptoms and Internet research. I also have read that parasthesias don't usually move around with ms during a flare, and not bilaterally much of the time or moving all over the body every 45 mins. But maybe I'm wrong and they do that. Right now the toes on both of my feet feel less sensation. But it's the ring finger toes on both sides. Weird.
Would appreciate your insight, seeing as how I need to wait a bit before I can get to the doctor. Thanks in advance :)
I had an awful virus/sinus infection at the time but after I asked Dr. Google about vertigo and tingling, every website said I had MS. I went to my doc whose wife has MS and he is knowledgeable and he didn't think I had MS but sent me to his neuro. My vertigo was uncomfortable then but manageable for me, I just learned to deal with it. The parasthesias were strange. Mostly burning sensations and then some little numb spots but they would constantly move around my body, often bilaterally. They'd change spots every so often, minutes or an hour first it was my shoulders and then 20 mins later my shins, then my neck.
Anyway, neuro said my reflexes were a little off but not terrible. Did nerve conduction test which was normal and sent me for a brain and spine MRI without contrast. Those I went for while I was in the middle of this episode about a week into it. Results? Normal MRIs. Doc said probably viral maybe TM but not sure. He said it would be better in a few weeks and I grasped onto that. And Lo and behold 2.5 weeks after first symptoms started, they all just stopped literally over two days. I should say before this episode I have NEVER had any neuro issues at all. Nothing. Not even a little vertigo, or a numb finger, nothing. So, life goes on.
Now I'm 2 years 7 months later completely symptom free. On 4/14 I woke up feeling a little vertigo and then by end of day, it was bad. Then next morning it was better for 2 days, still there but manageable. Then next day it was awful like I was holding onto things and so nauseous. Then it waxed and waned over the days, but never getting as bad. Parasthesias started the first night a few hours after vertigo. Like here come symptoms again! Parasthesias moving again and not always bilateral but often they were. Like both shoulders burning. Then 15 mins later they subsided but the tips of both thighs were cold. About a week into this I started getting leg weakness and wobblyness.
Like my legs felt shaky, like what happens when you are in bed without high fever and then get up and walk. You feel weird. Or like how you feel when you are shivering and you shake every few seconds. I also felt strange walking, as if my top of my body and the bottom with my legs weren't connected, but I looked like I walked fine. Proprioception maybe. I've never had anything remotely like this. Also, I kept doing Rombergs tests and when vertigo was bad I immediately felt swaying when I closed my eyes. Still feel that but not as bad. Also, was doing babinski on myself (not even sure you can) and didn't seem normal on right side tonight.
I have a Nyc ms neuro already in my sights. My worry is, I'm right in the middle of waiting for my disability and life and long term care insurances to process, and I have no interest in seeing a doc for this until those clear. Just in case this is MS I want that in place before hand. So I'm gutting this thing out myself. It's been 2 weeks today. Still have neuro symptoms. Vertigo has been better mild, legs still shaky. I feel off balance but not sure if that's ataxia or the vertigo making me feel off balance.
My question to you is, if my first episode in 2013 was a CIS would my MRI have been normal even though I had neuro issues? And, the fact that I'm in another attack of these symptoms but the vertigo is worse this time, and the off balance and Rombergs and leg weakness is worse...does it make sense that this may be a relapse of MS? I'm assuming I will find out when I get to the ms neuro which I'm expecting will be in another few weeks. Would an MRI in a first attack be totally and completely normal even in the presence of neuro symptoms clinically happening? If it's happening again, does that indicate ms? A second attack qualifies as MS? It all points to ms to me, except the clear MRI in 2013, and of course the fact that I'm not a doctor. I'm just going by clinical symptoms and Internet research. I also have read that parasthesias don't usually move around with ms during a flare, and not bilaterally much of the time or moving all over the body every 45 mins. But maybe I'm wrong and they do that. Right now the toes on both of my feet feel less sensation. But it's the ring finger toes on both sides. Weird.
Would appreciate your insight, seeing as how I need to wait a bit before I can get to the doctor. Thanks in advance :)
COMMUNITY LEADER
Dr google will definitely come up with MS for vertigo and tingling, vertigo is the name of a specific kind of dizziness, the sense that you or your environment is moving or spinning and not the same as the type of dizziness where you feel light headed or faint.
There are basically different types of vertigo and many different causes for each, MS is only one medical explanation for central vertigo but migraine is actually the most common.
Peripheral vertigo (involves the inner ear) - labyrinthitis, vestibular neuronitis, Ménière's disease, drug toxicity, syphilis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) etc.
Central vertigo (involves certain areas of the brain thalamus, brainstem and cerebellum) - Migraine, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), cerebellar brain tumor, multiple sclerosis etc.
What I said about symptoms moving around, spreading etc still applies, your describing a symptom pattern that is very untypical, very dissimilar to what happens when MS is the cause.
I don't know what could be going on but i think it would probably be a good idea to see your GP for symptom treatment to help with the vertigo whilst your waiting to see the nueuro.
Hope that helps.........JJ
There are basically different types of vertigo and many different causes for each, MS is only one medical explanation for central vertigo but migraine is actually the most common.
Peripheral vertigo (involves the inner ear) - labyrinthitis, vestibular neuronitis, Ménière's disease, drug toxicity, syphilis, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) etc.
Central vertigo (involves certain areas of the brain thalamus, brainstem and cerebellum) - Migraine, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), cerebellar brain tumor, multiple sclerosis etc.
What I said about symptoms moving around, spreading etc still applies, your describing a symptom pattern that is very untypical, very dissimilar to what happens when MS is the cause.
I don't know what could be going on but i think it would probably be a good idea to see your GP for symptom treatment to help with the vertigo whilst your waiting to see the nueuro.
Hope that helps.........JJ
Hi supermum and I'm thrilled to see you answer me. Again. Yes, not happy to be having symptoms again. It's scary. It's also confusing. And let me clarify, the symptoms come on like an "attack" so it's not like these ongoing unspecified things. I woke up on 4/14 out of the blue feeling a tiny vertigo so I didn't even really register it. As the day wore on it got worse and worse until it was bad. That night the parasthesias started. And we're very strong, burning sensations. Across the chest and down both arms to the elbow. Then moved to my neck and the chest/arm combo lessened up. Then it was on my legs. Then ankles, then back to arms but more on the left. Then more strongly on the right. Several days later the weakness in the arms and legs started or became apparent.
And it's been like this for over 2 weeks. Today I finally feel better not 100% but way improved. Still have weird numb spots over one eye and yesterday my two toes, same on each side. I feel weak and shaky...well, wobbly I guess. Like I am not together. It's like I've had a few too many drinks but I haven't had any. This happened last time too. It was Ike an attack of vertigo, parasthesias and weakness that lasted 2.5 weeks 24/7 and then let up and went away. And then I had a normal MRI.
If it were just the vertigo, or just the parasthesias, I'd be less confused but it's everything all at once. I've had some steady parasthesia spots that have stayed a few days and left. But for the most part the burning sensations or cold sensations moved around all day and night. It doesn't sound consistent with MS but then again, what the hell could these attacks be? The vertigo and weakness was definitely worse this time than the last. Vertigo is awful, I wouldn't wish it in anyone and worse when it's 24/7, and not episodal.
I really truly appreciate your wisdom. Patient advocates can be more expert than many doctors. However, I do plan to follow up with an MS neuro in NYC in the next few weeks. I'd rather start there this time and get a real work up and let them tell me it's not or point me in another neuro direction. Meantime, I've been hiding this well from everyone and managing to go about my daily routine. Even if I have to hold onto things lol!
Again, thank you for your advice and kind words...
And it's been like this for over 2 weeks. Today I finally feel better not 100% but way improved. Still have weird numb spots over one eye and yesterday my two toes, same on each side. I feel weak and shaky...well, wobbly I guess. Like I am not together. It's like I've had a few too many drinks but I haven't had any. This happened last time too. It was Ike an attack of vertigo, parasthesias and weakness that lasted 2.5 weeks 24/7 and then let up and went away. And then I had a normal MRI.
If it were just the vertigo, or just the parasthesias, I'd be less confused but it's everything all at once. I've had some steady parasthesia spots that have stayed a few days and left. But for the most part the burning sensations or cold sensations moved around all day and night. It doesn't sound consistent with MS but then again, what the hell could these attacks be? The vertigo and weakness was definitely worse this time than the last. Vertigo is awful, I wouldn't wish it in anyone and worse when it's 24/7, and not episodal.
I really truly appreciate your wisdom. Patient advocates can be more expert than many doctors. However, I do plan to follow up with an MS neuro in NYC in the next few weeks. I'd rather start there this time and get a real work up and let them tell me it's not or point me in another neuro direction. Meantime, I've been hiding this well from everyone and managing to go about my daily routine. Even if I have to hold onto things lol!
Again, thank you for your advice and kind words...
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi Marissa um not sure if I should say welcome back or not?
If your experiencing vertigo the Romberg might actually be indicating a vestibular dysfunction, the Romberg is a non-specific test of neurological dysfunction OR inner ear dysfunction, whilst it is related to MS it does not indicate a specific condition, so if you've had a prior viral infection that either temporarily caused Neuritis (inflammation of the nerve with no hearing changes) or Labyrinthitis (inflammation of the labyrinth with hearing changes), it could just mean that it's happened again.
Keep in mind with the vertigo your already out of balance with your eyes open and would have difficulty trying to walk a straight line, otherwise it wouldn't be vertigo, testing your self wouldn't really change that, definitely could make it worse during the Rombergs though. You can't actually accurately do the babinski test on your self, so because you've done the test your self that won't be indicating anything is normal or abnormal with your reflexes.
When i think of Ataxia i think of actual abnormal physical control of motor function, which is actual loss of control eg gait, speaking clearly, swallowing, writing, etc You said "I also felt strange walking, as if my top of my body and the bottom with my legs weren't connected, but I looked like I walked fine." which makes me think you 'might' be experiencing the perception of feeling uncoordinated, which can happen with vertigo or being dizzy. so i'd be more inclined to think what your experiencing is not necessarily ataxia and your balance is off because of the vertigo.
I'm thinking it's less likely to indicate MS, and less likely to be a second 'MS' attack because what your describing wouldn't be consistent with what typically happens when it's a neurological condition like MS, MS doesn't actually cause any symptom to move around from one location to another, move from one side of the body to the other, move from upper to lower, spread all over the body etc
I'm from another country so our health system is very very different, so i don't know what happen's with disability etc and what's the right thing to do under the circumstance. Personally i wouldn't of thought the viral vertigo episode (Vestibular neuritis or Labyrinthitis) wouldn't be classed as a first MS attack, there was no consistent diagnostic evidence to suggest it could of been more than viral related and what you've described experiencing then and now just doesn't sound right for MS to be high on the list of possibilities.
Hope that helps.........JJ
If your experiencing vertigo the Romberg might actually be indicating a vestibular dysfunction, the Romberg is a non-specific test of neurological dysfunction OR inner ear dysfunction, whilst it is related to MS it does not indicate a specific condition, so if you've had a prior viral infection that either temporarily caused Neuritis (inflammation of the nerve with no hearing changes) or Labyrinthitis (inflammation of the labyrinth with hearing changes), it could just mean that it's happened again.
Keep in mind with the vertigo your already out of balance with your eyes open and would have difficulty trying to walk a straight line, otherwise it wouldn't be vertigo, testing your self wouldn't really change that, definitely could make it worse during the Rombergs though. You can't actually accurately do the babinski test on your self, so because you've done the test your self that won't be indicating anything is normal or abnormal with your reflexes.
When i think of Ataxia i think of actual abnormal physical control of motor function, which is actual loss of control eg gait, speaking clearly, swallowing, writing, etc You said "I also felt strange walking, as if my top of my body and the bottom with my legs weren't connected, but I looked like I walked fine." which makes me think you 'might' be experiencing the perception of feeling uncoordinated, which can happen with vertigo or being dizzy. so i'd be more inclined to think what your experiencing is not necessarily ataxia and your balance is off because of the vertigo.
I'm thinking it's less likely to indicate MS, and less likely to be a second 'MS' attack because what your describing wouldn't be consistent with what typically happens when it's a neurological condition like MS, MS doesn't actually cause any symptom to move around from one location to another, move from one side of the body to the other, move from upper to lower, spread all over the body etc
I'm from another country so our health system is very very different, so i don't know what happen's with disability etc and what's the right thing to do under the circumstance. Personally i wouldn't of thought the viral vertigo episode (Vestibular neuritis or Labyrinthitis) wouldn't be classed as a first MS attack, there was no consistent diagnostic evidence to suggest it could of been more than viral related and what you've described experiencing then and now just doesn't sound right for MS to be high on the list of possibilities.
Hope that helps.........JJ
2 Comments
sorry didn't realize how strange my first sentence could be taken, i meant, it's nice to see you, but its unfortunate that your experiencing issues again....
Supermum, I finally have some news. Suffice it to say, my saga of this second "attack" lasted from April to August, leaving me with only the deficit of a tingly foot. Not so bad in the grand scheme of things. Went to consult with a very good MS neuro in NYC where I live, who did a neurological exam (normal) and took blood, and sent me to radiology for MRI with contrast of brain, C-spine and T-spine as well. Brain came back totally normal (as normal as I ever was anyway haha), but some areas on the spinal cord that were hazy. Radiologist said either movement during MRI or lesions. My doc consulted with her practice's neuro-radiologists who confirmed for certain at least 2 of the hazy areas were spinal cord lesions. With just spine and no brain lesions, they can't diagnose MS. So they want a spinal tap. If oligoclonal bands are there, they will call it "inflammatory myelitis" and treat as if it was MS, to prevent further lesions. If not, they watch me with MRI. So all in all, a weird presentation and not really definitely anything but lesions means at least I'm not going crazy and something is causing this. They also ruled out all other imitators with the bloodwork and MRI so at this point it's more like...an MS-like thing. Any thoughts on this?
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