Difficulty walking & muscle weakness/spasms

[BarbaraL46]

Last year I began experiencing extreme tiredness to the point that I was not doing many activities I enjoyed. I was not sleeping well, either going for days unable to stay asleep or having days of extreme sleepiness. I began experiencing what seemed like restless legs although it wasn't confined to just my legs.I saw my doctor who told me to try to lose weight & exercise more. By November, I noticed I was getting very clumsy, tripping and dropping things. I experienced a fall outside that injured my knees. I began having difficulty getting up from a sitting position.This continued through the beginning of the year. Then I began dragging my left foot, my toes sometimes catching and tripping me. I work at a school and walk back and forth from one end of the campus to the other and suddenly found it difficult to do so. Co-workers began asking me why was I walking funny. I could not walk in a straight line anymore & often walked with my fingertips trailing along the wall. I had trouble getting out of my car. I fell on the hard tile floor, hurting my right knee (MRI shows mild arthritis and tiny tear, was given a cortisone shot that helped with the pain). Noticed weakness all over my body though the left side seems worse. Can no longer get up without pushing or pulling on something to help. Legs feel like they respond slowly & don't even belong to me. Arms are getting weaker, trouble grasping things with my fingers on left hand. Went to different physician who suspected multiple sclerosis or brain tumor. Ordered blood tests which came back normal except for blood sugar being borderline. Negative also for deficiencies or Lyme disease. MRI on brain came back normal. Referred to a neurologist who suspected from tests he did a pinched nerve or compression in my back. (For years I have had back pain between shoulder blades, sometimes severe) He ordered an MRI of neck & lower back since did not think mid-back pain had anything to do with it. MRIs showed mild arthritis and disk problem in neck but he said these would not cause my problems. He performed tests again (can't think of names, one with little electrical impulses & one with needles). He said I had a muscle disease but did not know which one. He referred me to another neurologist in a large neurocenter & I'm currently waiting on that appointment. In the meantime I've been going to a chiropractor to get some relief for the pain between my shoulder blades. He looked at my MRIs & did an x-ray of my mid-back. He said a bulging disk in my neck, arthritis beginning in back, and bone spurs. He was confused as to why my brain MRI was labeled normal, although it shows no sign of MS it does show brain atrophy. The quality of my daily life is deteriorating, many normal things such as sweeping or folding clothes leave me exhausted. I've had strangers think I was drunk because of the way I walk. I am afraid I will lose my job. I run into doorways and trip over my own feet just trying to walk in the house. Have to concentrate to left feet and put one in front of the other. Have muscle twitches and jerks, muscle spasms and cramps especially when trying to rest or sleep. Tingly or creepy crawly sensations. Sometimes muscles in lower legs and feet spasm so hard that feels like toes will break. Muscles spasm across my right side & feel like is hurting my ribs. Have trouble concentrating. Have trouble getting to the bathroom without peeing on myself. Sometimes get choked on my own saliva. I feel like I'm in a nightmare & want answers so badly

[jensequitur]

The symptoms you describe could be MS symptoms.  It sounds as if the doctor isn't going through the steps needed for an MS diagnosis.  MRI protocol for MS includes a 1.5T MRI and gadolinium contrast to find any new lesions that might have developed, as well as old ones.  If you have brain atrophy, this would mean that you have old lesions that have since healed.  The brain shrinks to fill in the hole left by the lesion.

I hope you can get an appointment with the neuro soon - it sounds like you're really having a bad time right now.  I had symptoms very similar to yours when I was diagnosed, so I can really relate.

I will say that a chiropractor won't harm you, but you'll probably get more relief with a massage therapist.  Spasticity can really have an affect on your muscle strength and flexibility.

Come on by and visit the MS forum on Medhelp.  It's a small forum, but we're friendly and well-informed.  Good luck!

[saucygrl]

I'm so sorry that you're going through this.  I was diagnosed last November and have also used a chiropractor to help with my symptoms.  I find acupuncture works better for me so that's a thought while you're waiting for your next appointment.  Do you know if they used MS protocol for your MRI?  I hope the neurologist at the neurocenter can help you!!

Best wishes!
Chris

[BarbaraL46]

Not sure, probably posted in wrong forum but is the first one I started reading after a search.