Do I have MS?

[banaliz]

Last summer, I suddenly lost vision and had bouts of vertigo.  I had  my eyes checked by an optometrist and she found that my vision was completely normal.  I went to my family doctor since I was scared to drive.  He checked my out for things but never came up with an answer.  About a month later, the problems disappeared.  This past May, the vision problems and dizziness came back.  I couldn't exercise without either loosing my vision or feeling dizzy.  I started having shooting pains, almost like electric shocks, going up my arms and legs.  My feet and hands felt like they were pins and needles.  I went to my family doctor and he ordered an MRI.  The MRI showed 2 nonspecific places on my brain and the radiologist noted that an autoimmune disease should be examined with my age (32), sex, and the location.  My family doctor is convinced that I have MS and he sent me to a neurologist right away.  I saw the neurologist the next day and she wrote me off.  She said she thinks I am having silent migraines and nothing else.  I left feeling frustrated and confused.  From what I have read about silent migraines, they do not last for days on end.  After another week or so, my symptoms almost disappeared.  I still had fatigue and would get some tingling sensations but I was feeling quite a bit better.  This past week, I was driving to work and my left eye went foggy and I could not see the road,  My left leg was trembling uncontrollably and my hands and feet were numb.  I have been unable to walk steadily and my balance has been horrible.  My husband ended up taking me to the hospital (after consulting with an ER doctor).  My neurological exam was "crappy" according to the doctor so another MRI was ordered.  This one showed the same 2 spots so they are not convinced that it is MS.  They did give me 2 high dose steroid injections while I was there overnight that did seem to help.  Any advice on what to do from here?  I really feel like I have MS.  Lupus came back negative and my B12 is within the normal range.  Do I keep trying this path to get someone to diagnose me?  

[UnsureMS]

Well, first off hello. I am someone that is stuck in limbo land waiting to be dxs. So I don't have as much experience as others in this forum. The part I do have experience with is the worry, and fear that can come over you when something is wrong with your body but you have no answers. I also know it must be hard for your husband.

I hate when doctors write you off so quick, like your nuero did you. It sounds like she didn't give you much of a reason why. One thing I have learned is asking questions is important. Asking for copies of your test and records is also important.

Back when my journey started, my primary thought I had fibro. The rhuematologist did a quick visual overlook (less then 5min) then said its not fibro and walked out. I know he is right now. But at that time I had been going through everything for a yr already and just wanted answers. I remember feeling lost and crying. It wasn't that I wanted fibro. It was the need for answers that made me so upset.

I haven't given up on getting answers. I started writing down questions I have and then asking them. So the advice I can give you is don't give up on answers. As stated above MS has many mimics. As I understand it the road to dxs of MS is one of ruling out those mimics, as well as finding evidence of MS.

Both my nuero and primary believes that I may have MS. After reading a few post I am not as sure myself. I know it still a possibility, but I am gonna be patient on this journey to dxs. I encourage you do the same. I will be praying for you. Keep us informed of how your journey is going. Also, remember asking questions not only here but to your doctor will put your heart more at ease. May God bless your journey.

Kimberly

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome to our little MS community, please have a look through our health pages, found just to the right of your screen, you may find them helpful. oh and could you please break up your posts into smaller blocks, (like i'm about to do) because people with MS commonly have visual issues and or cognitive issues and that makes reading large blocks of print rather difficult, thank you in advance!

I'm not really sure if MS is the answer, some of what you've written would be an untypical 'presentation' for MS eg "My feet and hands felt like they were pins and needles." thats bilateral and in all peripheral limbs and in MS unilateral is more typical. MS has quite a lot of mimics though so its possible that its one of the mimics because of the untypical 'presentation'.

I would suggest if you havent already, to get an MRI (3T using MS protocol, 3mm slices) of your spine and if the brain MRI was not on a 3T and not both with and without contrast, to consider getting repeat brain MRI's too. The visual tests would be a more accurate if they were EVP, OCT and conducted by an opthalmologist or neuro-opthalmologist, so you might consider seeing an opthalmologist and getting either of those tests done.

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