Is this an attack or just symptoms?

[madiesmom]

I am new to all of this, it started a few months ago and although I have nor dx with anything I really think I hve ms, as do most on here. These are my symptoms; muscle twitches, several involuntary body movements (i.e.fingers, neck) pain in feet,neck and hands--and other random places, a little dizziness, mucle weakness, random numbness and tingling, strange skin sensations. Is this an ms attack or is it just normal symptoms? I am trying to figure out what I might have rrms or progressive. So can someone tell me what they think?

[Deb61]

Have you been to a neurologist?  That person can help sort through your symptoms and run some tests to figure out if the symptoms you are describing are coming from your central nervous system (and if they are what's causing them).  

The symptoms may not be originating in the CNS.  There could be as simple as a vitamin difficiency or glandular problem--pitituary or thyroid.  I have a thyroid disorder, and I know that having thyroid problems can cause all sorts of symptoms--many of the symptoms that you've mentioned with the heart rhythm problem, elevated blood pressure, numbness and tingling,  and other neurological symptoms.  

This problem with dysautonomia is something I would investigate.  Getting to the root of this problem could eliminate a lot of your symptoms.  Do you think your blood pressure medicine cause this?  Dysautonomia can be caused from many other things--even pregnancy.

There's also a long list of problems and diseases that mimic MS.  See the health pages above to research some diseases with MS-like symptoms.  Here's the link to part I of the page on mimics:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple%20Sclerosis/MS-Mimics---Part-I/show/375?cid=36

There are many, many things that can cause these symptoms.  Don't get yourself zeroed in on only one cause.  I did this.  I was convinced I had lupus and went from rheumatologist to rheumatologist only to find out that the specialist I should have been seeing was a neurologist.  I couldn't have been convinced back in that time period that what was causing all my problems was anything but lupus.  

So, get yourself set up with a neurologist or a good internist and try not to self-diagnosis too much because it could be a monumental waste of time, money, and happiness.  :)

Hugs,
Deb the Hypocrite
  

[madiesmom]

My symptoms began when I cmae home from te hospital after having my first child. I developed labile hypertension during the third trimester and my doc said is was not form pregnancy, but some underlying condition. After birth bp went up like 205/125 and is finally under control with meds. Came home and started having a few muscle twitches and random mild shooting pains all over and sometimes my heart would feel like it was going to jump out of my chest. A few weeks later developed chest, shoulder, arm, wrist and back pain (that would come and go and were ususally brief sensations, also rib cage ached) went to cardio and did stress test said I was fine. Chest pain diminshed although I still experience it sometiomes, especially when I excercise. Then went to neuro bc twitches increased as did my pain and started hvaving increased numbness and tingling, which began in my feet also some nausea and dizziness and strange vibrating and skin sensations. He didnt really listen to me and said it was from stress. Have switched pcp and run lots o blood work which is fine. I also have a lump in  my abdoment which pcp said was from pregnancy and had complete abdominal ultrasound done which was normal. I ahve also had an ultrasound on my kidneys which was normal. My symptoms have steadily increased over the last 11 weeks, minus the throbbing heart. I also have postural hypotension and trachardia as determined my my own observations, which may be from bp meds, and I have blood pooling in my limbs, especially when I take  ahot bath, which may also be from meds. I ahve also developed increased involuntary body movements over the last month or so, in my fingers and nack.  I cant seem to find anythign that encompasses all this ****, I was on bed rest bc of bp and think maybe I have some dysautonomia as a result, hence the blood pooling. I dont know what the hell is going on.

[Quixotic1]

Hi, and a big welcome to the Forum.  I am Quix, one of the community leaders and a physician in my former life.

Your are getting way, way ahead of yourself thinking that this is MS.  MS cannot be diagnosed from a list of symptoms even if all of them are on a list of typical symptoms seen in MS.  The diagnosis must be made by a doctor, almost always a neurologist.  It is based on the "behavior" of the symptoms - how they began, progressed, whether or not they improved.  The doc would need to know how many attacks of symptoms there have been.

The next thing that is crucial is finding abnormalities on the neuro exam.  That is something most people don't know about themselves, so it requires a thorough neuro exam.

The next thing that is required before a diagnosis of MS can be made is that all other, better explanations for the symptoms and any abnormalities on exam be excluded.  This is what we refer to when we talk about ruling out the MS mimics.

Then an MRI of the brain and spinal cord are done to see if there are any suggestive lesions that look like MS.

Only after these four things have been considered can the diagnosis of MS really be made.

So why don't you tell us more about how your symptoms began and have progressed?  In terms of RRMS vs PPMS that could not be determined at this time, especially for PPMS which needs to show progression over 6 months minimum - and usually a year or more - to be diagnosed.  From the list of symptoms you gave us PPMS sounds unlikely, though.

What do you mean by "random numbness and tingling"?  If you mean you have spots that have numbness and tingling that move around from here to there, then it is very unlikely to be MS at all.

Your first step is to see your doctor and describe what the symptoms are, when they began, and how long they last, how they have changed, improved, worsened, etc.

If you copy and past this address in your browser window, you will come to an outline of several MS topics like the definition of the categories and such.  This will begin to educate you on the disease, but remember, if is far more likely that you have something else.

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple%20Sclerosis/MS-Information-and-Resources-Index/show/22?cid=36

Good luck

Quix

[Wobbly]

that really hard to say... you have symptoms that could be from alot of different Dx.. have you seen a Neurologist and had MRIs done?  Have you had blood tests done?

if so, what did the result say?  

Check out the "Health Pages" top right side of this page...it will give you alot of information.  

MS is sometimes not an easy DX to get too... let us know what tests you have had
wobbly
dx