MS symptoms

[manos89]

Hi everyone. I am 25 year old medical student in the Caribbean (Antigua) originally from NY. Unfortunately i just started medical school so i don't know much about the disease. I've had a past history of muscle twitches and some muscle aches that made me seek out a neurologist about 3-4 years ago. He performed an EMG and two MRIs (6-8 months apart) to make sure it wasn't MS. There were no lesions present at the time and he concluded that the symptoms were anxiety related. I returned to him with more complaints about a yr ago to be told again that this was anxiety related (this time he did not perform any further tests due to minimal symptoms). Over the past few month it seems that i have developed walking imbalances, some arm weakness, more twitching, tingling and numbness down the arms. I will be heading back home soon and planning on going to a different neurologist. Is it possible that this is MS and just never showed up on the initial MRIs? Also, has anyone had muscle twitches with a diagnosis of MS? I hear it is not a sign of MS but have read patients with MS might experience them.

[kwarendorf]

My personal reccomendation wouuld be the Innternational MS Management Practice on W. 57th in the city. My personal MS Day Spa :-)

Kyle

[HVAC]

I would see a new neurologist. How are your neurological exams? If they are normal it probably is not neurological. If they are abnormal it is more than anxiety.

Alex

[manos89]

Well yes i do i have anxiety, but worried it is something more than that since i  feel some tingling, numbness and weakness. Thanks, i will look it up.

[manos89]

Thanks Kyle. I am in Astoria. If you could recommend some good specialists for MS or any kind of neuromuscular disease specialist that would be great. I am just worried it is something more serious than anxiety.

[essdipity]

Also, muscle 'jerking,' (where an arm or leg actually moves out or in very quickly) is pretty common in MS. This can happen just once or multiple times, and is called myoclonus. But twitching, particularly widespread, can be from quite a lot of things, not usually MS. By twitching I mean little muscle movements that may be just felt, or may be seen under the skin. If this happens all over or mostly so, it can be the result of benign fasciculation syndrome, a maddening but also harmless occurrence. You might want to Google this for more info.

ess

[essdipity]

Have you had problems with anxiety?

ess

[kwarendorf]

Hi Manos - Welcome to the group.

I think it's a good idea to see a new neurologist. The first one has made up his mind and it will be very hard to change it.

The symptoms you describe seem a bit vague for my mind to leap to MS. MS attacks very indivdual locations in the central nervous system. The lesions that stem from these attacks don't move around. If you have a lesion causing right arm weakness, you won't have left arm weakness the next day.

I would venture to say that all of us with MS have experienced some amount of muscle twitching. It isn't usually a presenting symptom though. I can be lying in bed watching TV an one of my legs will "freak". It lasts about a second and doesn't happen again, at least until the show is over :-) I don't usually pay much attention to them.

I would get a fresh start when you come home. Where in NY are you? In the city you have several MS options and I know of a good program on Long Island. One piece of advice, if you want to rule MS out see a neuro that specializes in MS. They are practiced at the art of MS clinical exams, the key to the diagnosis.

Keep us posted.

Kyle