Query on MS and symptoms I have been experiencing recently

[Brelaina]

Hello everyone (sorry but this is my first time posting here, so apologies if I'm doing this wrong!), I just had a question I wanted to bring up with a community more well versed with MS than I am. Over the past year I have become more aware of and been experiencing various symptoms which I'll list below, and I am wondering if they might be indications of MS or something else (or nothing at all, even.) My main reason for posting here first is that none of these are significantly impacting on my life and are not causing me worry (just curiosity), so I would like to have another person's opinion first of these symptoms regarding whether they are worth bringing up with a doctor or are just irrelevant. Thank you!

These are the symptoms I have been experiencing:

Shivers and twitching (especially when sitting down for long periods, if I have been cold I will sometimes have intense twitching/shivering episodes even after I have warmed up, and it takes quite a bit of effort to force my body to stop doing this - but I can voluntarily stop it if I concentrate hard enough)

Difficulty swallowing (it hurts sometimes when swallowing food or drinking with meals and I have an almost constant feeling that there is something at the back of my throat that I can't get rid of. I'm pretty much swallowing to try and get rid of what feels like phlegm at the back of my throat every couple of minutes, often without even realising I'm doing it)

Recently I have been experiencing memory loss (short term, I'll be unable to remember what I was planning on doing 5 minutes ago or completely forgetting someones name)

I have been having some mood changes within the last year or so, particularly irritability with my mother and bouts of depression/sadness. I'm hesitant to think this is a symptom though as various other things have been happening in my life which can explain this, too.

Occasional tingling sensations and involuntary muscle movements (I don't usually notice it, but for example earlier today my leg jerked when I was sitting down)

Rarely, I'll experience unexplained sharp intense pain, usually in my abdomen or head, but it goes away soon after (it doesn't last long enough to make me want to take pain medication)

Severe muscle cramping in my leg and abdomen (feels like period cramps) when exercising hard, especially if it is around my ovulation time or period. I'm hesitant as well to think this is a symptom as I have been experiencing this since my periods started and am inclined to think it is hormonal related (from memory, it lessened when I was on the pill a couple of years back, and it ONLY happens during intense exercise around the time when I should be ovulating and just before/during my period. I had an ultrasound for endometriosis a couple of years ago but it was negative)

More frequent urination and weak bladder (which is not in response to anything such as sneezing or laughing, I just feel occasionally like I am unable to stop bladder leakage)

I should also mention that I am twenty years old and female, and have no other medical conditions I'm aware of (aside from eczema which is in response to cold weather and perfume/fragrances etc and I had asthma when I was a child due to cold weather), and that my great aunt (my grandmother's sister) was diagnosed with MS when she was 40-something. I have not experienced any significant lethargy/exhaustion or muscle weakness (a couple of years ago I became extremely tired - finding it very difficult to stay awake even at around 8 or 9pm, but at the time I attributed this to stress with finishing high school and possibly iron deficiency, I have not experienced this again since.) My balance is good (I ride a motorbike so I would notice if it wasn't!) and my colleagues at university occasionally comment that I have just had a body spasm and ask if I'm ok (most of the time I notice that it has happened too, but occasionally I don't)

Sorry for the almost essay like post, but I would really like another's opinion of what I am experiencing as I am not entirely convinced these are anything to worry about. I'm really not sure if these are things that everybody experiences or are actually not normal. Thanks for your time!

[sllowe]

Hi there,

Welcome to our forum! Thank you for trusting us to thoughts. The first thing I thought of while reading through what you have been going through is virus. Have you, or were you sick in the past with anything?

Have you gone to a regular doctor yet? If not, I strongly recommend you do. I would ask for what LisaJF mentions above - lab tests, etc.

I really hope you get to the doctor and that you feel better soon.

-shell

[LisaJF]

Ughs sorry for typos, "order the laboratory and/or diagnostic tests" I meant.


LOL

[LisaJF]

Welcome to our forums in this wonderful and supportive community.

I'm sorry to hear of your symptoms that are interfering with your life or daily activities of living.  

A recap of your chief complaints:

Intolerance to cold (shivering)
Muscle twitching
dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
Impaired short term memory
depression
paresthesias (numbing/tingling of extremities)
myoclonic jerk (leg)
myalgia (muscle pain)
urinary frequency
urinary incontinence

Well, I must say with all that, I too, would be concerned.  As JJ said, just because a family member has MS does not increase your chances of having it yourself.

You mentioned you have been depressed/sad.  Is this something you explain how you've been feeling or have you been diagnosed with depression and are being treated by medication?  

What you need to do is to see your primary medical doctor.  Allow him/her to order the laboratory and/or laboratory tests he/she deems pertinent to your situation and go from there.

You can drive yourself crazy looking these things up on the internet and most times, the google results are not exactly what you expect and can scare you.

I think you're doing good as you came here and started noticing changes in your body which is a good thing.  Next step is to have a medical professional assess you and order tests that are exclusive to what you're going through.  

There could be many things that cause what you are experiencing and it could be as simple as what JJ says: Hypothyroidism, Vit deficiency or electrolyte imbalance to something else.  

I dont want you to get all worked up going crazy thinking you have some progressive demyelinating disease before you even step foot into the MD's office. :)  

Let us know what you're going to do and again, welcome to the forums.

Lisa

[supermum_ms]

Hey I'm a Victorian too :o)  You might find it interesting to know that having a relative, even if its your mother, father or a sibling doesnt actually increase the odds of getting MS very much at all, so a great aunt (your grandmothers sister?) having MS, I wouldn't think it would be of any statistical significance.

Honestly it does sound like something is going on, your sx's may be all connected to one condition and or some unrelated and you've just lumped it all together eg mentral sx's, bladder weakness/leakage. Probably the most common cause of bladder issues in women would be childbirth, closely followed by urinany track infection (UTI) but there are more than a few others and sometimes the only problem is how long you hold on eg sitting at the computer for hours doing an assignment, you ignore the urge a couple of time before you 'must' go and when you stand up, oops.

Actually come to think of it, you've mention a few things that 'could' possibily indicate a thyroid issue - something in the throat, irritability, mood swings, muscle cramps and or spasms, feeling cold, difficulty concentraiting or forgetful, menstral issues hmmmmm i think it might be worth getting it checked out with your dr. lol i'm not one for on line quizzes for medical conditions but heres one for thyroid issues, at least it will give you an idea if its a possible :o)

http://thyroid.about.com/library/hyperquiz/blhyperquizi.htm

Cheers.........JJ

ps - riding a motorbike doesn't necessarily mean you've got good balance, i still wakeboard and my balance is now total utter cr_ap! lol

[Brelaina]

Victoria :) I mostly thought of MS first as my great aunty did have MS so occasionally my mum or grandmum would mention things about her, also heard about it through my immunology subject at university. I didn't really think the symptoms were severe enough for it to make me go to a doctor convinced that I had MS, but I was curious because I don't really see other people experiencing these symptoms either, if that makes sense? More just wanted to know if they're just oddities that some people experience and are benign (like being double jointed or such), or indications of something else.

Anyway, thank you! I will try and fit a routine check up when I can find the time!

[supermum_ms]

Hello and welcome to our little MS community :o)

I noticed your a fellow Australian, which state are you from?

I dont particularly see anything you've mentioned that stands out as very MSish, but there are some oddities that could mean there is something medically going on. It sounds more hormonal or thyroid or vit deficientcy related to me, it just seems too wide spread and or vague for it to be caused by a condition like MS.

What particular sx made you think of MS?

Cheers.........JJ

PS see your dr even if its only for a routine check up!