MS after pregnancy with no lesions?

[Hopesndreams03]

Hey everyone!

I've been reading through the forums for a couple of months now, but have really come to a point where I feel no one is really listening anymore. If anyone can take the time to read and maybe put their two cents in, I would be very appreciative. I am 25 years old, and 10 months ago I had my first child. At the very end of my prengancy I had numbness in my left arm and hand. I dismissed it as something weird with the pregnancy. Since then, I now have numbness on my entire left side of my body including head and tongue. I have extreme dizziness most of the time that makes me nauseated. Occasional sharp pain behind my left eye and slurring and stuttering like I am drunk. (That doesn't go over so well at work. Ha!) I am suddenly very clumsy and my left side of my body is frequently covered in bruises from running into things. Within the past few months I've developed excruciating pain from my left hip to my foot... and it's slowing working its way up my back in my sciatica. Sleep is nearly impossible. I know this is a lot to cover, but I have seen my GP, a neurologist, a cardiologist for heart palpitations, and an opthamologist. No one can find anything. My MRI with contrast of brain and neck came back negative for MS, and all nerve tests and EEGs came back normal. I've been told a few times by docs that it's anxiety and depression, all in my head. The only thing that causes me anxiety are my symptoms. I am supposed to go to medical school this fall, but how could I be a doctor with all of these things I'm experiencing. No one seems to be taking me seriously and keeps shifting me to other opinions or specialties. Thank you for listening! It really feels good to at least get it all out. If you have anything that could help, I would really appreciate it.

[Hopesndreams03]

Thank you so much Jess and Carol!

I think what's really important to me is to find SOMETHING to validate what I'm feeling. I read Quix's post on validation, and wow.. I'm so glad to find others that feel the similar feelings and frustrations. I am scared of having MS.. but more scared of being thought of as a hypochondriac or even thinking that I might be making these symptoms up. As long as I know something is there, or that I have a diagnosis.. I am sure I can move forward and not feel stuck in this rut of uncertainty. Thank you both for sharing your experiences with me. I'm going to be doing some research today on Neuros. Las Vegas sure doesn't have very many to choose from. Ha!

-Krystle

[jaegergirl]

Your story has so much in common with mine that it has taken me a little while to be able to comment. I started experiencing symptoms after my second pregnancy at 23 years of age. My symptoms were exactly as you have discribed. Numbness and pain on the left side of my body. It began in my arm and moved into my leg.

It took nearly 10 years to get a true diagnoses but in all fairness allot of that had to do with me- my fear and my lack of insurance. I didn't go to the doctor as often as others and to be honest I still don't even though insurance is no longer an issue for me.  

I would do as Jess suggested and look into a new neuro. I will also say that my sister spent years in fear that she also had MS due to the same symptoms after pregnancy. They didn't find anything with MRI or Spinal Tap. She spent years trying to figure it all out. As it turns out she suffered from bone spurs and a small buldge in one of her disc. They did a laser treatment and she is doing fine now.

My point being that this crazy disease can mimic many things and can keep you in limbo for years.  In my experience even after diagnoses sometimes we are no better off  (outside of validation which is really important) then we were to start with. Quix wrote a really good post about validation that you might read.

I would really urge you to stay excited and follow through on all the plans you have in place for your future.  I made the mistake of letting my fear guide me. I changed and rearranged my life to "fit" what I believed my future held. If I have learned anything through all of this it is that I am stronger and more capable than even I dreamed possible inspite of or possibly because of the obsticles I have had to hurdle to get to where I want to be in this beautiful life.

Take care and I will be looking forward to hearing how things are going for you-Carol

[lovemy6monkeys]

I'm not as knowledgeable as many here are...but my thought is you need to find a new Neuro!

It is very common for MS to flare up after pregnancy. Numbness, eye pain, slurring and balance issues go beyond just "anxiety".

I see an neuro-opthamologist, maybe you can see one too? My ONLY abnormal test was VEP (visual evoked potential) and even that was barely boarder-line abnormal. Yet, from symptoms and two CIS (clinically isolated syndrome) I was just diagnosed recently.

I hope you get some relief and answers soon. ((hugs)) and good luck!
~Jess