MS Diagnosis in Limbo - Please Help !

[Tom1976]

I would be immensely grateful if anyone could help me here.  I have for 5 weeks sufferred from tingling and numbness in my feet.  I visited my doctor and was referred to a Consultant.  He told me all of my basic neurology signs were good.  As a precaution he sent me for a MRI.  MRI showed two lessions, one small and one medium size.  However the radiologist and neurologist said that the lessions were not int he area of the brain that were consistent with MS.

Neurologist said he believed the numbness and tingling were localised and not neurological. After a further week the numbness and tingling went away and now 2 more weeks further on one foot feels like a buzzing sensation.  One finger was also slightly numb for 1 day (although this may be me being hyper worried and over analysisng).

Neurologist said I could have additional Evoke tests and lumbar puncture if I wanted to take this further but he believed that I did not have MS.  However, I amaware that numbness and tingling can be many other things and not just MS (eg vitamin B12 deficiency).  I am 33 years old male and extremely fit and healthy.  I lift heavy weights and do lots of running and I am wondering if I have damaged something through this and it is not MS?

Has anyone else had similar issues and were later diagnosed with MS or other problems.  I am so worried.  Any help would be much appreciated.

[Tom1976]

Deb61 and Quixotic1 - you guys are great !  I have felt for weeks that I have been by myself in LimboLand but your knowedge and experience here is really helping so thank you !  

I am from the UK and I went for a second opinion and took my MRI scans and reports to another neuro.  They are also of the belief that the lessions are not typically in the areas we would expect them to be in for an MS diagnosis.

I had wondered about the possibility of damaging my lower back (sciatica) and this causing the tingling in my left leg.  My neuro said he would have expected more lower back pain when he did his initial consultation and prodding of lower back (although it was a little  tender).

There is also the possibility that the bigger lession may have been caused by tension headaches (or migraines) I get, as the MRI scan showed I have a lot of wear and tear in my neck and may at some point in the future need an op on that (but this is the least of my worries).

Quix - thanks for bringing the EMG to my attention.  I have had a read on this now and I can see the benefit of it.

The tingling in my leg is soooo slight it is hardly noticeable.  It is just a little electric current passing through my foot and calf.

I may wait 4-6 weeks to see if it settles and when I return from my holiday in sunny Mexico go for more tests.

The worry is overwhelming here but I want to thank you guys !

[Quixotic1]

The lesions that show up on MRI CANNOT be depended on to match the symptoms one has.  It is improper thinking for a neurologist to reject them on that basis.  For every lesion that occurs in MS (if that is what this is and we don't know) there are many that are invisible.  You might want to read the Health Page called "Symptoms vs. Lesions" to get an idea of what I am talking about.  At 33 you should have no lesions in the absence of a history of high blood pressure or migraines.

If the neuro thinks that your problem is peripheral - then he should order Nerve Conduction Studies (which are also done with studies of the muscle called EMG) to see if there is a peripheral neuropathy involved.  At this point I would suggest this over an LP or the EP.  I also agree with the blood tests the rule out other causes of white matter brain lesions.

But, also, it was the LP that clinched my diagnosis.  Until that time I only had one brain lesion and no spinal lesions.  The spinal lesions only showed up on a high resolution 3T machine.

You other guys - How common is overtraining Syndrome and what does it cause?  I have never heard of it.  I also don't train, oddly enough.   :))

Tom Welcome to the forum.  Where do you hail from?  Britain, Canada?

Quix

[Deb61]

I'd go with the LP and EVPs.

I have MS, and have a lesion in the parietal lobe, so I'm wondering if something he said was misunderstood.  Sometimes MS is more likely to be diagnosed when the lesions are in certain places, but this doesn't mean that you don't have MS.  Plus, I wonder how he knows for sure that the symptoms you mentioned aren't neurological.  These are symptoms that I have.  

There are mimics (See the Health Pages), like Sjogren's, lupus, Lymes that may cause white matter brain lesions.  I'm not a medical expert, but I don't understand why the brain lesions are being brushed aside as the reason for your neurological symptoms.  Maybe your doctor doesn't wan't to worry you needlessly????  However, I wouldn't just go with dismissing the fact that you have brain lesions.  This could very well be the cause of your symptoms.  I'd get the LP and EVP.  You may want to see another neuro.

Deb  

[Tom1976]

Thanks for the input everyone.

My MRI scan noted two non-specific lessions - one small one in the right frontal and a larger one in the left parietal region.  The neuro then said these lesions were incidental lesions and had not caused the problems with my feet.

My feet then returned to normal for a week and have now started again.  The sensation is not now tingling and numbness but when i put my left foot down it feels spongey and it is as though a small electrical current is passing through it.

Thanks for the help on the mimics - I was not aware of this.  

What would you guys suggest I do next?  Wait and see if it settles? Get a Evoke Potential or LP?

Many thanks

[JonM]

If you're worried, do all the tests you can.  If the symptoms persist you may insist on followup MRI in 6 months to see if any new lesions formed or if they changed.  Should do MRI on spine (Cervical, Thoratic, and Lumbar) with and w/o contrast on high Tesla MRI unit.

Are you taking any drugs right now?  Like an Anit-Depressant or Xanax.  They can contribute/cause the buzzing feeling.

Yes it is possible you may have impindged a nerve with all the weight lifing.

Jon

[sllowe]

Hey Tom,

Welcome!  Are you aware if the Neuro ruled out mimics of MS?  The buzzing, and tingling does sound neurological to me, but I'm no expert on all the causes of those sensations. I wish the Dr. did not leave it up to you to get an LP or not.  But, definitely do the evoked potentials, they don't hurt and who knows what they may reveal.

I can tell you that my Dr. too said that I could have a LP.  He did not say he wanted me to have one.  I don't understand this, but that is how it went for me. I do have brain lesions consistent with MS, and a large spinal cord lesion, but not until after the LP results come in did he dx me w/MS.  Not that this should of been the deciding factor, but it was for me. I feel that I may not have been dx'd if it were not for those results. Even though everything else pointed to it (i.e., all mimics were ruled out).

Do you have your reports? Can you tell us what they said about the lesions? There is an amazing write up on MRIs and Lesions on our health pages.  They are located toward to top right hand corner of the page.

Others will come your way soon, hope you are able to stay w/us.  We are quite the bunch!

be well,
Shelly

[MrsAristotle]

hi tom there is a disease which is brought on by OVER TRAINING especially if you use weights, over training syndrome, can kick off all kinds of symptoms. Worth a mooch on the Internet probably not but you never know.

I think google though has a lot to answer for, as we can access tons of information now and easily misinterpret their meanings.

I think that neurologists have an expertise and mostly know what they talk about and I suppose we have to have faith in them sometimes.

Have you had your B12 checked?

I would check out OTS first, as you could have been doing too much and not resting properly or not.

Good luck and dont worry too much easy for me to say i know but worry and stress exacerbates the problem.