I'm not sure what's wrong with me

[tibs30]

I'm 51 year old male, 2 years ago I could bench press 200 lbs, now I can't do a push up.I hurt all over. My arm muscles are shrinking, when I flex my bicep it's not there { use to be rock hard } ,my right quadricep is atrophying I limp now, I have fatigue,get muscle cramps and have lost a tremendous amount of flexability. I'm a contractor I've been active my whole life. My doctor has been running blood tests and hasn't found anything yet. My mother says Lyme Disease. Any input would be appreciated.  Thank you,   Tibs30

[tibs30]

thanks for input but im a builder i work with my arms and legs everyday.this has been a slow process of weakening

[meg321]

I have MS, diagnosed at 65 yrs old in Feb 2009....I have muscles that hurt, not sure what else it would be.

Could it be just lack of exercise?

meg

[anon07072023]

The 1st thing that comes to mind is polymyositis. My grandpa had this disease. It causes muscle wasting/atrophy.  It's initial presentation is usually attacking muscles closest to your core. It also seems to be more prevalent in men.

They can check you for this by a blood test that can check your CPK levels which shows whether or not you have a higher than normal amount of muscle enzymes in your blood. However, some people who have polymyositis still test normal for this test.  Another thing they can do is muscle biopsies. Usually these tests are done with a rheumatologist.

Good luck,
Kelly

[kwarendorf]

PS I'm a 51 YO man as well and was DX in October of this year.

[kwarendorf]

Most blood tests done in conjunction with an MS DX are done to rule out other things, like Lyme disease. It's usually the case that these blood tests come back normal.

The blood work is usually done along with MRI and lumbar punctures, which are much more affirmative in nature. MRI's done with and without contrast, of your brain and c-spine, will show lesions and the LP would show the presence of oligoclonal bands. Has your neuro talked about either of these?

[tibs30]

I have a nerve conductivity test scheduled hopefully that will answer some questions.I had thyroid test, testosterone test,prostate, all blood work came back normal.Thank you for input.

[twopack]

I've been thinking about your question and came back to read it again.  If I had read this anywhere outside the MS forum I don't think I would have had any inclination to wonder if you could have MS.

Muscle wasting isn't something I'm used to hearing connected to MS.  When it is present it seems to be noticed by people who have had the disease for a long time.  MS is a disease of the central nervous system and muscle problems only come about when the signals between the brain and muscles are sufficiently disrupted to cause secondary damage.

I guess the best I can offer is the suggestion to inquire about tests called EMG (electromyography) and NCS (nerve conduction studies).  They are done by a neurologist and might give an idea about the point of origin for your symptoms.

I'd also ask which came first - did weakness lead to the atrophy of disuse or did spontaneous atrophy result in weakness?  The answer to that could give clues to possible dietary or hormonal or hereditary causes.

There is a Lyme forum on MedHelp that might be able to tell you if anything you experience sounds like Lyme.

Good luck with finding more answers.
Mary

[jensequitur]

What doublevision said - we'd love to help, but with the information you've given us it's hard to say.

The next step is to talk to a neurologist and see where he wants to take you.

[doublevision1]

In order to elicit a response that will hopefully be useful to you, it helps when greater detail is provided and specifically what it is that led you to seek out a MS forum, what are your specific questions, etc.  "Seeking input" is a vague request.  I can understand your concern about your symptoms but from the brief info you provide, MS does not necessarily nor immediately come to my mind.  There are many mimics of MS: other autoimmune and/or neurological and/or neuromuscular/ etc  conditions that may or may not explain your distressful symptoms.

Try to frame your symptoms in the form of a chronology...specifically what happened when, in the order in which they occurred.  Describe onset of your symptoms, were they mild and did they progressively worsen; did they appear, remit and return  Did they occur in R and L limbs simultaneously or start on one side first?  Describe your pain in more detail, as best as you can (eg burning, aching, stabbing, electric jolts, etc  When you say you have trouble walking, is it because of the pain in your legs or is it due to weakness, incoordination, etc?  What treatments if any have you tried to relieve your symptoms, and did they help or not?  You mention blood work...what were you tested for?

You say your mother thinks Lyme disease.  Why?  Are you at risk due to your geographic location and/or outdoor pastimes?  And again, what is it that makes you think MS?  Did you mention this to your physician, or did s/he suggest this to you?

Sorry if I'm overwhelming you with questions but this is the kind of detail that would help us to help you.  

[meg321]

Hey there, it does sound a lot like MS symptoms, however, there are a few diseases that mimic MS..so your best bet is to see a good neuro and start testing..

meg

[twopack]

I'm not sure what's wrong with you either Tibs but since you voiced your disappointment with our lack of response I went looking for your question.  I'm bumping it back to the top of the recent posts (it had 'fallen' all the way down to page eight) in hopes someone else will have an idea while I think it over.

Mary