mystery symptoms...

[Majek2006]

for the past year I have been experiencing episodes of pain, naumbness, tingling and coldness on my left side both arm and leg. on one occasion I had these sensations on the left side of my face as well. My current episode is also on my right side.
I have done an MRI, CAT scan, X-ray, blood work of all kinds and seen a nuerologist. I am waiting for my second referral to a different neurologist to see if he has any other ideas for a diagnosis or tests.
The common answe i hear is that it sounds a whole lot like MS, however all the tests have proven to be negative for MS.
I have heard that there is such a thing as phantom MS, which is only diagnosable if experiencing symptoms at time of tests, could this be what I have?
What besides MS could be causing these symptoms that seem to be progressing?
Do you have any other ideas?

[Sumanadevii]

Have you had an MRI of your spine?  Was a 3t scanner (MRI) used?  If a lower power MRI was used it is possible to miss lesions on the spine.  I know there are also a lot of MS mimics and those would have to be ruled out.  

[HVAC]

Is the Neurologist your going to see an MS Specialist? How are your basic neurological tests, reflexes and such?

[Majek2006]

Yes I have had an MRI of my spine AND neck.
My first neurologist visit I learned that my left side, arm and leg are considerably weaker than my right. Also my sensations are weaker. The preognosis there was that my left side definately has something going on... and that nuerologist was an MS specialist.

[Sumanadevii]

I don't know.  If you were given a good MRI on a 3t...and you are seeing an MS specialist, maybe MS has just decided not to show yet.  I guess that is why it takes years for some to get diagnosed.

[Majek2006]

whats hard to deal with is the fact that we have to wait until my symptoms get worse and show up on a test, if it is MS, for me to be treated. In the mean time I have to live with the unknown and the pain.
I also worry that its not MS and we are missing something bigger.....

[Sumanadevii]

I thought I had something bigger too.  My guess was a brain tumor.  After eight years it was decided it was either the slowest growing tumor or not a tumor at all...lol