weird symptoms

[anniebuzz]

I have not been diagnoses with ms. I've been to my pcp numerous times over the last 5 years or so with different symptoms and complaints, like severe pain and spasm in neck and back. 6 months ago I was in the er with back spasms so severe I couldn't walk followed up with my doc just received stronger muscle relaxers. I was already taking muscle relaxers for probably 5 years. I was already going to PT 2-4 times a week for over a year.  A few years back I went to PT for my neck for several months when I started having almost constant spasms in my neck and head. It did help some but I  also received 3 steroid injections in that time plus several courses of oral steroids from my pcp  August I went down quick. I was clumsy, tripping, falling, dropping everything.I get dizzy and loose my hearing. Bad stabbing pain in my eye. I have since lost my job as a store manager because I still can't stand for more than 30 min or so without spasm. Now I'm having a thermostat problem I'm either hot or cold, not ever comfortable and I've pretty much stopped sweating. I itch severely some times and cortosone cream or Benedryl does not help. My pcp set me up with a neurologist I waited a month to see turned out to be a neurosurgeon. He was no help. I've lost faith so I'm looking for a new doc and in the process of switching insurance due to my termination.  I have some other things happening   muscle weakness, dizziness, bladder sometimes, concentrating. I just want to know if this sounds like MS? Before I see my new doc.

[HVAC]

Sounds like something is going on. Whether it is MS or not I could not say.

Doctors can tell if if it is neurological with a basic neurological exam. Reflexes, tracking eyes, standing with eyes close etc. It was my primary care who figured out I had something Neurological and sent me to a Neurologist. There are many illnesses which have similar symptoms to MS.

Sorry about your job. It may take awhile to figure out what is wrong. For me it took two years of going to Neurologists. They like to watch you over time.

There is no test which rules MS in or out. It is patient history, symptoms, neurological exam, tests to rule other conditions in or out, tests to rule MS in or out, and a Doctor's experience.

Alex

[kwarendorf]

Hi AB -

Some of what you mention is consistent with MS, but it is also consistent with many other things. The only way to find out is to start looking.

I'm sorry that your first neuro- based experience was unhelpful. I would ask your PCP for a referral to a neurologist, rather than a neurosurgeon. If you can;t get one from him you might try to contact the local chapter of the Natl. MS Soc. in your area.

You will likely have a whole bunch of testing; blood, MRI, LP, EMG etc. THere is no smoking gun test for MS. Rather it is diagnosed by interpreting the results of many tests and a complete clinical exam.

As to your search for a new insurance company, I would not be in a rush to get a diagnosis until after I had insurance in place. The diagnosis and treatment of MS can be very costly. I would be careful about the amount of information I shared.

Kyle