Is this the start of MS?

[d72k05]

Hi,

About 10 wks ago I had a headache for about 4 days and on the final day I awoke with pins and needles in both hands. The next day I came down with a really bad fever/flu which I can only describe as being like glandular fever. I had this once before as a teenager. Anyway, I could barely swallow, night sweats for about 2 wks. Extreme fatigue. I have had the numbness in the hands in the morning on and off since but it is certainly better now. However, since the fever I have noticed a whole host of other neuroloical symptoms. Buzzing in the feet, pins and needles in feet if I cross my legs for too long. Numb bottom if I sit down for too long. Numb knee if I lie on my side too long in bed. Burning sensations particualy in my legs at night. Cold lack of feeling in my hands and feet sometimes. Like I need to keep them warm. Muscle twitches. Leg weakness/ joints feeling stiff. Internal tremor which now has largely gone. Visual floaters. Slight dizzyness on and off but certainly doesn't affect my balance and is a bit better now. I've had multiple neurological examinations - all normal, 1 mri of brain and c spine after 4 wks which were all clear. Full blood work which was all normal. I've got another mri scan this week. I'm worried because my mum had ms and I'm worried that this virus may have triggered something in me. My neurologist is an MS specialist and initially aftter the mri scan said he was 99% sure it was not ms but now I'm not so sure. It was initially diagnosed as post viral or possibilly a mild myelitis. Though no lessions are present on mri in the spine. An LP hasn't been done yet. Think this is seen as a last resort. I hoping my next scan is going to be clear but I'm just worried that this is something more than post viral as I'm not particularly fatigued now and my neurological symptoms still persist. I'm trying to stay fit and healthy. Eating well. I run 4 miles each day. Pressups/ situps etc.

Anway - Any help/thoughts would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

[someguy099]

Hey, I am in a very similar situation as you. All tests are clear but still have lots of symptoms. Dr Sharma, doesn't seem very helpful.Some of the things I'm looking into include food intolerences, b12, lyme disease, metal toxicity and chronic anxiety/stress. Also getting an MRI of the rest of my spine as I have only done the head and neck. Let me know if you find out any more info.

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. Your neurologist needs to rule out multiple sclerosis, a chronic demyelinating disorder also. MS is a chronic demyelinating disorder where the disease phase is characterized by active phase and remissions. It has multiple symptoms and signs and is a diagnosis of exclusion. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis are loss of balance, muscle spasms, numbness in any area, problems with walking and coordination, tremors in one or more arms and legs. Bowel and bladder symptoms include frequency of micturition, urine leakage, eye symptoms like double vision uncontrollable rapid eye movements, facial pain, painful muscle spasms, tingling, burning in arms or legs, depression, dizziness, hearing loss, fatigue etc. The treatment is essentially limited to symptomatic therapy so the course of action would not change much whether MS has been diagnosed or not. Apart from clinical neurological examination, MRI shows MS as paler areas of demyelination, two different episodes of demyelination separated by one month in at least two different brain locations. Spinal tap is done and CSF electrophoresis reveals oligoclonal bands suggestive of immune activity, which is suggestive but not diagnostic of MS. Demyelinating neurons, transmit nerve signals slower than non-demyelinated ones and can be detected with EP tests. These are visual evoked potentials, brain stem auditory evoked response, and somatosensory evoked potential. Slower nerve responses in any one of these is not confirmatory of MS but can be used to complement diagnosis along with a neurological examination, medical history and an MRI in addition, a spinal tap. Therefore, it would be prudent to consult your neurologist with these concerns. Hope this helps. Take care.