@Ellierp 

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Ellierp

I think I have MS

I have been struggling with my health since the birth of my daughter (20 months old) my main issues are muscle pain, nerve pain, GERD, hair loss, migraines, double vision, depression, anxiety and fatigue. How does a diagnosis happen? My daughter has been diagnosed with arthritis so I'm already high risk for autoimmune diseases and I've ordered a private ANA blood test. Will my GP be able to refer me to a specialist based on my symptoms? Thank you!
@MSMPT69

Hi there. You need to make an appointment with your GP, explain all of your symptoms and hopefully they will make a referral to a neurologist who will then send you for an MRI scan. If you have lesions on your brain or spine they will then diagnose Clinically Isolated Syndrome which is the first step of an MS diagnosis. It means you've had at least one relapse. They can then either wait for another relapse before they diagnose MS or start with lumbar punctures to give a definitive diagnosis. Getting diagnosed can be tough for some people and you have to remember you are your only advocate. Your GP could tell you it is all psychological and you are making it up but you have to keep plugging away and if they dismiss you at first keep going back until they listen to you. Take care of yourself and I wish you the best of luck.

@mellowmedusa

The private ANA test will tell you nothing. It's incredibly insensitive (i.e. it's raised in a number of conditions including colds and viral infections as well as a myriad of known and unknown autoimmune disease.) It's not known to be related to MS - although interestingly, I had an unexplained high titre 13 years before my diagnosis of MS. But I don't have reason to think it was related! As above, you need a neurologist, an MRI scan (possibly more than one) +/- a lumbar puncture. These are the diagnostic criteria for MS - https://mstrust.org.uk/a-z/mcdonald-criteria FWIW, the most specific (to MS) symptom you have described is the double vision - the other symptoms could be a lot of other conditions. I hope you get some information and your mind set at ease soon.