@winstonsmith 

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winstonsmith

Could i have MS?

Hello, I'm sure you all tire of the "do i have ms?" posts on here, but sadly here is another. Just looking for some opinions/advice. In January of this year, a little while after waking up in bed i had a pins & needles tingling sensation in the back of my head. This then went to my leg a few mins later and by a couple of hours later my whole body was tingling. This tingling happened on and off for a week and then it seemed to primarily go into my left leg, i developed a numbness which is difficult to describe, it wasn't totally numb but seemed less sensitive to touch and thing odd feeling that i could not describe. About a week later for 2 or 3 days my left arm and leg felt like it was less strong, they would tremor under load, not so much my leg but my arm when i would lift a heavy object it would shake, now I'm not talking about a 50kg dumbbell, but like a full kettle for instance. After this in a fit of absolute anxiety i went to the doctors, she couldn't detect any weakness in my left side and did some blood tests, these came back fine, no b12, no thyroid issues. there were some slightly out of range results but nothing to cause these symptoms. At my behest i got an MRI head out of them. The same day afternoon after the appointment i had a strange sensation that i could feel in my right neck, this feeling then spread all over my face and for most of the day it felt as though the dentist had injected me, i still had full range of facial movements, just loss of sensation. For the next week or so i felt a reduced sensitivity all over, i had a painful right trapezius muscle and numbness in it, i was really feeling quite rough. I then returned to the doctors and after fierce debate managed to get a referral to a neurologist out of her. My neurology appointment is in September and my MRI was cancelled 2 days before i was due to go because of covid-19. I feel better than i did, i still get the tingles in places at times, but the last week i feel as though my left foot has gone numb under the arch and is making it uncomfortable to walk and I'm getting tingling in it, also when i've been carrying shopping bags for 25 minutes or so, my left hand will tremble when its in certain positions for half hour after until its rested. I guess it's just making me frightened, i'm currently doing a healthcare course at university which has been going great and i'd be devastated if i couldn't do the job for which it is for. I'm anxious just to see someone so that if it is MS i can perhaps get onto some treatment if suitable. I'm supposed to be revising for upcoming exams but this is dominating my thoughts and I'm constantly doing extensive reading into pathophysiology, current DMT's future treatments coming. I just can't help myself, am i being stupid? Thank you for taking the time to read this
@Vixen

Hello @winston-smith, sorry that you're going through all this at the moment. Yes, those of us with MS are also having routine appointments cancelled at the moment as lots of departments are being pulled onto the main wards. Your questions aren't stupid at all. Obviously, you'd know that your questions couldn't be answered on here. Some of your symptoms sound quite typical but could also be indicative of other conditions too. This is going to sound impossible, but for people on here who are newly diagnosed, we always warn to stay away from Dr Google. It opens an unanswerable can of worms and will only increase anxiety. About the MRI, as it happens, it's always better to have it as near to the neurology appointment as possible as, with conditions such as this, things can change overnight, so any diagnostic test, MRI or other needs to be as current as possible. You should keep a concise list of symptoms and a dateline. Also, have a think back in history to see if there are any previous experiences which could be linked. Maybe visual, bladder issues, swallowing difficulties and so on. Ask if you could be put on a cancellation list to see the neuro. Are you doing your Uni course remotely at the moment? It's going to be hard, but in view of your exams, you need to find a way of locking up your anxiety into manageable chunks. Whilst I was waiting for diagnosis, I found this silly thing really useful. I used to allow myself 25 minutes of 'brooding, fretting, hand-wringing' time a day. I would fully immerse myself and let the anxiety come through. Then, I would make myself a cup of tea and get on with the day. If thoughts come into my head, I'd write it down in a funky notebook and reserve it to think about tomorrow. Does that make sense? Also, through Uni/work/other, could you get access to counselling? Obviously by remote or telephone, but there are services running, although fractured. The stuff about DMTs and future treatments, well, that's gonna have to wait. They are there and available, but at the moment, they aren't your story. Does that make sense? I'm sorry I can't give you any earth-shattering advice, but at least you know there are plenty of folk on here who will fully understand and appreciate everything you're going through right now......x

@winstonsmith

Thank you so much for your reply. I am not as anxious as i was when all this first started to happen, but every now and then i can't help myself but to look stuff up or research MS. I've never experienced symptoms like this as far as i can remember, thats why it's got me all worked up. I'm doing the uni course remotely at the moment as it is closed due to covid-19. I don't suppose you know how much a private consultation is with a neurologist? i don't have much money but were it not too much i'd definitely consider doing it. I will definitely try your method of allowing myself 25 mins to obsess. I'll be doing okay and then every so often i'll feel sad and upset at the thought of not being able to do the job i'm training for, or how i will provide for my partner if i can't work. Which is irrational given i haven't even been diagnosed, I'm even thinking how will i even have a DMT with doing my course given i have to go to hospital work placements given covid-19 and everything. Stupid i know.