Aa
Could this be Clinically Isololated Syndrome
Does this sound anything like any other MS experience? Is there any likely hood that this is a Clinically Isolated Incident?
I am a 38 year old wife and mother of four. I have an extensive neurological history, mostly migraine related. I started to have severe migraines with aura while pregnant with my twins sons born in 2000 but it may have started as early as my late teens.
I was very active and working full time until 2 months ago. The only complaints that I had were frequent headaches, a hot sensation that ran down my left leg (almost like I wet myself), pain in my feet and numbness in my legs when running.
I was running 2 to 3 miles 4-5 days a week but because of a recent move, I had kind of backed off until we had settled into our home when all of this started.
A few weeks before our move, I had a severe aura when turning my head to the left. I could not talk, write or understand others. I saw sparkles and was sensitive to light and sound. This was followed by a headache that lasted for three days.
I went to my Neurologist to be evaluated. After an MRI and MRA he diagnosed me with Bow Hunter’s Syndrome : my left artery was dissected or congenitally deformed and upon turning my head to the left, blood flow in my right artery was being cut off somehow to my brain causing my headaches.
My doctor sent me to a Professor of Neurosurgery at a teaching hospital to have a Cerebral Angiogram. Bow Hunter’s Syndrome was ruled out. Following the surgery, I had a horrible headache that I thought was a reaction to the anesthetics. The headache lasted several days.
After the Cerebral Angiogram I had the following symptoms that initially were explained as a result of the dye used for the procedure. I was told that they should subside after 4-5 days.
Numb/ tingling lips, arms and legs, blurred vision/ seeing sparkles, difficulty focusing eyes, painful eye movement, continuous headache, shortness of breath and chest heaviness, pain in feet, severe weakness in legs/ knees, fatigue, sensation of a lump in my throat, chills, increased hot flashes/ night sweats, and anxiety.
After about ten days without relief my doctor decided to run a battery of tests and labs. I had an MRA and MRI of my Cervical Spine prior to the Cerebral Angiogram. I failed a color blindness test, passed the VEP, had some abnormal results with my EMG and Nerve Conduction Study. My results for my Brain MRI and Lumbar Puncture were still out.
During a trip to the emergency room, due to increased weakness, they did a CT, EKG, X-rays and more blood and urine tests. In addition to all of this, my numbness seems to be spreading throughout my body to include my bowels and bladder. On 2/4/10, I was diagnosed with Neurogenic Bladder.
During the Lumbar Puncture, the removal of the fluid seemed to alleviate some of the numbness in my left side, however; it is returning. My symptoms are worsening and now my arms and legs just seem to go to sleep and I can't feel them at all or I have pins and needles that does not get better with positional changes. My right leg now has cold sensations; I feel like I have stepped in water or ice.
For the first time in 6 years I may have an explanation for the most odd symptom of all. Upon researching I found the MS Hug and my eyes lit up. I have had this sensation in my sides and back right above my waist. Sometimes this discomfort radiates to my stomach. My discomfort ranges from moderate to excruciating pain with no other explanation. The past two months I have been experiencing this sensation quite often.
I spoke with my doctor yesterday and he said that my MRI and Lumbar Puncture were normal. This is great news to hear that I don't have something like Guillian-Barre or Lyme but terrible that I have no answer for this ordeal that I am going through. He did not say that I do not have MS but at an earlier appointment, he said that he did not think it was MS because my deep tendon reflexes are absent instead of hyperactive as seen in MS. My doctor is sending me on to another doctor at a teaching hospital to see a Neurology Specialist, hopefully someone can figure this out.
Previous Neurological diagnosis’: aura without headache, migraine with aura (sensitivity to light, sound, smell/ visual disturbances/ numbness/ difficulty with speech and language)sporadic hemiplegic migraine and basilar type migraine accompanied by difficulty speaking, vertigo and cluster headaches and Varicella Zoster.
Other diagnosis’: Inner Ear disorder, Nystagmus, PFO, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Costochondritis, Interstitial Cystitis, Hypothyroidism, Endometriosis/ Hysterectomy 2002, Lack of Libido, Hyperplastic & Adenomatous Polyps, IBS, Gastritis, GERD, H-pylori positive/ treated. Fluctuating High Cholesterol, Low Potassium & Low B12.
I am a 38 year old wife and mother of four. I have an extensive neurological history, mostly migraine related. I started to have severe migraines with aura while pregnant with my twins sons born in 2000 but it may have started as early as my late teens.
I was very active and working full time until 2 months ago. The only complaints that I had were frequent headaches, a hot sensation that ran down my left leg (almost like I wet myself), pain in my feet and numbness in my legs when running.
I was running 2 to 3 miles 4-5 days a week but because of a recent move, I had kind of backed off until we had settled into our home when all of this started.
A few weeks before our move, I had a severe aura when turning my head to the left. I could not talk, write or understand others. I saw sparkles and was sensitive to light and sound. This was followed by a headache that lasted for three days.
I went to my Neurologist to be evaluated. After an MRI and MRA he diagnosed me with Bow Hunter’s Syndrome : my left artery was dissected or congenitally deformed and upon turning my head to the left, blood flow in my right artery was being cut off somehow to my brain causing my headaches.
My doctor sent me to a Professor of Neurosurgery at a teaching hospital to have a Cerebral Angiogram. Bow Hunter’s Syndrome was ruled out. Following the surgery, I had a horrible headache that I thought was a reaction to the anesthetics. The headache lasted several days.
After the Cerebral Angiogram I had the following symptoms that initially were explained as a result of the dye used for the procedure. I was told that they should subside after 4-5 days.
Numb/ tingling lips, arms and legs, blurred vision/ seeing sparkles, difficulty focusing eyes, painful eye movement, continuous headache, shortness of breath and chest heaviness, pain in feet, severe weakness in legs/ knees, fatigue, sensation of a lump in my throat, chills, increased hot flashes/ night sweats, and anxiety.
After about ten days without relief my doctor decided to run a battery of tests and labs. I had an MRA and MRI of my Cervical Spine prior to the Cerebral Angiogram. I failed a color blindness test, passed the VEP, had some abnormal results with my EMG and Nerve Conduction Study. My results for my Brain MRI and Lumbar Puncture were still out.
During a trip to the emergency room, due to increased weakness, they did a CT, EKG, X-rays and more blood and urine tests. In addition to all of this, my numbness seems to be spreading throughout my body to include my bowels and bladder. On 2/4/10, I was diagnosed with Neurogenic Bladder.
During the Lumbar Puncture, the removal of the fluid seemed to alleviate some of the numbness in my left side, however; it is returning. My symptoms are worsening and now my arms and legs just seem to go to sleep and I can't feel them at all or I have pins and needles that does not get better with positional changes. My right leg now has cold sensations; I feel like I have stepped in water or ice.
For the first time in 6 years I may have an explanation for the most odd symptom of all. Upon researching I found the MS Hug and my eyes lit up. I have had this sensation in my sides and back right above my waist. Sometimes this discomfort radiates to my stomach. My discomfort ranges from moderate to excruciating pain with no other explanation. The past two months I have been experiencing this sensation quite often.
I spoke with my doctor yesterday and he said that my MRI and Lumbar Puncture were normal. This is great news to hear that I don't have something like Guillian-Barre or Lyme but terrible that I have no answer for this ordeal that I am going through. He did not say that I do not have MS but at an earlier appointment, he said that he did not think it was MS because my deep tendon reflexes are absent instead of hyperactive as seen in MS. My doctor is sending me on to another doctor at a teaching hospital to see a Neurology Specialist, hopefully someone can figure this out.
Previous Neurological diagnosis’: aura without headache, migraine with aura (sensitivity to light, sound, smell/ visual disturbances/ numbness/ difficulty with speech and language)sporadic hemiplegic migraine and basilar type migraine accompanied by difficulty speaking, vertigo and cluster headaches and Varicella Zoster.
Other diagnosis’: Inner Ear disorder, Nystagmus, PFO, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Costochondritis, Interstitial Cystitis, Hypothyroidism, Endometriosis/ Hysterectomy 2002, Lack of Libido, Hyperplastic & Adenomatous Polyps, IBS, Gastritis, GERD, H-pylori positive/ treated. Fluctuating High Cholesterol, Low Potassium & Low B12.
wow.. this is alot of Dxs... sorry I can't help with any answers.. it could be so many things. I'm sure from what you have typed here that you know that... sorry can't help.
let us know how things go
wobbly
dx
let us know how things go
wobbly
dx
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Multiple Sclerosis Community
Top Neurology Answerers
Australia
ON
Queensland, Australia
Queen Creek, AZ
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
