Does this sound like MS ?

[LESH1971]

Hello!
  I hope someone can help me? I have "many symtoms" that seem like MS (to me anyway),but over the years,have had so many diffrent diagnoses it's crazy! Starting from the beginning: in 2005, i started getting migrains (every single day) and excedren migrain would only help slightly and after it wore off ,they would come back just as bad. I also started having problems with muscle tightness and twitches all over my body (charley horses) even in my face and very painful!!! at this time, i would also have problems ware  i would loose sensation in my feet and fall to the ground. i also started getting feelings of pins and needle (falling asleep feeling) in my limbs ,along with extream muscle tighness all over my body,extrem constapation,hands would lock also (causing me to drop things) always wanted to sleep! Diagnosed with fibromialgia

2007: had my (r) arm go limp, when trying to reach for stair rail (all above symptoms continued) diagnosed with possable pinched nerve

2008: started having problems emptying my bladder (have to push to start flow) all symptoms continued

2010: started getting feeling of going to pass out (one momet fine and awake/next needing to lay down due to extream exahusted feeling)Loss of muscle mass,hard to lift objects or open containers... symptoms continued

2012:When lating in bed (on my chest) my head was turned to the left and my eyes started shaking uncontrollablyand i could not move (lasted about 3 min.) Started having problems swallowing (food and drink would not go down)  Diagnosed with GERD and hiadial Hernia ...Symtoms continued

2013: noticed quarter sized lump on back of neck (under skull/on side of spine) Eye pain (feels like eye is full of fluid and going to burst/like something is pushing behind eye also) eye floaters (gray/yellow swimmers) Ears ring constantly and slight loss of hearing. hard to consentrate, ocasional loss of balance,ocasinal stutterd speech (must stop and say words slowly as seems my toung gets stuck), musces in hands tighten (charley horse/can see veins in fingers clearly and hand turns red)Fingers hurt to touch anything and lock(hurts to dial phone or use computer/must have kids do it for me), Muscles in chest tighten and burn (upper chest from sholder to sholder and feels like muscles are ripping/burn like a cut) Arms feel like something is wraped around them and pulling tight, sometimes i hurt to be touched

please help! i'm only 42 and a single mom (my kids need me to be a mom and i feel like i'm failing them,by not being able to function)

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome,

Sorry but i cant get my head around your last post, a Dr who blames one product, one drink containing artificial sweetener as 'the' cause of brain lesions and you have migraines (?OMG!!) thankfully you don't see that Dr any more!

MS does indeed have many mimics, genetics plays its part in many conditions but in MS its not so much, the further removed a relative is the less relevant or meaning it has. I really don't think the conditions your Aunt, first and third cousins have, is something you need to consider as particularly meaningful. There would be a stronger relevance in any conditions your mother/father, brother/sister have but further away you water down relevance more and more.

I think its probably a good idea to get your hands on your MRI reports, in 2005 you were told you had lesions, but in 2012 you've been told it was fine, are they still there or what? Migraines can cause brain lesions and there are a lot of similar sx's to MS that can happen to a person, sx's that are felt all over or in all limbs are not usually connected to MS though so looking into mimics might help you with what tests you haven't had yet etc.

Cheers..........JJ



    

[LESH1971]

The reason given by the doc. to stop drinking crystal light was: it contains aspertame and aspertame causes leasions

[LESH1971]

Hello jonniebear!
Mostly i have seen family docs,however seen 2 ner. docs (0ne being in 2005 other in 2012) the one in 2005 (out of Jackson Mississippi) said he indded seen leasions and wanted further testing,but I moved  to Ohio due to a divorce! My second was done in 2012,but ner. said it was fine! My family doc. in 2005 said the leasons could be due to me drinking crysal light and to stop drinking it.....so i did! i don't get the migrains as much,but do get them often (and are killers)

[johnniebear]

You should get a copy of all reports to date and the MRI cd.

WHat type of Dr's have you seen?   a family Dr might read the report different than Neuro would..

here's a good read on our HealthPages.  Mimics of MS

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/MS-Mimics---Part-I/show/375?cid=36

take care
JB

[LESH1971]

Thank you for responding  kwarendorf!
My MRI was done in 2012 with contast and found to be normal by a ner. doc.(asked me ,if i just may be depressed) I am going to Cleveland clinic on April 2nd. to an MS specialest,to see what they think? My 1st. cusin (on my fathers side) has MS and i have an aunt on his side,who passed away with lupus. I also have a cusin (3rd. cusin) on my mothers side with lupus! i hope i can get some releaf from this visit on the 2nd. forgive any miss-spellings,as i'm trying on my own to type out and hands are cramping now

[LESH1971]

Also...i have had a sleep study and Mri in 2012 and doc. said it is normal!

[kwarendorf]

Hi LESH - sorry you needed to find our group, but glad you did!

Many of the symptoms you describe can be attributed to MS. All but the lump, in fact, can be MS related. MS attacks the central nervous system, so anything and everything can be effected. That said, all of your symptoms can also be caused by other things.

You mention that you have received many diagnoses. What kind of doctors have you been seeing? I would suggest that you find a neurologist that specializes in MS. They would likely want an MRI of head and c-spine,  both done with and without contrast. They will also order a battery of blood tests to rule out MS mimics, like Lyme disease, Don't be surprised if a lumbar puncture, aka spinal tap, is requested.

These are the basic building blocks of an MS diagnosis. The most important component of an MS diagnosis is the clinical exam. All of the other components support the clinical findings. The clinical exam should be done by an MS specialists.

Kyle