I'm back

[mathgirl24]

I posted on here a couple years ago.  I didn't end up going back to the neuro.  Bad mistake I suppose.  I had to cancel my appointment and never got it rescheduled due to a lot of life things that started happening around that time.  Then in July of 2016, I got pregnant and felt great during pregnancy!  Now here I am about 8 months pp and have had some really bad symptoms.

Symptoms in the past:

Numbness tingling of left hand
Intermittent double vision
Balance issues (not severe)

Symptoms this past week or so:

Numbness/tingling in left hand and now up part of my arm

Balance issues worse this time.  I sway if I stand in place or sit unsupported.  I have trouble walking at times.  I feel kind of like I'm drunk.

Coordination issues which are new.  I have trouble picking things up and missing my targets like light switches or when I try to open the cabinet doors.  I also drop things multiple times a day.

Today I have felt better but have been really tired.  I do have a baby but she has finally started sleeping all night and so have I.  So I should feel more rested but I'm totally exhausted.

My MRI of the brain and spine came back normal as did my EMG and NCV.  I have been tested for deficiencies and other diseases all of which were negative.  They did note a positive Babinski on the left.

I have called the neuro to get an appointment and the one I saw before is no longer there.  They told me to go to my GP which is a waste since I've already been a patient with the neurology dept.  They were supposed to call me back Friday but didn't.  I'm going to call again tomorrow and try to get an appointment.

What should I expect if I get a return appointment?  Will they repeat the MRI?  I hate to start over at the GP office so hopefully I'll get an appointment.

[BOK2Bjan]

Hi - I'm so glad to hear you were evaluated thoroughly by the GP. When you get a complete workup by your PCP, any subsequent referral to a specialist is taken more seriously. It can be SO frustrating to be experiencing real symptoms, yet have noone willing to investigate properly.

I hope you find answers, feel better, and continue to enjoy your new child! I do hope you get a full spine imaging. Lesions are most often found in the C-spine, but that doesn't mean they don't occur in the rest of the spinal column.

Whatever has been causing these symptoms - I'm sure you hope it resolves on its own. But if it doesn't - I hope it's something that can be easily treated! Blessings, Jan

[mathgirl24]

I made sure I am getting an MRI on a 3T machine.  It's weird because now I have a burning feeling going down my right leg.

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome back, um that sounds so wrong when the reason your back is medical err um you'll hopefully get what i mean :D

I would of suggested you consider starting with your GP which would help get all the general causes relating to post natal tested and anything else ruled in or out, which is a start...

With the last time you experiencing these types of symptoms and your neuro related test evidence not finding lesions or anything abnormal apart from showing the babinski sign, there's a 'possibility' the babinski sign was temporary and your resent circumstances has exacerbated or worsened what didn't show up on your last MRI's, i'd expect you to at least need a repeat MRI of your spinal column this time.    

Information:
[“Is MS the only disease which causes damage along the corticospinal tract?  If I experience Babinski sign, does that mean I have MS?”

No. The abnormal Babinski reflex can be caused by several conditions including spinal cord injury or tumor, meningitis, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), pernicious anemia, Friedreich’s ataxia, syringomyelia, poliomyelitis, rabies, brain tumor or head injury involving the corticospinal tract, or following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure.] https://www.*************.com/article/ms-signs-vs-symptoms-what-is-the-babinski-sign

Hope that helps.....JJ

[mathgirl24]

Thanks for your reply!  Yes, I'm not happy that I am back on here but I have found great support here in the past.  

I did go to my GP yesterday.  He did a brief neuro exam and noted that I do have an intention tremor especially in my left hand when doing the finger to nose test.  He did not test for Babinski and didn't say anything about my other reflexes so I assume they must have been normal.

He ordered some blood tests to check for deficiencies.  He also ordered a repeat MRI with MS protocol with and without contrast.  I'll have to ask to see if that includes the spine or not.

[supermum_ms]

Since you last visited, the site went through some major design changes which made it very difficult for our MS community to use the site whilst the changes were in progress over those 2 years, unfortunately most of our community members haven't resumed posting as yet, i'm sorry to say it but you may not get the same experience here as you did before :(

The finger to nose test is a simple way of picking up tremors, action and intention tremors can confusingly look very similar with goal directed movement, if you over reached your target it could even lean more towards dysmetria, dysmetria can result in undershooting or overshooting the target.

You can even develop whats called ocular or saccadic dysmetria, which occurs when you’re having trouble focusing your eyes, you basically look too far away from the target or not look close enough to the target.

Other symptoms linked to cerebellum functioning if it is either intention or dysmetria includes ataxia, and or other issues controlling muscle movements. Ataxia may impact your ability to walk, balance, swallow, speak, and see.

tremor related information; https://www.uptodate.com/contents/tremor-beyond-the-basics
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/1015/p1545.html
https://www.healthline.com/health/dysmetria#overview1

Intention tremor could be a sign of cerebellar dysfunction or disorder aquired atxia, though MS is only one of the causes...

"Acquired ataxias may result from nonhereditary neurodegenerative disorders (eg, multiple system atrophy), systemic disorders, multiple sclerosis, cerebellar strokes, repeated traumatic brain injury, or toxin exposure, or they may be idiopathic. Systemic disorders include alcoholism (alcoholic cerebellar degeneration), celiac disease, heatstroke, hypothyroidism, and vitamin E deficiency. Toxins include carbon monoxide, heavy metals, lithium, phenytoin, and certain solvents. Toxic levels of certain drugs (eg, anticonvulsants) can cause cerebellar dysfunction and ataxia."

http://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/professional/neurologic-disorders/movement-and-cerebellar-disorders/cerebellar-disorders#v1044872

....so i'd still recommend you keep an open mind, oh did you ever get your vision tested for an explanation of the intermittent double vision?

Hope that helps.......JJ

[mathgirl24]

Thanks for all the info.  As always you are very detailed and helpful.

I did notice that they site seemed quieter than it did before.  A lot can happen in 2 years since I've been on here.

I feel like the GP did take me seriously though which is good.  In the past I've basically been dismissed.  He wants to start with the MRI and blood tests and if all those come back normal, he will refer me to a neuro so they can do a more thorough work up and go from there.

I know there are many other conditions that mimic MS.  I've been tested for some of them already and they have come back negative.  

I haven't really had a problem with the double vision this time.  When I had it before I went to the eye doctor and they said it was because one of my eye muscles was probably a little weaker and it took more effort to keep my eyes aligned.

I have started to feel better over the past couple of days but I still have trouble with coordination and my left hand/arm is numb and tingles sometimes.

I have the MRI schedules for 11/14.

[supermum_ms]

With mild convergence issues the health of your eyes is normal, with normal visual range and good visual function but it can become more pronounced with illness, sleep deprivation, vitamin deficiencies, hormonal fluctuations, thyroid, eye straining, pain etc etc and your vision can intermittently go fuzzy, blurry or even double like a yoyo until your back to your healthy again.

It's unusual for neurological issues like MS to cause symptoms in one side of the upper body and the opposite side in the lower, not sure what could be going on there sorry...

It's good your GP is not dismissive this time, doesn't mean it's MS obviously but something is going on and getting blood tests and a 3T MRI will go a long way to working it out....let us know how it goes!

Hope that helps.......JJ

[mathgirl24]

I'm glad I called back and asked for the 3T.  If it comes back clear, that will make me feel more confident in those results.  I also asked for a repeat of the cervical spine MRI.  Right now I'm just set up for a brain MRI.  

All my blood tests came back normal.

The warm feeling down the back of my right leg didn't last real long so it could have been something else like sitting too long or the wrong way.  I did note it anyway.  I keep a journal of symptoms so I have an accurate timeline.

What ever it is, at least I feel like I'm going in the right direction to get some answers.

[mathgirl24]

Well they want me to start back with my GP.  My symptoms have gotten better but still somewhat there.  I guess I'll make an appointment with my GP and see what happens.