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MS symptoms, but doc is saying probably not.

I've been experiencing just about all of the major symptoms of MS.  I do know it is the great mimicer...
I have left eye pain off and on, blurred and double vision off and on, left sided facial loss of feeling and slight droop.  I have a squeezing feeling around my middle off and on.  I have loss of feeling in my left leg and left side of crotch.  I have terrible muscle pain and tightness in the back of my thigh and calf. The pain in my leg is excruciating.  I also have had a double fusion l4-l5 and l5-S1 with some nerve damage in the left side.  I have walking issues and need a cane because of the left leg, and I stumble and fall often.  I also have, what I perceive as huge cognitive and memory changes in the last 3 years.  This does come and go except the cognitive stuff.  But it here more than gone the last year. I also have terrible hypoglycemia.
In 2000 in had 90% of my stomach removed due to ulcers that would not respond to meds, also been diagnosed with interstial Cystitis.  But it doesn't seem to be quite right.
I have not been able to do an MRI because if a spinal nerve stimulator in my back, but just learned I can have a head only MRI.  So I am anxiously awaiting a head only MRI soon to determine what all this adds up to.  I think it's MS myself, not that I want it.  I also remember when I had an MRI in the mid ninety's, that they saw something, but said it didn't affect what I was there for which was horrible headaches. I don't know if it was a lesson or not but I think that's what she told me.
Does this add up to anything or MS?  I'm desperate for an answer after months of excruciating pain.
Thank you,
Jo
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi Jo and welcome,

Your preexisting structural spinal condition, disc fusion and left side nerve damage is your more likely explanation for what you experience on your left side -  "loss of feeling in my left leg and left side of crotch, muscle pain and tightness in the back of my thigh and calf, walking issues and need a cane because of the left leg, and I stumble and fall often"

The "squeezing feeling around my middle off and on" could also be related to your spinal issues to but if it's below your rib cage you have to keep in mind that you've had "90% of my stomach removed due to ulcers" and have also been diagnosed with "interstial Cystitis." so there is the possibility that it's related to your preexisting gut or bladder conditions.

You also have other preexisting conditions that would likely account for the cognitive-memory issues you've been experiencing "I also have terrible hypoglycemia" but keep in mind that chronic pain, sleep deprivation and pain medications can also cause these types of symptoms.

The other preexisting medical condition you mention is "horrible headaches" and migraine headaches could actually account for your "left eye pain off and on, blurred and double vision off and on, left sided facial loss of feeling and slight droop" though i would definitely recommend you get the health of your eyes assessed if you haven't already, at least by an optometrist, preferably an ophthalmologist because with your medical history there is a possibility visual issues are is a co-morbid situation happening.

MS is a disease of the central nervous system so just about every associated MS symptom you've read about can also be caused by 100's of different types of medical conditions, usually more common causes too.....its rare these days but MS can still be diagnosed without MRI evidence, apart of the collective evidence requirements though is for there to be no other more likely medical explanation for the symptoms and neurologically suggestive signs.

So with that thought in mind, what you are experiencing is diagnostically 'more likely' to be associated to what you already know, than for you to be dealing with an additional unrelated neurological medical condition like MS....

Nerve pain can be very difficult to get under control, many of our community members have experienced a lot of help and support with their pain situations after specifically going to a 'pain clinic' so that's something you might consider doing.

I hope that helps......JJ
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