Could this be MS?

[Phoenix177]

I'm 31. My medication is a natual herb, xanax (@ night), I take vit D3, multi vitamins, Omega-3
I do have a learning disability in my short-term memory,but my long-term memory is normal.

it's been 5 or 6 years since I've had a MRI or CT on my spine or brain. they were both clean then. the most recent MRI I've had was 3 or 4 months ago, but that was for my left knee. my blood pressure is in normal range. Oxygen level in blood is 99 or 100 which is great.
In June, I get a physical, blood work and the whole ten yards. my doc learned a long time a go, if somethings bugging me I'll let him know. I don't tell him every ache and pain, for the most part I can tell if its FMS or one of my conditions or something else.

I’ve been having some symptoms that don’t fit my current medical problems which are Plantar Fasciitis (right foot since childhood), fibromyaglia,  PTSD, Restless Leg Syndrome, and right rotator cuff tendonitis (all of these came together almost 9 yrs ago). I got IBS due to the meds my ex doc had me on. In Jan. '09, I was DX with Osteoarthritis and bursitis in left knee. My gut feeling is something different is wrong.

About 2 summers ago, I noticed I got lightly dizzy/spinning/spacey when I was overheated. I'd go inside and cool down, so I thought it was just the heat. the following summer, same symptoms just a little worse.

Dec '08 I had a very bad flu for 2 1/2 weeks. my fever ranged from 101 to 105.8F(the high fever for 1 day)

In January 2009, I was sitting in my recliner resting my knee when I suddenly felt tingling sensation from my right cheek to just above my right eye. Then I started seeing spots and kind of like a red-green film with bright white spots along the edge in my right eye vision and it seemed to get darker with my right eye open. My left eye was normal. If I close my right eye, the light level returns to normal. I started to get dizzy, like spinning. my side vision for my right eye only went hazy then black for about 45 minutes. Luckily everything went back to normal. I went to my doc as soon as possible, he checked my eyes and didn’t see anything wrong.

About a month later, I was watching TV when I brushed my right hand against my blue jeans and it felt like a very soft blanket. It took me a little time to relies I didn’t have a soft blanket on, and ½ of my ring finger and pinky were numb mixed with pins and needles along with wrist, forearm, and upper arm (underside). It comes and goes. Went to my doc, I told him what was going on (it’s nice to have a doc that listens). I was thinking pitched nerve like CTS or something like it. My doc told my to pay attention to my arm and see what sets it off, when I go to bed keep my arms straight, and I’ll see you in 2 weeks. 2 weeks later, he sends me to get x-rays of my neck (I broke C2 in a car wreck in ’04. the ER missed it, my dentist caught it 6 weeks later), they look normal. I have to wait for insurance ok the next test:nerve conduction velocity test. I'm still waiting for this.

On 3/19, I had stinging pain in my right forearm around the bone and pins and needles on the skin layer. If I moved my arm, the muscles felt as if they were being shocked and torn.

On 3/20, the pins and needles spread to the whole hand. ½ my wrist and forearm went numb (this area is still numb now) and the other half felt like there was a dagger twisting along with electric shocks. My right hand seems to have some weakness and have a hard time holding things (cup, pen, etc.). I cannot straighten or rotate my right arm without sharp, stinging; tearing pain with an electric shock (it reminds me of grabbing an electric fence). This electric pulse goes up my arm into my spine, muscle spasm follows this, and this pulse usually goes down to my legs

I've stared a journal to keep all of these symptoms straight. these are the symptoms that keep popping up. they are all on and off:

right eye pain when moving or eyeball jumping, seeing flashes of light, spots- dark, color, or bright white,or something dark in the side or corner of my right eye. My vision sometimes get hazy or everything seems to be moving or splits. When I close my eyes, I feel as if I’m spinning.

sometimes when I was get dressed, my arms and legs started shaking and wouldn’t stop until I sat down and stopped using the affective limbs

my limbs feel heavy at times, I get very tired around 1 or 2 pm.

Sometimes I feel a electric shock in my spine, legs, arm, or neck

I sometimes I feel very itchy, numbness, muscle spasms, tight muscles, muscle weakness, pins and needles, tingling

My bladder has been very active; it’s been a couple of years since I’ve had this problem. my IBS is also very active.

I'm been using the wrong word from time to time. For example, '(son), can you give me that paperclip?' when I’m pointing at a close pin. While I was talking, I was a little overheated I got slightly dizzy and lightheaded, I had picture in my head, but couldn't bring the words to mind; when I thought close pin I said paper clip.

I'm waiting for my nuero to call me to make appointment(this is how it works when on OHP). Hopefully they call soon. And I'll be going over all my symptoms and will bring my journal.

Does this sound like MS?

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Welcome to the Forum.  It's a little slow today and I would like to give you a good response to your questions, but I am too tired and out of it today.  I'll try tomorrow.  I am Quix, on of the forum leaders and a physician in a prior life, though never a neuro, alas.

We have some interesting articles written by forum members in our Health Pages.  You might look through these for some info on MS.  The articles on diagnosing MS (along with the McDonald Criteria) might be interesting to see what makes up an MS diagnosis.

When considering your symptoms it is important to look at the pattern of how the symptoms appeared as you did with the tingling in your right forearm and wrist, that was good.  Try to look at each of the symptoms and discuss it in a paragraph that is similar.  Using phrases like "sometimes" and "from time to time" is not helpful.  I may read that and imagine once a month, while another person will think you are describing that a symptom occurs a few times a day.

85% of MS occurs in a relapsing and remitting fashion.  That means that symptoms come on, linger for a while (days, weeks, months) and then go away, improve or just stay stable.  This period of improvement is called a remission.

Be very clear on which areas are affected by the symptoms.  When you say arms and hands, feet, legs, the reader will picture all of all your extremities, when it may be limitied to (for example) the right forearm and wrist, the left hand and wrist, the whole right leg, but just a patch on the left thigh.  Being that specific can be very helpful for the doctor.

Be as clear as possible on how long each symptom lasts.  Now some symptoms are there ALL the time and others my appear briefly many times a day.  These are looked at the same.  Note if your symptoms move around a lot and seem to been different every day.  This can be an important clue also.

You might also read the Health Page on preparing a Timeline for you and your doctor.  This helps put the symptoms down into a time perspective.  Here is the link to that page:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple%20Sclerosis/The-Importance-of-the-Timeline/show/765?cid=36

Quick question:  When you feel weak and trembly after getting dressed, is it typically after you have had a nice hot shower in the morning??

Be back when I can and others will stop by to say hi.

Quix

[essdipity]

Quix has given you some outstanding advice, whether you use it for meeting with your doctors or for explaining to us here what's going on with you.

Hope to hear more from you soon.

ess

[Phoenix177]

"Quick question:  When you feel weak and trembly after getting dressed, is it typically after you have had a nice hot shower in the morning?? "Quix

Yes, those hot showers used to help me deal with the FM; Sore muscles, knots that kind a thing. Now those nice hot showers cause dizzy/spinning spells with I close my eyes, weakness, tremble after I'm too warm. My showers aren't as hot now days, but a hot day can do the same thing. I'm still trying to find the new balance between the FM and what ever this is.

I didn't want to write a book so I summarized my symptoms, but I see your point in adding more detail.

My right forearm has not been normal since 3/19/09. I've described that above. it took me about 3 1/2 weeks massaging, stretching it out very slowly to be able to use my arm. On 4/9/09. When I woke up, my right forearm was numb and had shocking pain if I stretched out or rotated my arm. My arm has been very itchy until around 2pm, about ¼ of this numb area, closer to my elbow, seems to have normal sensations again. The rest can now feel more then just pressure when pressed on, but it seem to be slightly delayed with a lighter degree of numbness. I still can’t stretch out my arm without a shocking, stinging pain. My fingers feel pins and needles and/or slight numbness off and on all day. the one thing that seems consistent with my right forearm is numbness.

today when I press on my right forearm, I can feel the pressure against the bone and that's it. I noticed before the shocking pain returns my skin usually gets extremely itchy and/or mixed with pins and needles then my forearm muscles tightens up  (it makes FM look like a cute cuddly puppy). The tight muscles can last a couple days to weeks. the pins and needles can last a few minutes to days or weeks. I noticed similar symptoms with the rest of my body, but not the degree of numbness. If something else goes numb its no more then a day .

4/23/09 is when I started getting tired around 1pm almost every day since, just the degree changes.

What ever this is seems to like my right eye
right eye pain when moving- can last a few minutes to 2-3 hours. the pain is on the back of my eyeball.
eyeball jumping- I've only notice this with my right eye. usually last no more then a minute. It seems to happen every 3 to 5 days. it might jump 1 to 5 different times in a single day, any hour and no warning. I do get dizzy when this happens, but it's understandable. most of my dizzy spells come out of the blue and they're almost daily sometimes with multiple waves.
right eye vision seemed to get darker- I've noticed this on and off for years, but really never paid attention to it. Oddly enough, I usually notice this more at night.
seeing flashes of light, spots- dark, color, or bright white,or something dark in the side or corner of my right eye. I notice this at night more, but I see the spots during the day. it can last a few seconds or hours. it's on and off, sometimes everyday for a week then suddenly gone for at least a few days.
My vision sometimes get hazy or everything seems to be moving or splits.
When I close my eyes, I feel as if I’m spinning.


I'll put more later