Patchy T2 hyperintensity - cervical spinal cord

[milwrite]

Thank you all for the wealth of information on this forum!

Question about intermittent episodes & test results thus far. I just turned 50.

Test Results:
Lyme negative, Thyroid normal, Potassium normal, Awaiting approval for brain MRI
Patchy T2 hyperintensity throughout cervical spinal cord  on 2 MRI's (1 with, 1 without contrast) - 11/2008.
PA at PCP's office now looking at nerve transmission of impulses or chemical imbalance. All this time (first episode in 2003 or 2004) I've thought it was my narrow spinal column, cervical arthritic changes or TIA's because I have hypertension. No one has ever mentioned MS, but I'm now wondering if MS is a possibility.

Symtoms during episodes:
Numbness (mostly Left, but sometimes switches to Right) face, ears (very weird feeling) neck, shoulder, arm, hand, butt, leg, foot. Legs feel like lead. Intermittent difficulty opening jars and typing if really numb.
Fleeting pings occasionally -head, spine. Vision can get sort of cloudy, not blurry, then passes
Driving aggravates - can get so sleepy feel like I'll pass out. Exhausted alot.
Usually constipated but when numbness bad I all of sudden have to get to the bathroom QUICK.
Face tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) helps - sort of gets the nerves working a little better. Aleve helps.
Hot flashes and brain fog, but I think that's just menopause.

Does MS sound like a possibility or am I just crazy? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[milwrite]

Thank you both for your response. I'll look for a good neurologist and MS specialist in my area.

milwrite

[Lulu54]

Hi Milwrite and welcome to our little corner of the web.

Almost all of what you describe sounds like it COULD be MS but its just a  guess. What you need now is a referral to a neurologist who can do a thorough exam - particularly an MS specialist who understands the nuances of this MiSerable disease.

Even though you are 50, and outside the usual age for MS diagnosis, many of us here were the same.  I was just dx'd last year at the age of just shy of 54.  Thought I probably had those symptoms for years but ignored them for a long time.  

So no, you are not crazy.  What is crazy is this disease and how hard it is to diagnose becuase everyone has totally different symptoms from the next person.  

Good luck with htis and let us know if we can be of more help.
Welcome again,
Lulu

[essdipity]

Hello and welcome! No one here can say what's gone wrong with you, but we urge you to keep at it with the diagnositic process. Your symptoms certainly could be caused by MS, but also by other condiions.

The diagnostic process can be maddeningly slow, I know. I hope you are being evaluated by a knowledgeable neuro. There are also lots of well-informed people here, so ask away and we'll do out best.

ess