I was diagnosed wth MS about 4 months ago. Quite a surprise; being male and 57 years old I hardly fit the usual profile. Being a physiotherapist myself I probably treated 30 - 40 people with MS myself and yet I just did not recognise my own symptoms. It was one of my students that asked me about my dropfoot and subsequently a positive Babinsky reflex that gat me started to think in the direction of a neuro-degenrative disorder.
Anyway, a positive MRI, a spinal tap with 18 oligoclonal bands and postive evoked response testing confirmed the diagnosis and I started using Copaxone (Glatiramer) a little while later.
Anyway, I'm glad I can talk to some people that are going through something similar as I do and I hope to get to know all of you a little better.
Floris
Hi, my name is Sarah. My story is this :
May 2003 sudden episode of Optic Neuritis in my left eye, lost my sight completely in that eye after various Tests and MRI that showed 12 legion areas i had intravenous steroid treatment and my sight slowly returned after 4 months. I put it behind me and got on with my life.
2010, just last wk i feel like i am drunk permanently if that makes sense, its leading from the left side and feels worse in large open spaces. my hubby made me go to a Neurologist and he is recommending an MRI and lumber puncture to rule out and diagnose better. I am dreading the Lumber puncture but my biggest fear is going blind and my vision not returning. I also dont want a label after diagnosis either , i am in a bit of a weird place just now and feel very emotional.
Are Lumber punctures as hideous as i think ?
thanks for listening and big fat jugs to all.
Hi everyone, I'm new here and thought I'd better introduce myself
I am 36 yo, with a beautiful 10 yo son with complex special needs.
My own health history is a bit complicated. I hate listing my symptoms because I'm a very positive person that just lives each day as it comes and I don't like thinking about some of the things that have happened with my health, or the fact that no one can agree what's causing it! I have a feeling I'm not going to come out of this post sounding very positive, though. And I apologise if it gets a bit long.
I have another appointment with the neurologist on Monday which is what has bought this all up again, and know I have to pick back through my history which I hate. This time, I lost the ability to walk in a straight line and the GPs neuro exam showed another deteriation especially with my muscle strength on the right.
Firstly, I have not been dx'd with MS at the moment, but have had problems for up to 8 years. My GP is convinced it's MS, and I've seen a neuro and had an MRI 2 years ago that was clear. He offered a lumber puncture and I refused at the time and I was "mothballed"
I have also had repeated investigations for a condition called Lupus which have also all been inconclusive, and to be honest I am fed up with the blood tests and scans and everything else that never seems to show anything.
One thing is clear is I have had spells of recurring neurological symptoms, and neuro exams are showing increasing loss of muscle strength, tremor, some reduced reflexes and areas of numbness. I get vertigo occasionally, frequent dizziness, tingling and numbness especially in my feet, electric shock and prickling sensations, heaviness in my limbs, fatigue, brain fog, sensation of falling backwards which has lasted for several months at a time and I just adjust to in the end, falling sideways, especially to the right, and one spell of misted vision and bruising-type pain in my right eye. Once I lost the use of my right leg completely for a short spell and was investigated for stroke, but that was negative as well. The symptoms also come in waves - the last time I had any significanet neuro problems was about 18 months ago. I'll get a couple of acute dramatic bits, and then they'll be a longer spell of a couple of months where it all settles down again, then I'm OK for a while.
The underlying health conditions I do have are severe Endometriosis which causes a lot of chronic pain and could alone explain the fatigue and brain fog, and Fibromyalgia that can also cause fatigue, brain fog and some neuro symptoms. If I do have Lupus, which is also notoriously hard to test for though usually shows certain anitibodies eventually, it means my immune system is attacking my nervous system just in a different way. The symptoms can be very similar to MS.
I'm sorry this has come out more like a rant - I'm just really dreading this appointment on Monday. But I just feel like I'm dragging my right leg around at the moment, and it's quite scary having symptoms like that and not knowing why is the perfect smiley for how my body feels right now!
I really don't like thinking about how it's already affected my life, I just adjust and get on with things which I feel is the best thing whatever is causing it. The weakness in my right arm never went after the last last bad spell and it definately limits what I can do a bit.
I don't know whether I'm in denial, and whether I should fight harder for a firm dx as it's just getting worse. I guess I'm just looking for somewhere to find support and maybe some answers - I know from experience that the best support always comes from people who know what you're going through, rather than professionals. And the idea of MS does scare me and I've always avoided reading up about it, which is daft really. I'm usually good at tackling things head on.
Anyway, I'll stop there before I bore you all to tears! I look forward to reading more of the site and maybe facing a few fears as I carry on yet again with the next round of tests and scans
Thanks for listening xxx
Hi all,
Only just been diagnosed by the neuro having had no expectation I could have MS. My Uncle got diagnosed several years ago but hadn't really known about MS other than that and that it was not a good thing to have based on people's general reaction.
The first physica manifestation were in April this year when I wnet to centre parcs in Thetford. I got in the pool and the water seemed overly cold. I thought I was reacting to the chlorine or something. That night the cold water from teh shower also caused a severe reaction in my legs. I went to tehe doc who thought I may have a sciatica so prescribed amotriptoline (spelling?). This did not help and the 'sensitive patch grew to include mystomach and right hand side generally. I visited the oesteopath and chiroprator but no joy other than a nice back rub :
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