Worried I may have MS..please help!!

Hi, thanks for your comment. Would you be able to tell me more details about the first symptoms you had please? How are you now? Can you take medication to help?

My first attack was losing half of my vision in both eyes. That fixed itself to 85-90% but now I need glasses. Since then, I've had 3 more relapses that involved numbness on left hand side and numbness from chest to feet - the numbness has resolved itself but I'm now left with neuropathy from my stomach to my feet, the MS Hug, muscle spasms/tremors and the 'ants over the skin' feeling. None of my relapses have healed 100% unfortunately .

I'm only on LDN, no other meds and no DmD. No noticeable relapse for the last year or so, but for all I know that could mean I'm SPMS already. No noticeable changes, but no steady decline either (I think...). I'm definitely not the same as I was 18 months ago though

being categorised as SP doesn't mean 'worse' than RR, it just means that there won't be any appreciable recovery after a 'flare up'. a person with RRMS can be progressing faster than someone classed as having SPMS, it's very much an individual case for each of us. happily MS isn't fatal, all we can be is pragmatic, i suppose.

Thank you, I don't understand a lot of the terminology sorry! My numb feelings come and go it doesn't effect sensation or movement just feels odd. Quite bad in my right leg today but I don't know if I'm making things worse by worrying. I hope it's something less serious as I wouldn't cope my life is already restricted by anxiety and this would be too hard the thought of getting really bad.

have you had a look at the MS Society's website? it really is a good place to read about MS symptoms and signs. not to mention reading about the experiences people have had, or are having during the diagnosis period. you can get a lot of support too, from those of us either going through the same as you, or who have been where you are. honestly, it really helped me at the beginning and still helps me now, 11 years in! it's free and you can't possibly find more accurate info anywhere else. 

Hi Wendy... I've been worried about my left sided symptoms. They are very subtle but becomes a bit pronounced when I pay attention or think about it. I have HA.

But if you have MS, is it possible you feel absolutely nothing when you're not paying attention like havinga  fun dinner... or chatting with your friends? Or when I'm sleeping... then when you think about it.. some discomfort. Its not easy to describe... i do get pins & needles when Im worried about it at times. When I type, I do see some tremor.. but Im a very anxious person.. often fidgety. I dont sleep well usually.. I often associated these symptons to anxiety and sleep issues but now Im worried about MS.

Hi wendy,

Thanks, yes I'm in the UK. The way the GP said it was like she didn't think it was but would sendr just incase. I've been seeing her for 2 years so why has she just decided to send me. The beta blockers were working so would they have stopped the numb sensation if it was MS? I don't have any weakness just a sensation.

the GP has probably referred you because they want a better informed diagnosis as the numbness has returned, it could be an MS relapse. i'm sorry, i don't know anything about the use of beta blockers, the only things i can see on the ms society site is in it being used fo treat anxiety and possibly to reduce tremor, i haven't seen anything about beta blockers being used to stop numbness. i'm not aware of anything that stops numbness, sorry. as you're stopping using citalopram, could you be feeling hyper-aware, are you going onto an alternative?

Sorry, I didn't explain properly. I'm on beta blockers as the GP thought the numbness could be a migraine symptom. They did help, I have been told I have health anxiety! I'm now starting to take Amitriptyline at night which is an antidepressant that stops headaches apparently.

I have been to the opticians and my eyes are fine, I do get pain behind the left one sometimes, but she says the optic nerve looks healthy.

What symptoms do you experience? Is MS as bad as I think?

have you got yourself some literature? the MS society is good for that, too. the best thing is to inform yourself without overloading on facts. whether or not you have MS, you would probably benefit from learning some relaxation techniques. should it turn out to be MS, it is a stress sensitive condition, you can cause your symptoms to flare up by being too stressed.  

if you ask people if ms is as bad as you think, you'll get EVERY possible answer, but it still won't answer your question, because: a. i don't know how 'bad' YOU think 'it' is. and b. you don't know how i'm interpreting my symptoms.

MS is something that the patient has to be pragmatic about, but remember, it isn't fatal! i take nortriptyline, by the way, i believe it's part of the same  'family' as amitriptyline.

Thank you wendy you have been really helpful, I will just have to wait and see and hope for the best x

please let us know how you get on, i'll keep my fingers crossed for you! 

Will do thanks again x