FND or MS?

Hi there, sorry, this is a long one...

I've been suffering with multiple symptoms of both MS, and FND over the past 18 years, and wondering about an issue I've come up against regarding diagnosis.

Originally, I was sent to a neurologist around 2016, after suffering severe joint pain, tingling in extremities, numbness, blackouts, brain fog, IBS and other issues. I was supposedly given a brain MRI, but am sure they just had a look at an MRI I had in 2007, when I experienced a particularly bad blackout, and was told I didn't need another.

I do remember the neurologist being very dismissive, as does my partner who accompanied me to the last appointment. I was given the "all in your head" speech, and told it was because I suffered from anxiety, and it was just a side effect of that. The doctor said it was "functional" and not much can be done, so I walked out.

However, my symptoms have become increasingly worse in the past few years, and after an injury, I'm unable to use my left arm properly. I also started having stiff, throbbing pains in my calf and thigh, the fatigue has gotten worse, and I can no longer get to sleep without opiate medication. Tremors and pain are so bad that I actually cried at my last GP appointment in embarassment...

This week. I received a letter after a referral to neurology from my GP. It states that I was offered a diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder. Not the words I ever heard from the mouth of the guy from 2016, nor what I have read about the condition since reading the letter.

I was worried I had MS, but this changes things. FND has similar symptoms, but I can't help feel that no other tests are being offered to rule out MS completely. The letter is pretty adamant that they don't even want to make an appointment, and that I'm to be offered medication and accept the diagnosis.

What should I do, as in the past year, I am very quickly losing confidence in the NHS after a number of medication and neglectful issues already? I really don't want any of it, MS or FND, but I would like to know that I'm getting the correct assistance.

Can anybody help?

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