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Could I have MS or something else ?

Posted , 5 users are following.

maxine20989
maxine20989

Hi there. I am 20 years old and I need advice..

I have been going to the doctors on and off for the last 2 or 3 years for various issues.

Depression.

Fatigue.

Incontinance.

Back pain. Etc

They have run iron tests, thiroid but all have come back clear.

But the last few weeks it has been getting worse..

My joints are stiff and painful.

Incontinance is worse.

Memory is rubbish.

I sometimes struggle to speak as it can be slurred.

I am so tired all the time.

I am covered in bruises on my arms and legs where I keep walking into things or falling over.

I keep dropping things like cups of tea or other things.

I saw online that these could be signs of MS. Is this true ? My GPs are quite slack and dont tend to like referring. (Took me 9 months to get a refferel for my toddlers terrible excema)

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 maxine20989

    Posted

    The only way to tell is to ask your Dr...to send you to a Neurologist so they can start the testing for MS.

    Do you have any family members that have MS?  Sometimes this runs in familys...

    The tests they do...MRI on brain and spine to look for lesions that are indictive of MS....Also a spinal tap....a test on your eyes..done in hospital.....it takes a long time to rule out OTHER causes....I was sent to a Rheumatologist to rule out other causes because some of my blood work was wacky....its been a year and I am just now scheduled for a spinal tap.

    I had the MRIs...which were normal...but since I have MS in my family and struggle with symptoms..they are preceeding to the spinal tap.

    • maxine20989
      maxine20989 Misssy2

      Posted

      Hi, no there is no MS in the family..

      I hope you find the answers you need soon.

      They said it could be exhaustion but if it still gets worse or doesn't get better in the next few weeks then to come back and they will start the proccess of running tests for neurological issues.

  • abby0
    abby0 maxine20989

    Posted

    Hi Maxine. You're 20 years old? How old were you when these symptoms began? And were you in a lot of pain in the beginning or did your symptoms become more painful as time went on? I'm 24 and I started having strange tingling in my hands and feet as well as minor twitching in my fingers. I've been struggling to find words as well and having a bit of vision blurriness in my left eye. But i am also heavily addicted to caffeine -- like drug addicted, that's how bad, and I'm wondering if I should freak out or just stop drinking coffee. I hope you're okay and you get some answers soon. 
    • maxine20989
      maxine20989 abby0

      Posted

      Hi Abby, well I started with back pain and joint pain at age 15.. But the pain has gotten worse over the years.

      Caffeine could cause those possibly but I would go to the doctors and check. They could do a blood test to check your caffeine levels.

      Maybe try and cut down on the coffee and see if your symptomes get better ?

      Hope all will get better soon.

  • federico50856
    federico50856 maxine20989

    Posted

    I think you can follow this in order to get a rapid diagnosis. I did that many years ago to get my diagnosis:

    Go to your GP and claim a MRI complete scan (brain and spinal cord) to seek any scars or spots referred to MS disease.

    Go to a Neurologist with the MRI results for a complete neurological test. Tell him your symptoms history. Think about them before the visit and write them down if necessary, because your possible diagnosis depends from these data as well; you must be precise about it.

    If the Neuro see a possible MS disease he could tell you to make other specific tests like lumbar puncture and/or evoked potentials. After that stage he should be able to release a reliable diagnosis over the case.

    It is matter to reach a diagnosis as soon as possible in order to fight the possible disease opportunely and reduce the damage.

    Good luck !!

    • wendy80842
      wendy80842 federico50856

      Posted

      MS isn't a condition that can be simply stopped in it's tracks, nor is it, currently, a curable disease. Depending on where we are, in the world, it isn't always the case, that we can go to our Dr and demand a set of MRI's, citing which MRI's are to be done. It also isn't the case that we can access the necessary tests, on demand. Here, in the UK, most of us receive all our health care via the national health service (NHS), meaning that we are part of a sometimes slow moving system, (the greatest strength of it being that treatment is free at the point of delivery!). Where people who post from the US are concerned, there are many who simply can't afford exorbitant health care costs. Basically, each system has its flaws, and there are always going to be people who can't access the ideal medical care.

      Anyone thinking they might have some kind of serious, or long term health problem would quite possibly benefit from keeping a running record of symptoms, concerns and questions. Don't panic if you start one quite a time after the onset of problems, just getting down bullet points is more than most patients will have. If MS is suspected, keep a record of BOTH beginning dates AND end ones (where symptoms do end). Both are useful information, as MS can be the kind that stops and starts (relapsing/remitting MS).

      I'd advise against trawling the internet for information about MS, it's too easy to find misinformation online. The MS society website (I imagine that other countries MS societies will be as good as the UK one is).

  • tracy35015
    tracy35015 maxine20989

    Posted

    Might good idea to have your B12 tested. Your doctor needs to order a separate test, because enlarged red blood cells rarely occurs now since folic acid is used to enrich flour these days so it isn't detected in a complete blood test (CBC). Deficiency symptoms are known to occur below 500 pg/mL or ng/L, even though many doctors will say above 200 is normal.
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