1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Multiple Sclerosis

Lightheaded/faint/weakness feeling intermittent as MS symptom or?

Posted , 3 users are following.

jaredboy
jaredboy

Hi All,

I'll try to make this brief and hopefully will gain some insight.

Basically I was diagnosed in July with MS with the only symptom being a numb tongue and face, otherwise fairly healthy and normal.

More recently I went to see a specialist who put me on 10,000 mcg daily of vitamin d3, Biotin and B-12.

A few days after I started this regiment I felt horrible!  While driving I got completely light headed, felt faint and weak and it was very scary so I drove straight home from work.

After reporting this the doc put me on a 3 day course of solu-medrol which initially made me feel good, I felt energized and went to work no problem.

After the last (3rd) day I started feeling even WORSE and had to stay home a few days.  I was so fatigued and feint it was horrible.

The doc states that can be coming off the high dose steroids and to drink coffee.... (yea...) so in any event fast foward a week and a half and im feeling much better, but the lightheaded and faint feelings keep coming up randomly and makes me feel awful.  The doc tested my blood pressure and ruled out some other things but it still keeps happening daily.  I have been taking Tecfidera and the supplements recommended each day.

As a test I only took my Tecfidera today since it seems logical to me that this all started after taking the high doses of these vitamins but it could also be conincidental.  

So my question: do you think this is purely a MS flareup, or could too high of daily supplements be causing/or making this worse?

I figure let me try not taking them for a week or two and see if it gets any better.  I welcome any thoughts on this though!

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • jaredboy
    jaredboy

    Posted

    Actually I should clarify this initially started happening 11/3/16; its now 11/23/16 so just about 3 weeks have elapsed and this is continuing.  Very frustrating!
  • steven12310
    steven12310 jaredboy

    Posted

    I am amazed that you have been dx with MS purely by having a numb face and tongue, the only proper way to confirm MS is having a MRI and spinal tap. Even then there is no guarantee its MS since the symptoms mimic so many other neurological problems.

    Was the dx made by a neurologist ?

    Unlikely that the high dosages of the vit would have such an affect as the body is capable of getting rid of surplus vit very quickly only the B12 seems a bit high and if you were that low it is normally given by a series of injections.

    If you definitely are dx with MS you will need to take Omega 3 capsules as your body will stop producing it normally. In addition I strongly urge you to google LDN and check the information on there and take a copy to your gp as it is a drug that has done wonders with MD patients

    • jaredboy
      jaredboy steven12310

      Posted

      Ah sorry I didnt want to write up the entire thing otherwise it would be an 8 page post lol.

      Yes the MRI showed many lesions both present and past and was diagnosted by the first neurologist.  (first doc thought I had bell's palsy and gave me prednison which didnt work so referred me to a specialist)

      Now Im seeing a neuro who speclizes in MS.  While she didnt order a spinal tap, i just went for MRIs of the cspine, tspine, VER vision test, going to see an opthamologist too for baseline testing.

      Also I didnt mention I started having pulsing (in my left temple) migraine headaches and now my right leg is numb.  so im fairly certain the MS diag is right on.

      In any event: thank you for the opinion.  Im not going to take the vitamins for a few days just to see what happens and slowly add them back in.  More than likely it is just MS I'm guessing, but it is getting harder and harder to drag myself to work each day.  

      I guess a follow up question for everyone would be: when do you know if its time for disability or will this just pass (my tongue isnt numb anymore, but it does happens periodically still) and my leg is less numb some days currently - however the lightheaded/feelin faint thing is really difficult to deal with.

      So far rest seems to be the only thing working.

      Also I'll check out the LDN thing- thanks!

    • steven12310
      steven12310 jaredboy

      Posted

      Jared the minute you were diagnosed with MS you are awarded disability (DLA) or you will if you apply which can be done online but you may have to attend a meeting with a medical so they can award you the correct level of DLA. You must also ensure you describe to them how you feel on your worst days not how you feel at the time. Once awarded this does not stop you from working as you normally do and is not taxed. In addition the company you work for must comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and make whatever arrangements are necessary to keep you working. If you cannot do the work you have always done they need to try and find an alternative role for you. They cannot dismiss you or push you out unless they want to be taken to court . As for yourself you will obviously know when you have had enough and cannot continue to work in which case your company must make you redundant and pension you off. I was very lucky since I was a H & S specialist and new the rules but with the company I had (BAE) who spent thousands putting in ramps and special parking etc which enabled me to continue working for a further 3 years.

    • jaredboy
      jaredboy steven12310

      Posted

      Wow thanks so much for shedding light on this. Im heavily debating with myself as to whether the symptoms im dealing with are serious or not to warrant this (ie i am getting myself to work and coping with staying through the day despite my fatigue/lightheadedness, but its becoming more and more of a struggle) so I dont want to overreact and take drastic action unnecessarily, but as you said it will either get to a point where i just cant do it anymore or hopefully clear up as just a flare up and get better. In any event just to clear up the discussion and my original post- no not taking the vitamins hasnt fixed this, so it doesnt seem to be the root cause at all. i was just grasping at straws to try and figure out how to get past this. Likely just time + rest is needed. I'll respond back in case I find out any more details which might help someone else in this situation.

    • steven12310
      steven12310 jaredboy

      Posted

      No problem thats why we are all here to help each other. Dont forget to claim the DLA regardless of whether you work or not and your employers will never know about it. Also remember to check out the LDN as that may help some of the symptoms you get
  • jaredboy
    jaredboy

    Posted

    Hi All just a week later and wanted to post to update: so far nothing has really changed, I am still light headed and dizzy often.  Not taking or taking the meds in different combos and times hasnt helped.

    I also stopped taking Tecfidera to see, but it seems to be the same.

    Doctor thinks it is just a flare that will have to pass, so in the meanwhile she has prescribed Provigil to help clear the dizziness.  I just popped one a few minutes ago, ill report back my experience in a few days :D

    • steven12310
      steven12310 jaredboy

      Posted

      just remember there are a lot of new drugs out that help with RRMS so dont just ignore the symptoms and hope they go away. They will tend to come and go but eventually they will worsen each time and the drugs can alleviate this in many ways.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.