hypochondriac with MS in the family.. - Hypochondria Message Board

Crankyrobot · 08-30-2008, 09:31 PM

Hello.
This is going to be a very long post, but please bear with me, any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Both my mother and my maternal grandmother have/had MS. I have always been a little scared that I, too, would develop it, and lately, my fears have been increasing.

I am 26 years old, and lately I have lost a lot of feeling in my right big toe. In addition, my limbs, especially my right leg below the knee, and both arms, along the side and up to the pinky have been falling asleep very badly. It's mostly when they are in odd positions but sometimes out of nowhere too.

I have also been having a lot of foot pain, and cramping in my feet and my right calf.

I've also been having a lot of bad vertigo and nausea.

Something just really doesn't feel right, and I'm starting to get scared. I talked to my doctor, and after doing some basic testing of my reflexes and stuff, he said he didn't think I had MS. He thought that it was an issue with my inner ear. I'm genuinely feeling these symptoms though, and they're really scaring me.

I don't know what to do, if I should go to another doctor, or if there are other things that I'm ruling out, or if it's just my nerves getting the best of me.

Anyway, at this point, just someone to talk to would be nice.

Thank you.

I told my doctor about my concerns a little bit, and he told me

Bearygood · 08-31-2008, 07:33 AM

Hi, Cranky. I think it would be great if you could get an MRI, even if it's just one of the brain. Even though I've seen plenty of people come to be dxed with MS having something like just a numb toe, I can understand why a PCP/GP might be somewhat dismissive, especially if your reflexes and other parts of the exam are okay. However, with what you're experiencing and knowing the history of MS in your family, I think that an MRI would be warranted. At the very least, it may serve to your mind at ease and also be used as a baseline should something else show up down the line. As I'm sure you know, having MS in the family does not at all guarantee that you will get it but the risk is slightly higher than a "normal" person. I hope getting one will also help to alleviate the stress and worry you're feeling -- in general, stress is a great playground for disease!

Good luck, Cranky, and please keep us posted.

glamour girl · 08-31-2008, 11:09 PM

Hi Cranky, We understand your fear, and i don't blame you. Especially when its in your family. But that doesn't always mean you or another member will have it too just like Bearygood said.
I went to my doctor because of a numb foot before i got my dx. Definitely see a Neuro and start there. I'm sure he/she will order the MRI for you. Good luck.

Crankyrobot · 09-01-2008, 12:07 PM

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the support here. If anything, this might be a good place for me to visit just in general considering MS has already affected me in many ways.

One thing I would like to be more clear on is how genetics actually plays into MS, I've done a bit of reading, but it's really all over the place.

MSNik · 09-01-2008, 05:46 PM

genetics do not play a place in MS...however there are stuidies being done which suggest that having a predisposed gene for ANY autoimmune disorder might be a very valid concern.
The question is, if they can identify that gene, and know that someone has a predisposed chance at developing a autoimmune disease, what will they do?

There is less than a 3% chance of passing along MS from what I have been told- and very few people are in your situation, where they see it run in the family...