Please help me, Doctor dosent understand - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

donnadeanna · 02-10-2004, 09:47 AM

Hi
Can anyone help me? my doctor just dosent seem to understand how truly unwell i feel.

My symtoms appear to be invisable to everyone else but really awful for me.

Over the past 7 years ive had episodes of dizziness, sickness and pain, docs have given me antidepressants in the past to help me cope, they seemed to work.

However this time things are so much worse, started with pains in my legs (about 3 weeks ago) a burning aching heavy feeling that occasionaly feels like cold water is running throgh. I thought i had damaged a muscle without realising. But then it happened to my shoulder as well. (sometimes feels like im carring a heavy weight)

Over the last 7-10 days ive had horrible feelings of almost like being drunk, head spinning, feeling sick, this can last for hours and i have to go to bed.

im getting strange tingly feelings in my hands and my skin feels painful to touch in places although there appears to be no damage.

I have this overwhelming tiredness that is really afftecting me the most, the pain i can cope with but this tiredness is unbearable.

I went to the opticians 2 months ago with blurred vision and numbness in one side of my face, he sent me to the doctor who said it was migraines.

Please can someone tell me if this sounds like MS. im a single parent of 36 and a full time university student and feeling as though i want to give up on everything, my mind wants to do so much but my head and body just will not let me.

the doctor has finally agreed to blood tests but im sure he just thinks im a pain in the bum.

If you've managed to read all my lengthy post, thank you. can you advise
thanks
Donna

pjchik · 02-11-2004, 12:18 AM

donna,
I don't want to scare you, but quite a few of the symptoms you descibed sound like MS symptoms. That doesn't mean that you positively have it though. MS is usually tricky to diagnose mainly because it's symptoms could be some other disease. I do know that it's more likely in women (2-3 times more than men) and that it's usually diagnosed between the ages of 20-50. Luckily, it's not usually genetic (I thought that may have crossed your mind, since you're a single mom ) I don't know about everyone, but I know it took my mom years to find out what was wrong with her and she had every test imaginable. From the info I've read there are several things your healthcare provider would/should have to test. Usually the first would be a complete medical history overview. Basically looking over your health picture, especially the symptoms and when they started. Nervous system functioning, they would look to see how your balance and coordination are doing and also look for areas of numbness (a symptom you mentioned above) Then they could do some diagnostic tests including MRI, Lumbar Puncture (spinal tap--ouch!) and/or evoked potential tests. An MRI would show if you have any kind of lesions on your brain. Spinal taps would check the spinal fluid for signs of MS and the evoked potential tests check your central nervous system to see if it's functioning normally. I don't mean to be nosy or anything but would it be possible for you to "shop around" for a new doc? One who "has finally agreed to blood tests" doesn't seem like a good doc. Once again, I don't know how it is for every (potential) MS patient, but I do know that blood work always came up clean for my mom and she had to deal with the same "invisible" symptoms thing you're going through. Have your symptoms seemed to go away and then reappear? Docs should also look for that too. I really, really hope you don't have this. I know how hellish it is just to get the stupid disease even diagnosed!! Good luck and keep us posted. Hope this helps, somewhat