Could it be MS afterall? - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

legs123051 · 06-13-2009, 12:36 PM

After 10 years my Neurologists seems to think i have MS.

It all started about 10 years ago. One day I had a sudden headache and within a couple of hours i was experiencing double vision to the point that it was making me nauseaus. Scared to death I went to my internist. He immediately sent me to the hospital for a brain scan. The brain scan was negative but then my left eye turned in. I then went to a neuro-opthomoligist who told me i had sixth nerve palsy but they did not know why. I was tested for myastatis gravis (negative) lymes disease (negative) and I also had a spinal tap to r/o MS. also negative. I had to wear an eye patch for 5 months. after 5 months it went away as sudden as it came on.
I thought that was the end of it. Seven years later I started experiencing other things.. like RLS, numbness in my feet.. one foot now has a permanent numb spot on the outside top of foot. also experienced pins and needles in feet, hands and legs off and on.
It seems like after the sixth nervice palsy i was ok for about 7 years before all these symptoms started.
Six months ago i decided to go back to the neurologist because the symptoms were getting worse. He did several tests to r/o MS again. EEG, EMG, MRI of brain with contrast and a few others, i dont remember.. All the tests except for the MRI came back normal. The brain MRI picked up lesions on the brain. The radiologist said in his report he thought it was hardening of arteries because of my age..
oops. forgot to tell you.. I am 57.. but a young 57.. I am told i look early 40's.. good genes i guess.
Anyway, my neurologist does not believe lesions are from hardening of arteries. He still believes I may have MS. He sent me for an MRI of brain stem which came back normal. This was all done this past November 08. He wanted me to have another MRI of the brain in April 09. I did not go yet.
Meanwhile, I have still been experiencing the numbness, pins and needles in hands, feet and legs and also notice I drop things and sometimes i lose my balance.. I just thought i was being clumsy or maybe it was just my meds.. I am on cymbalta for depression.. (5 years) medicene for high blood pressure and Zocor for high cholestrol. I have been taken these meds for years so I dont think they are causing any of these symtoms.

Last night though. scared me.. I was on the computer and the screen was moving..I covered my left eye.. (the one I had problems with 10 years ago) and my vision was ok.. I looked at my left eye in the mirror and i can see it spasm. I started to panic thinking ...oh no.. I am getting the sixth nerve palsy back again. I finally went to sleep but woke up in the middle of the night and found i still had it.. by this morning it was back to normal..
I am going to my eye dr. tues to have my eyes checked..(it has been over 3 years so I am due.)
I guess I should probably go back to the neurologist and have that MRI of the brain again.
I think I am afraid of going back because he said if there are more lesions than I likely have MS.

Does this sound like MS???

I am scared to death.. I feel it is a death sentence..

Whats really funny or ironic? Since I was a teenager I always had nightmares about my legs..In my dreams I could not walk.. my legs would always be so weak I would keep falling down.. I think this is my biggest fear.. My only asset was always my long legs...
I guess my biggest fear is that I will end up a cripple.

:-(

Snoopy61 · 06-13-2009, 02:59 PM

I don't know if your symptoms are caused by MS only your neurilogist can come to that diagnosis.

Lesions can be caused by a number of things as your symptoms could be caused by any number of things.

Has your neuro done a MRI od the cervical spine? If not that might be something you ask him about. MS is a disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) which includes the Brain, Spine, and Optic Nerve. Lesions can show up in any or all of those areas. Has your neuro mentioned how your neuro exam is?

MS is a clinical diagnosis with it being more likely than not. There is no single test that would give a definte diagnosis for MS.

You don't know if you do have MS so try not to scare yourself at this point. Many live relatively normal lives with MS. Unfortunately, there are severe types and/or variants of MS that do end in death, sometimes in only a few years.

If you have MS and you have had symptoms for 10 years I would doubt you would be dealing with one of the more severe types and/or variants.

I hope your neuro has some definte answers for you very soon.

legs123051 · 06-13-2009, 07:47 PM

Thank you for your quick response.
In answer to your question, yes i did have an MRIof the cervical spine and that also came out ok...the lesions are only showing up in the brain.
If it is not MS i wonder what caused the 6th nerve palsy in my eye..it is very frightening thinking it may be happening again. also all the symptoms i have... numbness in my feet, legs and hands..

MSJayhawk · 06-13-2009, 08:30 PM

I would venture to side with MS, but there are many other things to rule out. My right eye has bothered me since 2002. I wear sunglasses most of the time, even indoors. While you are on the computer, the eye strain could trigger your eye problem. On bad days, when my right eye seems to fight me more than help me, I close it off completely until it is working again.

Robbysmom · 06-14-2009, 02:25 PM

Hi Legs,
Would you mind telling me what type of blood pressure medications you are taking? Your symptoms sounds an awful like like mine (I have more than you mentioned however)...and I am still on the diagnosis rollercoaster after more than a year...neuro thinks neuropathy, but it is completely unexplained.
They have kind of given up on me (although I do see an MS specialist this month) so I am taking it upon myself to see if it's my meds.
Do you take metoprolol by any chance?
Thanks and hope you are feeling well.
Robbysmom