What were your initial symptoms

I've had MS for 12 years (this month!). Over about 4 weeks, sx started with left-sided facial numbness including my tongue then vision loss in left eye (ON), then numbness to both legs from crotch to toes with left-sided knee buckling. Intial MRI scans were clear until about a year later. Neuro referred to this as a classic onset of MS but many people have a much different experience.

Diane (Carol72),
I've been reading thru your previous posts and seeing that your initial symptoms and mine are quite similar. I'm trying to remain positive and since I don't have a firm diagnosis yet, I can't get going with any treatment. I posted on my original thread "late onset" that I'd finished all my testing and now waiting for dx. I too assumed a lower back issue when this numbness started. It's like taking over my whole lower body now and very disconcerting. I think I read you did the steriod IV treatment. How was it and did it help with the numbness? Did you have the complete series of Neuro tests, like EMG, EP, LP, etc? I'm starting to feel a little unstable and having some minor bowel issues which is driving me nuts.

FYI I was on Lexapro for about 1.5 years up until a year ago. I had no side effects and it really helped to get me through a rough patch. I'm hoping my PCP will put me back on it when I get to see him, hopefully on Monday. And my husband has been on Xanax (.5 mg) once a day for over 14 years after bypass surgery. If he doesn't take, he knows it, but has never taken more thru the day even tho prescription allows for 3 a day.

When I saw our symptoms were similar I was curious as to your age and I see you're 35? With 2 liitle ones? My 2 daughter in laws are about the same age, one with girls 5 & 3 and the other (living next door to us) with girl & boy 5 & 3. I promise not to complain too much as I admire all the young mothers today that are just dealing with raising children, let alone having to deal with MS. You go girl... I'm probably sounding a bit desperate for info but that's what is so great about this forum, nonstop support and information. It's so good to be prepared when you have a limited amount of time to meet with doctors and ask questions. I'm hoping for a speedy dx just so I can get on with whatever I need to get on with. And then I think "now let's just slow down and think about this, what else could this be?" I have a very good friend who lost most of her vision in one eye (retina detached) in a matter of minutes while driving.....and we talked about how we never considered vision problems in our little health talks, we are so informed about breast cancer and heart disease. And we never talked about MS either. Until I found this forum, the thought NEVER crossed my mind.

Thanks for "listening" to my rambling as I keep looking for the silver lining in all of this.
Linda

Chateau,
You'll have to forgive me memory, but did you have all the MRIs (brain, cervical and thoracic)? If so, did they show anything? From what I understand, there is no DEFINITIVE test that says you have MS, but MRIs are pretty significant in getting as close to a diagnosis as possible. Aside from the MRIs, the only other test I had was an EMG (the electrode one) on my hand prior to the MRIs when my hand was showing weakness. I have only had one MRI as my baseline so I'll have to see what shows up when I get my first follow-up in 3.5 months. I just recently (last week) switched doctors and now I see an MS specialist.

Yes, I have 2 girls (4 and 6 years old), am 36 years old and was diagnosed the day before Thanksgiving last year. I am doing well on the Lexapro and am currently on Klonopin (after switching from Xanax last month). Both meds have done me a world of good, and I am a totally different person than I was 2.5 months ago. I am also seeing a counselor, and that is helping but I think it's really the medication that has made the difference.

Good luck with your diagnosis, and keep coming here if there is any way we can help. I have found great support on this board.

Diane,
Yep, had all the MRIs, lumbar to brain. Started with lumbar since I'd had previous back surgery in that area and thought my sx could be herniated disc (although there was no pain w/numbness). So we moved thru the rest of the tests ending with the evoked potentials. I'm hoping that with the LP there might be a definitive answer. Funny thing, tho, my PCP reported back to me that all the MRIs were normal except for arthritis based on radiologists reports. The neuro actually looking at the pictures had a whole different opinon. What a disappointment when I heard that. But he never used the word "lesion". Regarding the brain he said something about signals and hyperintensities and there was some inflammation at about T-7 in thoracic area. But as the numbness is increasing I know something serious is going on here.
Are your working full time and is that a struggle? You must have a wonderful support system with the two little girls. Are they both in school/preschool? We have a small family construction business so I get to work at home;however, at this time of the year and in this economy, not much work going on, so usually my retired husband and I are in Florida, which was where I was when this all started. I'm ready to go back ASAP. Supposed to leave Wed. Dr. says LP test results can take up to 3 weeks so why wait here and stew.
As usual, I talk too much......so good luck with your new specialist. I'm not sure what I'll do. I thought the neuro I'm going to was a specialist, now I don't know for sure. He's one of just 2 neurologists at Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch....where I had my back surgery 20 years ago. Got my fingers crossed...for you and me. Be well.
Linda

I guess my first real smptom was severe fatigue that would hit without warning but I shrugged it off to taking care of a house and 3 kids. Then I started tripping, always looking back to see what I had tripped on but there was never anything there (in a mall). My friends and family started joking about stumps getting in my way. Then I got funny episodes of numbness, migraines and although I had epilepsy it was controlled but it suddenly went out of control and the seizures were coming every 30 minutes or so. That's when my present doctor started adding things up. It felt good to have a name for all those silly symptoms and know I wasn't just imagining things. The seizures are now completely controlled and I'm dealing with the m.s. as best I can.

Linda-Yes, I am absolutely blessed to have a fantastic support system. My husband is my rock. I also got through all this with the help of my parents, in-laws, siblings, aunts, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, friends, co-workers.....I could go on and on. I don't have enough fingers to count all the people that could be at my doorstep in less than 10 minutes. I am so lucky to have SO much support.

I am working full-time, and I have not had to slow down as a result of the diagnosis so far. I am also lucky that my husband works out of our house with a flexible schedule....my 6 year old is in first grade and 4 year old is half day preschool. She will start Kindergarten next year.

Thank you for your kind words, and best wishes to you. Make sure to come back and let us know the test results....fingers crossed for you too!

chateau, hi i have not been on for a while, i read ur post and i wanted to know if u get anxiety more now then before ur dx, im new to all this im in the process of seeing neuro in april, had about 3 mri and also lp with demyelation in brain dont know if that is the same as lesions also white matter, my pcp put me on buspar anxiety med, but im scared of taking it due to side effects, im getting anxiety almost everyday, hope to hear from u soon

Diane,
Here it is March already....I apologize for not responding but we came back down to Florida last week, and I'm trying to get reorganized. I got THE call today from my Neuro's nurse and my LP test was positive. I guess it's better to know than not. My symptoms are still very present and very annoying, but I went to the driving range today to hit a few balls, didn't fall over, but my feet are just a-buzzing. They are going to start me on Rebif whenever my insurance OK's it and MSLifelines gets the ball rolling. I'll go back and read your old posts for tips on this drug. I really want to have a positive attitude toward all this mostly because that's my nature anyway. But I really want to get off this Lyrica.....it makes me forgetfull and "bloaty". Maybe the forgetful part has to do with my worry about the dx. Now that it is here, I can move on.....ya think? I've taken Lexapro before with no adverse effects so maybe that will help if I need it. Anyway, thanks for the words of encouragement and I'll keep checking back frequently....I want to enjoy this nice sunny weather down here while I can before we head North again. Ick. Linda

Originally Posted by facet

chateau, hi i have not been on for a while, i read ur post and i wanted to know if u get anxiety more now then before ur dx, im new to all this im in the process of seeing neuro in april, had about 3 mri and also lp with demyelation in brain dont know if that is the same as lesions also white matter, my pcp put me on buspar anxiety med, but im scared of taking it due to side effects, im getting anxiety almost everyday, hope to hear from u soon

Facet,
As I told Carol72, I'm out of town right now and not paying alot of attention to the Boards.....until today when I got my MS dx....very attention getting. I have never taken an anxiety med (my husband takes Xanax and has since his bypass surgery in '94) but I was on Lexapro a couple years ago and it helped me tremendously through a rough patch. I read alot about it and none of the bad stuff happened to me. Seems like the problems with anything make the most noise. And I see myself taking it again since this dx is definetly a "rough patch". Don't know anything about Buspar, sorry. Have you seen neuro before and he ordered all your tests to date? Why do you have to wait until April to see neuro or is it for a followup? Please get back to me and let me know how you're doing. If the Buspar doesn't work or has ill effects, your PCP will get you on something that will help. My doc says there's no reason to be miserable when there is medicine to get you throught the tough times. Linda