[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Multiple sclerosis (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/30/2013 1:23:37 PM EDT
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Long story short, my uncle has MS - didn't really think anything of it until this morning... I get to work and my right leg (lower leg) and right arm (mostly towards my hand) start to get numb - not crazy numb, but enough that I noticed it. I left work early to finish the day at home remotely and started to feel a slight numbness in my head - all over my face, neck, and jaw areas - again, nothing crazy, but it's definitely noticable. I'm going to be honest - this is really got me scared, because of course I know one of the most common symptoms is numbness in the legs, arms, etc. As I'm typing this right now, my head (towards the rear near my neck) is a little numb. I'm going to call the doc shortly. I guess the reason I'm posting this is because I'm wondering if anyone here either has MS or knows someone he does/has and knows the symptoms? I suppose this could really be anything, but of course I had to WebMD this and now I'm thinking terrible things... A final question - if it is MS, is this a death sentence? Or can you lead a normal life with it? |
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I've known a few people with MS. It affects everyone differently. A friend of the family is in his 70's and was diagnosed in his 40's, and he's still in pretty good shape although his eyesight is pretty well gone. One of my dad's best friends is 51 and is almost completely paralyzed because of it. My wife has a friend in her mid 30's who's been officially diagnosed for 3-4 years and she's in pretty rough shape, probably going to have to stop driving soon because she can't see well any more. Get to a doctor who specializes in it and get an opinion. Then get a 2nd opinion. IIRC it can take a long time before they're 100% sure you have it. Some people respond very well to treatment, so there's always hope. |
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I've known a few people with MS. It affects everyone differently. A friend of the family is in his 70's and was diagnosed in his 40's, and he's still in pretty good shape although his eyesight is pretty well gone. One of my dad's best friends is 51 and is almost completely paralyzed because of it. My wife has a friend in her mid 30's who's been officially diagnosed for 3-4 years and she's in pretty rough shape, probably going to have to stop driving soon because she can't see well any more. Get to a doctor who specializes in it and get an opinion. Then get a 2nd opinion. IIRC it can take a long time before they're 100% sure you have it. Some people respond very well to treatment, so there's always hope. All of this- especially the "it can take a long time to be 100% sure" part. A Flight Engineer in my old Squadron was diagnosed with it after almost a year of tests. He started getting the symptoms and was taken off of flight status just as he would've been certified to fly without an instructor anymore. Then after not getting to fly all that time he's told he never will be allowed to again. 
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Yes, do see a good Dr. It's a strange disease, and some days my wife has a rough time, others she is ok. Good treatment makes a world of difference
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I hope to God I'm just freaking myself out because of my symptoms, but I'm going to get an opinion asap from the doc. |
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I've known a few people with MS. It affects everyone differently. A friend of the family is in his 70's and was diagnosed in his 40's, and he's still in pretty good shape although his eyesight is pretty well gone. One of my dad's best friends is 51 and is almost completely paralyzed because of it. My wife has a friend in her mid 30's who's been officially diagnosed for 3-4 years and she's in pretty rough shape, probably going to have to stop driving soon because she can't see well any more. Get to a doctor who specializes in it and get an opinion. Then get a 2nd opinion. IIRC it can take a long time before they're 100% sure you have it. Some people respond very well to treatment, so there's always hope. Pretty much this. There is no 100% test for it. You will need several MRI's and a neurologist that knows ms, usually when they get enough "pieces" they will make the diagnosis. they will test for Lyme and several things before they go to MS, it has very varying effects. I hope it's not anything major. Stay positive. |
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I know 5 people that have it. It affects everyone differently.
As you said, get to the doctor. In the event you do have it, be proactive! The earlier you are diagnosed the better. Ask questions! Make sure you have a doctor/specialist that is on the cutting edge. |
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Thinking on it I probably know a dozen people with MS. A lot of them lived on the south side of town with chemicals in the water issues. A few are living 25+ years with it now and doing well. It seems like new drugs/treatments come out more frequently now and they expect to do well for the foreseeable future.
Not a death sentence, see your doctor. If you do have MS, the sooner treatment starts the better. I wish you well. |
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A lady across the street has it. She was diagnosed while pregnant about 16 years ago. She is an absolute trooper and sharp as a tack, but the disease seemed to start taking its toll for the past 5 years. Fortunately she has an exceedingly devoted husband at her side.
As others mentioned, though, it varies a lot from person to person. |
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neurologist.
-physical exam. -spinal tap. -MRI of brain and spinal cord with gadolinium contrast. only way to diagnose. be well OP, don't freak out. other things like viral illnesses can cause numbness. but, don't delay, see a doc as soon as you can, stuff like guillan barre syndrome is nothing to mess with either. |
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Gf has it... ups and downs. Meds can do wonders for some, but it can be downright scary when they don't and things flare up. It sucks :(. Meds are definitely getting much better at least, I think 3 new ones with FDA approval this year.
Definitely hope if you do get it you have good insurance with a low maximum annual out of pocket... treatment with many of the meds cost well in to 6 figures a year, not exaggerating. |
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I've known a few people who have or had MS. No two cases are alike, and the course of a particular case can change suddenly - It can get worse, ease up, or remain the same for many years. I hope you don't have MS, but if you do I urge you to keep your spirits up and try not to fall into the trap of depression that affects so many people. Good luck with the doctors. It's definitely not a death sentence. Just make sure that you get diagnosed properly, and don't hesitate to get additional opinions or change doctors if one isn't working out for you. ETA a lot of people who end up with an official diagnosis of MS are stuck in a state called "probable MS" for many years because they haven't yet met the official diagnostic criteria for MS. It can be frustrating. |
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My wife has it and while it's true numbness is a symptom, I've never heard anyone with an onslaught of symptoms in the timeframe you described. Get checked by a doctor for infections, nerve issues, etc. They will refer you to a specialist if warranted. I know Lyme disease has similar symptoms. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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My wife has it. Symptoms came on suddenly when she was 57. She's 70 now and gets around with a walker, drives, goes to church every Sunday, and takes part in the service. She's not on medication.
Generally, the later it starts, the better off one will be. Her neurologist says at her age it'll slightly just accelerate the aging process. Good luck. Hope things work out. |
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I have MS I was diagnosed a few months ago, as has been said it is not a death sentence and can be somewhat controlled with proper meds.
I have good days and bad days I so far have refused to use a walker or a cane but I do occasionally fall because of my stubbornness I refuse to let it stop me from enjoying my life. |
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My mom was diagnosed with MS in 1992, and has been lucky to have a slow decline. She has a tough time walking on her own. You'll need to have an MRI to diagnose whether you have MS. They'll be able to see lesions on your brain very easily. Having an MRI is a real joy, nothing better than being put into a steel trash can for an hour, and have some one constantly beat on it.
On a lighter note: You have to avoid WebMd. I had a pain in my neck in July that caused numbness in my face and arm, and it said I was having a TIA. It caused me to have a panic attack because I thought I was dying. After a trip to the ER, where they ran an EKG, CT Scan, Doppler on my Carotid, and an MRI because of the family history of MS, they came back with nothing. They said I was in great shape. The good news is that I only paid $3000 to be told by a neurologist that I shouldn't use WebMd. However, I would still suggest you go to the doctor. |
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That's very optimistic. I hope the docs are right! Quoted:
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I have a friend with it. He is asymptomatic and his doctors told him that in 15 years there will be a cure. That's very optimistic. I hope the docs are right! Me too. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I have a friend with it. He is asymptomatic and his doctors told him that in 15 years there will be a cure. Some were saying that 20 years ago. Everybody is affected differently. Some can go blind, others lose mobility, while others have a variety of other symptom but drugs have gotten much better over the decades which could make daily routines manageable. Heat and an active lifestyle are not your friends if you suffer ms. Feeling miserable takes a toll on a person over time, especially their on family. I dealt with that misery for over 20 extremely difficult years. |
My wife has it... she got diagnosed in 2007. She tried several different drugs and has settled on Tysabre. She leads a relatively normal life, although she will probably never work a regular job for the rest of her life. So I guess that makes her FSA 
It's not a death sentence. If you have it, you will have good days and bad days. You may get tired easily, you may have relapses months apart, or you may not have any symptoms at all for the rest of your life. MS can be very different from one person to the next. It will take your neurologist a little while to figure out what type of MS you actually have. You will need to see your doctor and have some blood work done. They don't have a magic test for MS, what they do is weed out everything that it could be by testing your blood. I watched my wife give 27 different tubes of blood at one sitting, all the nurses in the lab came in to look at what 27 tubes looked like...
Eventually they had to do a spinal tap to determine if she had MS. The also do a yearly MRI just to check the progress of her disease. So basically it takes several years for them to be able to tell you what to expect. This is all based on my experience from the outside looking in so YMMV... 
- Clint |
| I hope your issue is benign and easily resolved OP. MS is a fickle disease. For some it progresses slowly and responds well to meds. Others don't fare as well, many will have good periods and rough periods. Everyone's journey is different. If you end up going for an MRI, try to get on a 3T machine if it is possible. They excel at MS lesion detection over the open and 1.5T machines. |
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If your symptoms in regards to your arm and leg resolved in a day I seriously doubt it is MS. Vision problems are also very common with the first onset but usually take more then a day to resolve. Stress B12 deficiency Bells I had symptoms consistent with MS over 8 years ago. Neurologists, MRI's etc, the whole works. Turns out my B12 was extremely low. Started taking injections and everything cleared up. There are many, many syndromes and conditions that can seem like MS. Go see a Neuro and rule everything out before you panic. |
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Let me throw an off the wall suggestion at you.
Try eating paleo. I've read of people with MS improving when they started eating paleo. Heck, lots of other illness' have improved by eating real foods via paleo. Yeah, I'm biased, since I eat that way. And I'm sure there will be plenty of people bashing me for this, I don't care. |
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Could be any number of reasons that explain your symptoms . And MS is not a death sentence. Most folks with MS (mostly) live their life as the please many with disease modifying therapies and many without. Don't freak yourself out.
(Not a doc but work for a neurology clinic with some of the best MS specialists in the country) |
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Could be any number of reasons that explain your symptoms . And MS is not a death sentence. Most folks with MS (mostly) live their life as the please many with disease modifying therapies and many without. Don't freak yourself out. (Not a doc but work for a neurology clinic with some of the best MS specialists in the country) This individual speaks truth. Since the drugs came out about 15-20 years ago the level of disability that was associated with MS is rarely seen today. There are two types, relapsing - remitting and progressive. The vast majority of cases are R and R which means a symptom appears then goes away. The drugs reduce both the frequency and severity of the attacks. Progressive is a steady decline, but is usually rare. Most people diagnosed today who get on treatment can expect to live a mostly normal life with occasional difficulty. If other causes are ruled out you'll need and MRI which looks for the sclerosis (scars or inflamed areas) on your nerves. Feel free to IM me if you have specific questions. ... |