Diagnosed

The most common symptoms can be: numbness, tingling, bowel and or bladder issues, vision problems, balance problems, concentration or executive function problems, weakness or paralysis.

Typical tests are: neurological exam, MRI of brain, evoked potentials (hearing, vision, extremities) lumbar puncture and blood work. There is no defining test. It's a diagnosis of exclusion. The doctor will ask about episodes (exacerbations) separated by time.

I was diagnosed in about 3 months but that's very fast. Most take many months and some have it for years.

www.mult-sclerosis.org/diagnosingms.HTML

Your AS could still be the cause of your symptoms. MS has extremely vague, varied and shares symptoms. Yes, you need to see a doctor. See a neurologist and preferably an MS specialist. Call your local MS Society chapter and ask for a list of local doctors.

What is AS?

     Years ago, I had numbness in what's called the "basket". It consists of the area from the navel to the lumbar area of the back.

 Saw a neurologist but a pinched nerve was thought to be the cause.

  Years later, I'm at work and moved a heavy pallet the wrong way. I felt a numbness in my legs and arms.

 Well, I went to my Dr. and he directed me to have an MRI.  The MRI revealed the presence of five lesions.

 One is at the top of my spinal chord and four are in my brain.

  When he told me,I was angry. Not upset,scared or shocked,just pissed. My wife took it harder than I did.

  My neurologist was very straight forward with me and pulled no punches. I had blood work and a spinal tap

 to verify the findings. Yep !! I got me that MS !!LOL...

  Well,she started me on Rebif after I had researched the options I had. After about a year,my follow-up MRI

 revealed two more lesions had developed.

   I was taken off Rebif and started on Copaxone. It's been a couple weeks and still too soon to make an opinion

  on it's effectiveness. I'll get back next week with an update !!