Possible MS? Help

Hello ZacB,

The good news is your brain MRI is normal, no indication of Multiple Sclerosis.

Nerve pain as well as other types of pain experienced with MS does not respond to over-the-counter pain relievers such as Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, ect. Since Ibuprofen helps then your pain isn't due to a disease like Multiple Sclerosis.

Best wishes.

It's true that lesions do not always show on MRI.

But, the fact that over-the-counter pain relievers help your pain and you have body wide symptoms makes MS unlikely.

Chest pains, as well as the other symptoms you are having can be caused by anxiety. Anxiety can cause body wide symptoms. If you are not seeing a Psychiatrist and/or a Psychotherapist to treat your anxiety that would be a good place to start.

ZacB,

If it would make you feel better then please see a Neurologist.

If you have a normal Neurological exam and the MRIs is normal then MS will be highly unlikely. There is no way to experience Neurological symptoms caused by MS and have a normal Neurological exam/evaluation and normal MRIs/testing.

Has any of your Drs. suggested MS as a possible cause? Did a Dr. tell you you're having nerve pain or is this what you think it is?

You might consider posting on the Anxiety/Panic Forum. They could help you deal with your anxiety.

ZacB said...
Within days of exiting the ER for the chest and arm pain, my Dr. recommended the MRI to rule out MS. She put this whole thing in my head in the first place. Then, me being paranoid, went to every site online to look up symptoms.

I'm sorry. I really wish Drs. would be more cautious about what they say. It's also not a good idea to research something like MS, it can scare the crap out of a person. The problem is, the subconscious can create symptoms when there is no medical reason.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the Central Nervous System(CNS) which include the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Lesions can be found anywhere within the CNS. If you see a Neurologist please ask if they will also do a MRI of the cervical spine (neck), if this is also clear (normal) and if your Neurological exam is normal then that with a normal brain MRI is a pretty good indication MS is not causing your symptoms.

There are many other conditions, medications and mental health issues that can cause the same symptoms as MS. There is no symptom unique or exclusive to Multiple Sclerosis.

Even though I have had MS for a very long time I still have a problem knowing if I am experiencing MS pain/discomfort or if it is from something else. My Neurologist told me, a long time ago, if I get even a little bit of relief from over-the-counter (otc) pain reliever it's not caused by the MS. When I experience any kind of pain or discomfort I will usually start out trying an OTC pain reliever, if that doesn't help, even a little then I know I am dealing with MS.

Please try and relax. If it would make you feel better then please see a Neurologist.

I understand which is why I am so hell-bent on figuring out what's going on with me. Like I said, I am not 100% sure that the Ibuprofen dulls the pain, as it kind of gets worse at time during the day then backs off. I am just not sure where else to ask my PCP to go. I just want to be back to normal, but if it is something, I want to address it and get it handled early.

While the pain sometimes presents on both sides at once, it is more on the left side so that is the part that scares me...

Post Edited (ZacB) : 2/9/2016 12:46:33 PM (GMT-7)

Hello, I have a small update.

I saw another doctor (second opinion) who has had many patients with MS that he has diagnosed. He did a neurological exam on me including reflex tests with the little rubber hammer, testing strength in fingers and toes, coordination, balance, etc. He said everything looked normal.

He recommended not seeing a neuro yet, and instead just seeing if I get better over the next few weeks to a month. He thinks going to a neuro is premature at this point., especially since my brain MRI and neurological exam seemed normal.

Hello everyone. I wanted to thank you all for everything. It has been a while since I last logged on. I have had an ungodly amount of blood tests and even requested a neck MRI to rule out MS from my neurologist. My blood tests indicated that I have a very elevated ANA result. I was told that this is usually indicative of a rheumatology issue as these can cause the numbness and pain. The Rheumatologist determined I have a condition called "Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease". Which he called a "minor" version of lupus. I am on medication now and since being added to my daily routine, I am feeling a lot better and almost 100%.

Thank you for all of the support.

I'm sorry you've been in limbo for so long. Most doctors won't diagnose MS unless you have lesions. Even with lesions, you may not get a diagnosis. Brain lesions can be caused by many other illnesses and disorders.

MS is an extremely expensive disease to treat. You will want to be sure it is MS.

You may want to ask for a new MRI. It's been a few years. You may also want to ask for a lumbar puncture and evoked potentials (extremities, vision and hearing). Those are the standard tests for MS.

Also, you may want to revisit Lyme disease. The blood tests are very poor. You may want to post on the Lyme board here.

Best of luck to you. Keep us posted. Ask any questions you may still have.

Hi ZacB
Just curious if you had asked your neurologist if Undifferentiated connective tissue disease can cause numbness/tingling on your face? I think it's been 4 months since you posted hope you are doing better. I just signed up today and have been reading some old post.