Just looking for a bit of a handhold, if possible. I’ve had an unusual sensation in my left leg for a few days now - it’s like a rhythmic vibrating/buzzing deep inside my leg, not painful but quite unsettling. I’ve had the same thing before, but it’s only lasted an hour or two previously whereas this has been going on since the middle of last week.
I booked a GP appointment, who has referred me to neurology and said that they will want to rule out MS. I get private medical through work, so this is all happening on that, and should be quick, but in the meantime I am googling and scaring myself.
I had optic neuritis in my 20s (almost 20 years ago) and the possibility of MS was raised then, but my MRI was clear, and they said if anything was going to happen, it would probably be within a few years. I haven’t even thought about it recently as it’s been so long, but reading through symptom lists I’ve realised I do have a fair few of them, and have just put things down either to other health problems (I have RA), normal ageing, or just one of those things. Now I’m putting them all together I am quite worried.
I have usual sensations - mostly pins and needles but also a crawling/tickling on the skin, occasional shooting pains, patches of skin which feel tingly and then hurt when you touch them, burning feeling in the soles of my feet, random muscle twitches, tight muscles, double vision, bright flashes of light in my peripheral vision, tinnitus, general pains, memory and attention problems, trouble getting my mouth to say what my brain is thinking, dizzy spells and general tiredness. Most of these come and go quickly, in seconds/minutes/hours, but others last a little longer or are permanent (mostly memory/attention).
I know that the only person who can diagnose me is the neurologist, and I’m hopeful that once the bank holiday is over I’ll get in to see him quite quickly, but until I do, I feel like I’m spiralling. Do these sound like MS symptoms? Does it matter that most of them don’t last very long? I’m worried that by the time I see the doctor my leg thing will have cleared up, there’ll be nothing to see/find and I’ll be reassured but then it’ll happen again.
Has anyone got experience going private for the initial diagnosis period? My RA diagnosis was through the NHS and I was fobbed off and minimised for ages because my symptoms were sporadic. It took years for them to finally agree to do investigations so I think I’m a little scarred by that!
Apologies for the brain dump and thanks in advance to anyone who can talk me down 😊