Can you reasure me or give advice (worrying about MS)

[anniebear]

Had a sleepless night worrying about this .

For the last 3 nights I have had like pins and needles in my hands and feet and going up my arms and legs, particularly starting at night, but has carried on this morning, but not as bad

I also have had itchy soles of my feet some nights for months. Thought nothing much of this but now think it is to do with the pins and needles, maybe was the start of it

Am generally tired and feel quite down at times, but one of my twin girls was very ill as a baby and has special needs and doesn't sleep too good, so I put a lot of my tiredness and the way I feel down to that

Read about MS on the internet and have got myself very worried.

I searched for MS on here and another Mumsnetter was reassured a few years ago by somebody saying MS generally starts with your eye sight

Well I went for an eye sight check about 6 months ago and the vision in my left eye wasn't as good as the right eye. The Optician seemed surprised.

This morning I am sure my little finger has felt funny. Not quite numb, but just a little funny!

I have got myself really worried about this. I am scared of going to the Docs incase she tells me something horrible (silly I know)

I am always worrying that I have things wrong with me, suppose because I am always feeling low, tired etc. But these pins and needles are really worrying me this time

Sorry if I don't really stupid. I just needed to off load my worries

Thanks

GET YOUR THYROID FUNCTION CHECKED

Pins and needles in lower limbs at night particularly end fingers is a big sign.

Please go to your gp and ask for thyroid function tests, tell her/him you are abnormally tired as well.

Go, run like the wind!

You know you should go to the doctor, don't you? Yes, these things can be symptoms of MS. But it's more likely that it could be something far more minor.

Do go and get yourself checked out - you may well be reassured. Or (much less likely) if it is serious, you can get the treatment you need.

anniebear, obviously you should go & see your dr, but I heard on the radio that You & Yours on Radio 4 are doing a whole series of reports on MS this week..so might be helpful to listen.

Agree with Suzy. And, alas, in this country, your GP might well be sceptical or dismissive about thyroid function (possibly because apparently once on thyroxin, the very safe drug treatment for this condition, you get free prescriptions for the rest of your life...), but I would definitely ask for a thyroid and anaemia check, Annie.
I too am always scared about going to the drs, but what works for me is reminding myself I owe it to my children...even if one of them did wake me up at 4.30am by dripping a LARGE blob of snot onto my cheek and then kissing me
Please go and then tell us how you get on :)

I had blood tests done about 8 months ago becasue I was so tired. They were all fine

antidepressents have been mentioned twice because of how I feel. But haven't chosen to go on them

Suppose I am also worrying they will think its all because I feel low sometimes, people put a lot down to sress.

I've been to see the GP about EXACTLY the same sensations - tingling in hand and foot plus also a sensation of having hit my funny bone - with the same concerns as well! She's referred me to a neurologist for a further examination but when I mentioned MS / brain tumour etc she was v. reassuring, and didn't think it was anything significant or anything to worry about. She referred me at my request and not becuse she felt that it was a necessity.

She said that MS most often starts with an episode related to eyesight (e.g. blurred vision / double vision / sometimes even blindness) and / or muscle spasms (like an electric shock), so not necessarily pins and needles. Also thse episodes improve without much treatment in most cases. I know 4 people with MS and they all state the same. One girl did experience p&n's but that was with a load of other symptoms as well (inc. the muscle spasms which were strong enought for her to just drop things).

It could just be something as minor as RSI / trapped nerve / exhaustion (sleep deprivation does wicked things to a body).

Go and see your GP - I was terrified of going but am now glad the wheels are in motion to get to the bottom of the problem now.

I am sure I have had some twitches as well

Not sure if being paranoid now though!!!!

if you do have a thyroid disfunction then it could have deteriorated in 8 months
ask for another test

I 'm only going on about it so much because these were precisely the sensations and worries I exprienced in the three years before I finally got my diagnosis.

If you don't think your GP is willing to do it lay on the tiredenss very thickly and say your hair is falling out and you can't lose weight.

Friend had to ask five times for thyroid test because her GP deemed her "not fat enough". (She has gone from being really too skinny to a whopping willowy in a year).
She is now on a temporary mega dose of thyroxin to try and stabilise her severe deficiency, Annie. And she had all sorts of upsetting symptoms, poor thing.

Give her a big squeeze from me Marina and lots of sympathy and tell her she can have her life back now.
You're right Marina, it's soooooooo simple to correct and when a woman is feeling wiped out and having to look after small children it's not very safe for anyone. I must have bored you all with the story about the private gp who was doing my Aus Visa medical picking up on my roid and my gp blocking a prescription of thyroxene

Anyway off topic, anniebear I hope you are reassured about MS and that you go and see the doctor soon.

Go and ask for a blood test - no harm in that and it may put your mind at rest. If you think that you have MS you can give yourself pins and needles and all sorts of funny sensations by just worrying about it.

My doctor friend says that MS often starts suddenly with some unrelated problem, often with the eyes. I think you will find that people often have different levels of vision in each eye. I know I have.

I did go to the optitions a while back and he was suprised as one of my eyes was fine and one wasnt as good

bad spelling there!! ...Opticians

get yourself off to the docs and get the checks you need

I don't think its unusual for eyesight to be different in each eye is it? I know I have a slight astigamitism but only in one of my eyes

go and see the gp, the longer you leave it, the more you will worry and the more you worry, the more stressed you will feel and the stress will bring on even more symptoms (believe me, stress can can do all manner of weird and wonderful things to you physically)

See your GP, and let us know how you get on!

good luck