Worried about symptoms (?MS) or is it just stress?

[WorriedOrStressed]

Name changed as I am a regular poster and possibly identifiable.

I'm the first to admit I've been under a lot of stress over the last few years and have been struggling with my health for the last few months which has left me fatigued and exhausted after minimal physical exertion.

However, I have been experiencing some worrying symptoms which my GP puts down to the 'stress' I've been under.

For example, I've had numbness in my left fingers for about 12 months now, this is now in my right hand/arm too and I also have pins and needles intermittently in my feet. I feel really 'wooly' in my head (just not with it), muddle my words, and at times very clumsy/off balance when I walk. My sight (I'm short sighted) has recently deteriorated and I see 'double' on and off. A few years ago I had some physio for leg weakness (felt as though my leg was about to 'give way'), this has now resolved though. I have completely lost my libido, have urinary incontinence symptoms and am really intolerant of heat.

I am worried these may be symptoms of MS - I had glandular fever in my teens and believe there is an anecdotal link.

Because I've also had a rash on my face which seems to flare on and off, GP has tested for SLE but results were normal, as well as other bloods for more routine stuff (thyroid function, CRP, FBC, etc) which, again, were reassuring.

GP has suggested some nerve studies, even though he maintains its all stress-related which makes me feel like I've got an uphill struggle on my hands and exhausts me further. I wonder whether I should be pushing for a neuro referral as none of this feels 'right' and DH is concerned too that I've not been myself for a while now.

Any thoughts/advice?

OP! I have/have had many of these symptoms. I've been diagnosed now with fibro/CFS, as well as early menopause and anaemia. Also worsened after viral infection. IMO unlikely to be MS or anything too scary.

These 'minor' conditions are surprisingly debilitating, but not progressive or degenerative which is a good thing.

Queen thank you for reassurance. I'm sure its not early menopause (regular periods and normal oestrogen levels) and Hb shows not anaemic as these were initially considered.

I had suspected CFS around 20 years ago post a virus - that was more muscular aches/fatigue post exertion. This just feels very different due to neuro signs. Went for a walk earlier and it's almost like I'm drunk when I walk

Drunk in your head or drunk as in your feet going different ways? I know I'd sometimes look at the pavement and just want to curl up on it as I was so tired.

Kitty Drunk as in stumbling with feet/walking (bit like when you are on an unsteady ship) but woozy too in head. Since coming home I've got little electrical shocks around back/side of head. Not had this before. All very odd.

sorry you are going through this.

wish I could help, it's a difficult time.

Thank you MissTriggs

Hope you get answers soon, i have been through something very similar but its taken ages to get any explanations. My diagnosis is fibro but my symptoms are mainly neurological, such as tingling, numbness, creeping flesh feelings, dizziness, poor balance, visual distrurbances, double vision, aching and weak limbs. I have also had the electric shock sensations when bending neck. All my bloods are normal, although i have treated vitamin b12 and d deficiencies. I had a brain mri last year and it showed numerous high signal areas in my brain so i had to have a lumbar puncture but that was normal so not looking like MS so i am discharged from neuro with a " treat symptoms and watch and wait policy". So in a way, its worse as i thought i was getting somewhere with a concrete diagnosis but i feel still in limbo, the rheumatologist thought i had fibro but the neurologist said he thought i didnt have fibro!

I am just going through a 2 month episode of headache, falling over , dizzines, blurred vision. My GP thinks it might be an inner ear problem but not really improving all that much so i need to go back. I have had these episodes on and off for a few years now. I have been ill since about 2006. I also walk like i am drunk and veer to one side, i have to concentrate on the floor or i cannot walk in a straight line!

I hope you are seen soon and at least get some answers, i know how frustrating and worrying it is

I have similar, which got worse following labyrinthitis in January. MS was ruled out for me a couple of years ago, but they're now looking at a nerve problem in my neck, and possibly also lower back. I'm waiting for an MRI appointment to compare the results to the last one, and then the consultant reckons I'll need a steroid injection into the nerve root, then he'll look at what might be the issue with my leg.

A helpful thing I've recently discovered (that no-one i've spoken to in RL has known) is that if your GP does the Choose and Book thing while you're there, get them to scroll down past the NHS hospitals to see what the waiting lists are like in private hospitals. My past two referrals have all been within a fortnight, seeing a consultant rather than "one of the team", waiting rooms with comfortable chairs and free tea and coffee, and apologies for running ten minutes late. I've had to travel a little bit further (but not much longer timewise using public transport), but not having to wait so long has been worth it. And still all on the NHS.

Hyacinth Thank you for your post. I'm sorry to hear you are no further close to a diagnosis and the conflict between your specialists. If it's any consolation, working in the NHS I often see this 'difference of professional opinion' (and it can be useful for patient-care). It seems that with so many of these things, there is no definitive or a 'yet to be found' cause.

Visions Thank you too for your input. That's very interesting what you say about the referrals process. I will wait and see for a week or so (unless things become more 'acute') and then go back to the GP to see what is happening. Still hopeful that occupational health at work might be able to speed things up - there must be some benefits to working in the NHS surely!

Check your vitamin D and B12 levels. Ask for a copy of your blood test results and see what exactly they tested for and where your results are within the ranges. You clearly feel there's something wrong whilst the doctor doesn't, so see what you can work out yourself. I did this, and found I was at the very bottom of the range for one test (ferritin) and only just out of the inadequate range for another (b12). Supplementing those two was life changing for me. The internet is very helpful for working out what the different tests are for etc etc

I think because the onset of MS symptoms can be quite variable and vague it's difficult to say if this is something or nothing
Good luck with the neuro RV

Thanks Himalayan

@WorriedOrStressed how are you now ? X