Please tell me why I don't have MS

[SlowlyGoingUnsane]

Name changed to hide my craycray!

Health anxiety spiking a bit tonight. Some help to talk me down would be good.

I have a recurring numb patch on my left thigh (for years). Went to the doctor about it before Xmas and diagnosed bursitis in hip. Waiting for physio.

I also have (but haven't mentioned to doc) another patch on my back where bra strap goes that is sometimes a bit funny but I assumed due to bra strap compression

Two weeks ago a third patch appeared on my right bum cheek. About the size of my fist.

Googled symptoms and it led me to ms.

I don't have any of the other symptoms on the list except occasional fatigue (who doesn't) and arguably clumsiness but rational me knows I'm reaching here.

However about three years ago I went partially blind in one eye for about 6 weeks. Had lots of investigations at Moorfields and was diagnosed with MEWDS https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multipleevanescenttwhitedottsyndrome

now worried this was a misdiagnosis.

I do get quite anxious and tend to go to worst case scenario in these situations. I also absolutely hate going to the doctor and wasting their time for my crazyness so I work myself into a state where I am convinced I have something dreadful but would rather worry alone than discuss it.

So any thoughts/help?

Hi Swing, I started B12 injections in 2007, I have them every 12 weeks, and, no I have never felt better on them at all. I was doing reasonably ok until about 2012 when the fatigue started and then it all really hit me in 2013 with all the neurological symptoms, so that I had to quit work. So I have been on the injections a long time and I presume bloods are ok now I have been kept topped up all this time. (Drs wont test B12 levels when you are on injections)

Could once a month not be enough though? Many people with low B12 find that they have to be on it weekly, sometimes even daily. Did they ever found out the reason?

I've decided to self inject myself. My serum level came back normal, but I've read that is not an indication of how much is absorbed in. The first time, i felt much better afterwards before I crashed again, then again after some top ups and then again, crashed. This time, I've decided to continue doing them, but now on injection 6 and as off yesterday, didn't feel better. I've read though that when the main problem is of neurological nature, it can take months of regular injections to feel better.

I used to suffer badly from lightheadness and dizziness and that's much better but it's been replaced by terrible pins and needles, creepy crawlies, twitches in my hands, calf, eye, mouth at its worse. I suffer from bad tinnitus too but it's always worse when the pins and needles are too. The fatigue, which is more like feeling completely drained is horrendous. I used to train for half-marathon and triathlon, did my last less than a year ago, now can't run more than 5 minutes before my heartbeat is so high, I have to stop.

Sorry OP, diverting the thread, but B12 deficiency and MS symptoms really mirror themselves.

TheBorgCollective apart from the B12 deficiency, are you me? I read your post, and had to double check I hadn't posted it myself .

there must be loads of us around with collections of symptoms which are just being left as "some of those things, here, take these painkillers".

OP - I ticked all boxes bar one on the front page of one of the MS charity websites, but even thought the neurologist was definite I didn't have MS, he was happy to do multiple MRIs and a nerve conduction test to rule it out to my satisfaction. My numb patches are dampening down of sensation rather than can't feel a needle too, I think that can be fairly common, and not necessarily ominous though.

I diagnosed DD2 with three things (one not rare as such but massively underdiagnosed, one fairly uncommon and one very common) months before any doctors got near those diagnoses, it's worth asking the GP/specialist to explain why they feel you haven't got x, y or z, as it can sometimes raise something they hadn't considered (doctors only being human and all, plus consultants don't always think outside their speciality - for eg, DDs condition could get a different name depending on which symptom she saw which consultant for, assuming she got beyond a GPs "teenage girl fainting, she's not eating/is taking drugs/is pregnant/is stressed"initial thoughts).

DH has optic neuritis which he explained was like having a pick axe in his head ..... We were waiting for diagnosis and thought brain tumor or MS so we were quite greatful for his MS diagnosis. He's been DX for 11 years now and is using Tecfidera successfully. His biggest Plaque is in his spine !

My first symptom of ms was optic neuritis. I was diagnosed 19 years ago but only after further rapid episodes of complete numbness all over and balance issues. I was diagnosed following an mri and subsequent lumbar puncture. I'm sure I recall that I was told at the time that an ms diagnosis is only explored/reached when there are 3 separate sets of Neuro symptoms happening and these don't have to be at the same time (but this was almost 20 yrs ago) . On a positive note, diagnosis isn't necessarily the end of the world - as i say, my diagnosis of RRMS was 19 years ago and my MS has now been 'behaving benignly' since 2005, apart from a couple of episodes of labyrinthitis and uveitis (which may or may not be related) What I'm trying to say is that visual problems in isolation may not lead to further tests immediately, but even if they do in the future, life with MS can be absolutely fine - to be honest, no one knows I have it unless I choose to tell them

My first symptom of MS was a screaming headache, then I lost deeling in my legs over about 2 hours. 3 and a half years later I was fine again, and continued so for 11 years. Then I lost the right side of my body, arm to toes and the whole of my trunk. That took longer to recover from! I'm kind of Ok now, 20 years later.

I did at one point also have uveitis quite badly, went on for 18 months. It was quite fun getting the first look in the mirror in the mornings to see what shape my pupils were today Hurt a lot though.