Worrying neurological symptoms, still waiting for MRI

[WankmasterBastardDeLaShithead]

I'm feeling very stressed at the moment, as I've been waiting since approx February for an "urgent" MRI. I didn't chase it up during lockdown as I was being a bit of an ostrich. My symptoms have been getting worse, and I went back to my GP a couple of weeks ago. She's chasing it up but still no progress.

My symptoms are:

Pulsatile tinnitus in my left ear which lasted a few months. It's mostly gone now, bit I now have "normal" tinnitus and my ear feels blocked.

I have a weird feeling in the side of my throat, like something is slipping/popping when I swallow. I can also feel this "pop" from the outside.

Slight weakness in my left leg (I'm a runner and can feel a slight imbalance).

Slightly numb/desensitised patches on my foot

Waking up most nights with pins and needles in my hands/arms (mostly left, but sometimes right).

Easily getting pins and needles in my left foot/leg, eg just when sitting down.

Tingling feeling in various areas on my left side, and also in/around my mouth.

Fatigue - longing for a nap in the afternoons and falling asleep earlier than usual. Also unusually tired when running.

I've had slight headaches over the last few weeks, although this might be screen-strain. I had an eye test in which everything came back clear other than a mild prescription (I now have glasses to see if this helps).

I had blood tests a couple of weeks ago, and everything (B12, thyroid, iron etc) was fine/normal other than a slightly low white blood count. Apparently I had a slightly low WBC back in 2013, so this might just be the way my body runs, but I have follow up blood tests next week to check for things like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

I'm basically freaking out that I have a tumour in my neck, and that I've left it so long that it won't be treatable. Or that it's MS (which would be awful, but slightly less terrifying). I do realise that my stress could be a significant contributor to these symptoms.

I guess I'm hoping for any reassuring stories from people who might have experienced anything similar.

Hi. I have had tingling, weakness and brain fog among with other niggling symptoms for about 15 years. I have never got to the bottom of it! I remember feeling terrified though. Hope you get some reassurance soon.

totallyesno - thank you! Sorry to hear you've been dealing with those symptoms for so long though.

I've just gone through similar - chin went numb, followed by intermittent numbness on my right hand/arm and leg/foot. Also stabbing, aching pains in my ears which comes and goes and lots of headaches. GP made an urgent neurology referral in April, but due to lockdown it was June when I spoke to neurologist on the phone followed by my MRI a couple weeks later.
MRI was clear and the numbness and headaches diagnosed as migraines. He ruled out all the 'bad stuff' which he assured more serious symptoms would have manifested by now.
I don't have the popping in the throat though. Have you spoken to your dentist? When I mentioned to them numbness in my face they had me in the dental hospital within an hour for a full investigation. That was in April. They take face numbness very seriously and wanted to rule out the possibility of jaw tumours/ cancers both primary and metastatic as well as other potential causes.
The wait for neurology was the worst!! you have my utmost sympathies! Hopefully you hear soon. I'm in scotland and just had a very in-depth video consultation with a neurologist this afternoon who went over all my symptoms, what is and isn't likely and why. It was very informative and gave me a better insight of my symptoms. But I did go through many dark moments thinking the worst, I have 2 little babies!

I should add, the chin numbness is considered a separate issue to the possible migraine symptoms which is the reason for the video appointment and going over in great detail all the different symptoms I have been experiencing so investigations for that is ongoing.

Hi @WankmasterBastardDeLaShithead (Great username ) sorry to hear you are having a tough time. Hopefully it will turn out to be something straightforward and easy to treat and hope you get your mri soon- the waiting is the worst! Also wanted to say that if does turn out to be MS that it’s really not the diagnosis that it once was. I was recently diagnosed with MS and was devastated however drug treatment has advanced so much in the last 10 years that’s it really not the diagnosis that it once was. That’s not to say it’s not upsetting and challenging- it still is- however the outlook is much more positive.

Hope you get seen soon

I had very similar symptoms during peri menopause. I also suspected it was low b12. My results came back normal but I then learn that the standard go test doesn't account for malabsorption so not always reliable.

I decided to start injecting myself. It took 6 months for most of the symptoms to go. This however coincided to starting the full menopause too, so the peri could have also been a contributor or maybe the actual cause but so do believe b12 is a problem with me as once I reach 5 or 6 weeks since my last injection, my heart rate start to go a bit crazy (up to 180 during a slow walk when it normally goes up to 160 running) and I start to get breathless so know it's time to inject.

You can ask for an active b12 test. Do it before taking any supplement as you need to be free of any b12 in your system for 4 months.

I too ended up getting an MRI as I was so concerned with my symptoms and it came back absolutely fine.

Hope you're ok OP. I too have a bunch of weird symptoms and am waiting for an appointment with a neurologist. It's a scary time.

I took myself for a private brain and spine MRI which came back clear, but the symptoms have got much worse since then so I'm thinking maybe I did it too early (eg if this is my first attack of something like MS perhaps it didn't show up yet).

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. It's really helpful to chat about it on here as I really don't want to talk about it in real life (except with DH).

I've spoken to my GP again today, and apparently my "urgent" MRI is still postponed indefinitely. I've got a very basic health insurance policy, which means I could have it done privately but I need to get a referral letter from a consultant, and the communication between GP and consultant seems to be by post rather than email, which is weird and frustratingly slow?

This waiting is awful, OP. I had a routine MRI in June (delayed by 6weeks).

I have MS. It's not great but also not the end of the world. The treatment for it is "fantastic" according to my neurologist.

Hi, hope all your issues are resolved now and you are feeling better. Grateful for any updates for personal reasons.