Stroke or MS? Similar symptoms - how do they know which it is?

[SuddenlyOld]

Just finished work a few weeks ago and my leg was so weak I could barely walk. Next day it was much better. Day after it was worse than day 1. Day 4 and my arm was weak too, I could barely lift it. This was on the same side. It was the weekend so 111 advised A&E. Many hours later they said I'd had a small stroke (not a TIA). MRI scan showed lesions so this confirmed a clot had caused it. 6 weeks later and my arm has improved but my leg hasn't. Some days worse than others.

More details - my BP is very high, I'm over 50, I don't drink, I'm fit and exercise regularly (mainly walking and dancing). My life is stressful due to various things.

When I was periM I thought I had MS due to several symptoms (muscle pain, tiredness, brain fog etc) but I realistically decided it was just periM symptoms.

Now I'm starting to think again about MS. I think lesions seen on scan could be stroke or MS. Why do I think it wasn't a stroke? Because it wasn't sudden. It got worse over 4 days. My speech wasn't effected and no facial weakness. My vision has got bad.

My question is, how feasible is it that this wasn't a stroke but is MS? Important to know because of the meds I'm on vs what I 'should ' be on.

Thanks

I have small white matter lesions in my brain. In my mid 40s the Neurologist wondered if it could be MS. I have similar symptoms but its fibromyalgia, (tingling, pins and needles in face, crawling flesh, sunburnt skin, etc) I had a lumbar puncture to rule out MS

From what I can gather MS lesions on MRI present in a different pattern and I think there is a classic pattern that they can see

You just reminded me of the fizzing sensations I get in my leg. I didn't realise fibro caused brain lesions. However I wouldn't let them do a lumbar. Is that the only way to know?

Fibro does not cause brain lesions, that is in addition to the small vessel disease!😀