Terrified it's MS

[paulhollywoodshairgel]

A family member of mine was recently diagnosed with MS. She was misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia and CSF first. I have a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia also. We were chatting and nearly all my symptoms are exactly the same as hers such as.
Extreme fatigue.
Numbness and tingling in arms and legs.
Memory issues/brain fog.
Floaters/eye pain and difficulty focusing.
Muscle spasms.
Feeling like I'm being crushed.
Bladder and bowel problems.
I am very overweight and I know if I go to the drs they won't look past that. I could have been hit by a bus and they'd blame it on my weight. I'm terrified I've got MS. Does anyone else have experience of symptoms and diagnosis?
By the way I don't suffer from health anxiety normally.

No direct experience but the pathology of MS means that a huge number of symptoms could be MS or equally something else.
Only an MRI can really tell and even then they probably need to do several over a period of time to check for new lesions.
A GP would take it seriously. If though they are v unlikely to give you a diagnosis they would certainly think to themselves it’s a possibility.
so go and see one!

Make an appointment to see your GP (if you can make one) and see what they say.

If it's a close relative I would ask your GP for referral for MRI. Go private for MRI if necessary.

I have MS. It's not a death sentence.

If it’s a close relative then your GP will likely take it a lot more seriously and put you on the waiting list for a brain mri. Tell them you aren’t usually anxious but the symptoms are starting to really impact your life and you need it properly investigated

Why are you terrified, if you have the symptoms anyway? There are a LOT more treatment options for MS than there are for fibromyalgia.

(I have MS - only had one minor relapse in the 7 years since starting my last treatment!)

both my mum and sister had MS. anytime i attend my GP surgery and more recntly a&e, as soon as i mention the MS link they immediately start looking for it!

so far, its neve been found and Fibromyalgia has been mentioned but never diagnosed, so i would go back to the GP, mention the revent diagnosis and ask for a 2nd opinion.

@paulhollywoodshairgel there’s a very slight increased chance of being diagnosed with MS if you have a close family member with it so for that reason alone ( and to set your mind at rest) you should speak to your GP. In addition, as both MS and fibro involve immune system dysfunction, it’s also worth checking it out from that perspective seeing as research is still in its infancy with fibro. If you have fibro, it’s worth investigating things like the auto-immune protocol ( ie.dietary change) for eg. as this gives some people symptom relief/ improvement.

I, too, have pretty much all the symptoms of MS. Fibro has also been suggested to me by a gp about a year ago. No scans done, no referrals, just bloods and deemed 'fine'. I ended up being sent to A&E recently due to the numbness, tingling and pain affecting my lower back and genital area but no scans were done as they ruled out anything like cauda equina. From the physical exam they did, the Dr said I've some weakness in my left leg and some sensation loss also in the left leg. Been referred to the spinal team. Pretty worried tbh.

When you see a gp, explain it's a family member. Ask them to refer you to neurology and send you for an MRI of your brain and spine. Good luck!

I'm terrified just because it's daunting I think. I know it's not a death sentence it just scares me. I did an online request with gp and they came straight back with 'bloods and then appointment within 2-3 weeks' so that's not too bad. I accepted the fibromyalgia diagnosis at the time but the symptoms have just got worse and worse with new ones as well. Thank you for all the replies.