Numbness in legs and torso

[vegisaurus]

Before I start, I have been to the GP and am awaiting blood results / neurology referral. I am posting to see if anyone else has been in a similar position and can offer me some hope or at least stop my worry spiralling whilst I wait for reaults!

On Wednesday, the top of my thighs felt numb and tingly, although I still had some sensation. Over the course of a couple of hours, the numbness has spread down both legs to mid calf all the way up to my mid torso. It has not become any better.

I am able to walk and have control of my bladder / bowels but the feeling is disconcerting. The GP couldn't say what could be causing it, but did say it was an atypical presentation (whatever that means). They asked for advice from neurology, but have not officially referred me.

My sister has recently been diagnosed with MS and I am worried this could be the case with me, despite having no other symptoms.

Does anyone have any experience? I am getting rather worried waiting for results and have resolved to not google after some rather scary initial search results!

You've said no continence problems, so I would guess that this has been something mentioned by the GP, and dismissed for whatever reason, but I would be very worried about Cauda Equina, and a (very quick, not medically trained!) Google tells me there is 'incomplete cauda equina' that has numbness but not incontinence.

Honestly, I'd be so concerned that I'd got to A&E, I'd not be willing to wait for the GP to do whatever they're doing.

I had something very similar but fully from waist to toes around 20 years ago, I had various blood tests and was referred for an MRI. The numbness and tingling cleared up after maybe a week or so (I can't quite remember how long I was off sick) It was actually a few months before I got to the top of the MRI waiting list and by then nothing showed up on the scan and it was put down to a viral infection affecting the nervous system.
I've had nothing like that again since, though I was pretty paranoid for quite some time.

Also, don't be scared to go to A&E if you feel worried or if it feels to be getting worse, I actually did go to A&E but as my GP had referred me to neurology already they weren't very interested (but did a few extra tests)

I would call 111 with that numbness.

Guilain Barre? Have you been unwell or had any vaccinations recently? I would also seek urgent medical attention if it’s worsening.

Go to A and E

Thanks for the advice. I have gone to a&e to be on the safe side as my "saddle" area has become more numb than before.
I haven't been ill recently (other than a 24 hour stomach bug courtesy of nursery) and not had any injuries so this all feels very out of the blue.

Very glad you took action. Sending good wishes.
X

Glad you're getting checked out @vegisaurus

glad you went to A&E. Hopefully they’ll find what’s wrong and it’ll be down to viral which will improve soon.

How did you get on OP
Hope you are ok

Thinking of you...all OK?🥰

Thanks for your messages. I was kept in so I could be assessed by Neurology this morning. They were satisfied it wasn't anything that needed immediate attention which was a relief. They gave me a choice of keeping me in with the view of getting an MRI in the next couple of days or let me be treated as an outpatient. I chose to go home and they have booked me an MRI which I should get in a couple of weeks

Hopefully I feel more normal soon. The way my numbness has behaved is odd to say the least, and also the lack of other symptoms is leaving them a bit puzzled!

Very glad you were seen, OP. Hopefully this can all get resolved before too long.

Keep in mind bowel issues also. No harm getting a colonoscopy if you have any symptoms

Glad you got checked out. Please update us when you get your MRI results, hopefully it's just something viral like a previous poster had x

Glad you went and got checked out @vegisaurus. It does sound very similar to my experience, coming on quickly with no other symptoms so I'll keep everything crossed it's just some similar random virus 🤞
I also remember I hadn't been ill beforehand so couldn't pin it down to any particular virus I'd had.

How are you today @vegisaurushave your symptoms improved?

Thanks for checking in @givemeanother
My symptoms have stayed pretty much the same. I guess it is just a waiting game now to get blood test results back and a scan appointment through. I don't feel as worried about it now that the consultant is satisfied there isn't any immediate danger, though I would certainly like some answers soon (as well as some feeling back in my body!).

Glad it’s not progressed, but shame not gone yet! Hope you get your tests/results soon.

Hi Op, I was diagnosed with MS having had symptoms like yours. I initially noticed the numbness on my thighs when I sat on a toilet seat but over a couple of days, my legs, my saddle area and up to my belly button went numb. I went to the urgent care centre, got sent to A&E and had an MRI the next day. I was diagnosed with MS on the basis of that MRI. It was a small lesion on my spine which caused the symptoms although I had a few other lesions in my brain which the MRI picked up but had caused me no symptoms.

I guess since your sister has MS I don't need to tell you about it but I wanted to say that I was diagnosed in 2017 and I had some treatment (Lemtrada) and I have had no relapses or symptoms since (the numbness went after a couple of weeks).

Hopefully it will be something innocuous for you. xx

@schoolfriendthank you for sharing your experience. This sounds so similar to my symptoms even down to the starting on the thighs and not really affecting my feet. It is also reassuring to hear that despite it turning out to be MS, you have remained largely unaffected for almost a decade

It obviously rocked my world at the time but honestly, I barely think about it now and if someone zapped the diagnosis from my memory there would honestly be no way for me to know I had MS.

In terms of symptoms - my numbness was caused by the disturbance of the signals getting from my lower body to my brain. Lots of things can cause that so although our symptoms are very similar, they may be caused by different things.

Good luck with the scan. You must be going insane waiting.

I wanted to update this thread in case anyone else had similar symptoms and finds this thread.

The numbness has been present for around 3 weeks now, and I have also developed muscle stiffness / tighntness in my legs. I had an full spine MRI with contrast last week. I then got a phonecall from the hospital telling me that something had been found on the scan and I needed to come back in to be reviewed by neurology. When I spoke to the specialist, he told me I had one active legion on my spine so he diagnosed transverse myelitis. I am having further tests (lumbar puncture, brain MRI, a load more blood tests) to see if this is an isolated case or whether it is autoimmune (like MS).

Neurology seemed pretty confident my symptoms will clear up on there own in a couple of months, but has given me some steroids to help calm the inflammation on my spine. I also feel very reassured that my symptoms are considered mild (even if they are alarming to me!) so the prognosis is very good whatever this turns out to be.

Good to hear back from you @vegisaurus ! I'm glad they've found the reason and hopefully it will only be temporary as they say. Wishing you a speedy recovery x