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Debating whether to get another opinion

Tl;dr: Had symptoms since October, got treated for strep but no signs of MS in any MRI's. Doctor's mentioned at first that MS might be an option, but after everything came back neg. changed their mind. Got treated for strep, most of the symptoms still there 5 months later. Should I get a second opinion?

Hi ya'll! I have been on a wild ride since October. Starting in October 2018, I started getting tingling in my legs. I went to urgent care at the end of the month because I woke up and my legs were slightly numb. They tested me for Lyme, it came back negative, and I got sent to a general doctor. I'm in college at the moment and 400 miles away from home, so I randomly chose a doctor with a close appointment. She ended up believing me and my symptoms. At this point, it was the beginning of November and new symptoms started. My legs gave out (buckled) all the time while walking, and when I wrote or used my right hand too much, I became weak with it and started dropping things. I had terrible fatigue, really bad back and shoulder pain, my scalp was always sore, and I could barely go out with my friends anymore because of these symptoms and terrible headaches. The doctor tested me for everything under the sun, but hasn't done an EKG or some other tests yet, but has done a ton of blood tests. The neurologist was very short with me but took me seriously, and did a nerve conduction study, an MRI with all three portions of my spine and brain, and everything came back fine except for a Schnoral Node on my spine. The only thing that came back positive was a strep test that was a swipe one, but they never did a blood strep test. I got antibiotics, and left back home for the semester. I improved up to the point where I don't need my cane anymore, but my legs can still give out anywhere from once a day to 3-4 times a week (compared to 5 times a day before), the pain in my shoulders and back, especially on bad days, can be overwhelming, and my fatigue has gotten to a point where I have to sleep at least 8-9 hours and take at least an hour nape 2-3 times a day. I'm going to a sleep doctor soon and a new general doctor next week. Should I try to get a second opinion with this diagnosis, especially since my PT thought the same for MS as my first doctor did?

  1. Yes! Get another opinion! The first dr. (a neurology dr.!) told me I had a pinched nerve in my leg/foot. I went to him as I had numbing in my right foot that seemed to get worse. I've always needed a lot of sleep so I didn't think much of being tired all the time. I got a second opinion through a facility that deals only with neurology. I went for an MRI; within one hour of being back home I was called for a spinal tap. I was diagnosed with progressive MS. I still get angry when I think of the first dr. I even told him my late sister had it. So yeah, get a second opinion from a specialist. Best of luck.

    1. Ugh, I can't even imagine how frustrating this must have been ! Unfortunately, many here have also experienced that not all doctors are the same. I'm so sorry you went through this and am so glad you advocated for yourself and got a second opinion. Thank you for sharing your advice here! - Shelby, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member

    2. Thank you for your reply! I was just worried that I was being overdramatic with my symptoms and felt slightly bad getting a second one. It makes me feel a lot better I'm not alone, and I really glad you were able to get a correct diagnosis. Thank ya!

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