Is this MS?
Hello my name is Michelle and I am 39. Mommy of 4 littles. A few weeks after I had my baby last year, one night I started feeling weird. This developed into 6 months straight of dizziness, headaches, ringing in my ears, and a feeling as if I were drunk on a boat. All the doctors I saw told me my labs were fine and I was just sleep exhausted from having an newborn. Fast forward to November this year (one year postpartum) and my legs and arms started feeling weak. They functioned the same but felt shaky but were not physically shaky. Almost like I needed to eat or something. A week later I woke up with sore leg muscles. Mostly in the back of my legs. Felt like stiff muscles with Charlie horse like feelings. Very sore but I could still walk and had no strength issues. I could still function the same. After a few days it moved into my arms. I immediately thought I had ALS and it has made me really worried. Over the past few weeks the feelings have lessened and now I have muscle twitches all over randomly. Mostly when I sit down or am still. My doc ordered 4 MRIs (all sections of my spine and my brain). I just got the brain results last night. I don’t know what this means and my anxiety is really high and I’m just trying to get through Christmas for my family and I doubt my doc will be able to meet with me beforehand. Does this look familiar to anyone as an MS diag?
“T2 hyperintensity in the supratentorial subcortical white matter predominantly involving the frontal lobes and parietal lobes which is nonspecific.”
“ IMPRESSION:
Nonspecific T2 hyperintensity in the supratentorial subcortical white matter which may be due to chronic small vessel ischemic disease, chronic migraines, demyelination, vasculitis among other inflammatory etiologies.”
I also have results from my cervical spine MRI which showed:
“ Mild disc osteophyte complex at C5-6 and C6-7.”
I’m just so concerned about these muscle issues as now it is starting to impact my back. Tight muscles with no reason is weird. Like I’ve been working out but I haven’t.
I still have 2 more MRI’s this week for the rest of my spine.
Thank you in advance for your time and response.
Hi
. I am sure this is all very frightening and overwhelming for you, especially with four young children. We are not medical experts, so we can't interpret the MRIs, but I can assure you that lots and lots of things could be causing your symptoms and that many of them are very manageable. I can also tell you that osteophytes are bone spurs, which are fairly common. When they are on the spine, they can cause numbness and weakness in the arms and legs. It is best not to try to interpret the MRIs of your brain. We are all aging from the day we are born and the brain changes as we age. Results that sound very scientific and concerning can often still be within the range of normal or expected. Please know we are here for you though as you wait for more answers and deal with any results, regardless of whether you get an MS diagnosis. The best thing you can do right now is to keep yourself super busy and occupied. That will help the days move faster. Keep us posted if you feel comfortable doing so. Thinking of you! - Lori (Team Member)
