Tell us about your symptoms and treatment experience. Take our survey here.

caret icon Back to all discussions

New here and waiting on Diagnosis

I recently was covered in itchy skin, unbearable itch that has not stopped for 2 weeks followed by numbness and tingling in various parts of my body, spinal pain so severe, pressure in my ears and tingling on my brain and face, numbness in my fingers. Have been in and out of ER 3 times, they gave me prednisone 50mg per day and muscle relaxer and i'm living on a ton of benadryl. I am miserable and waiting on my neurology appt. The ER doctor said to rule out MS. Is there anything more I can do to be comfortable? I can not work as the medications make me sleep all day, I feel faint, and my head does not feel right. LIving in misery at moment. Any advice? I'm in Phoenix, and waiting on a visit to Mayo Clinic.

  1. I forgot to mention the burning skin, and my vision is very blurry and my bladder is out of control for the last 2 years.

    1. , first off, my heart goes out to you. I know being in pain and waiting for answers can feel pretty excruciating. Do you have a regular physician you see? I was just curious. A doctor familiar with your medical history will be better positioned to give you good advice. And your regular doctor, if you have one, may be able to suggest some treatment options to try while you are waiting for your neurology appointment.


      That said, there is definitely something going on within your body that needs to be addressed and I am glad you are being proactive about getting answers. Do you have any idea when you will be seeing a neurologist?


      So, when you do go for that initial appointment with the neuro, he/she will want to rule out a number of conditions that share symptoms with MS. Here is some information on those conditions -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/diagnosis/ruling-out-other-health-conditions. You may want to talk with the neurologist to see if any of these conditions may be what you're dealing with.


      Also, if your appointment it scheduled quite far out (which is not unusual), you can call the clinic and be asked to be put on the cancellation list, which means if there is a cancellation, you can be called to see if you can take that earlier appointment time. But, I know since you're in Phoenix, that may not be an option for you. r


      Please know you are not alone in this! And if you have the option to see other specialists (like a urologist), consider asking for a referral! A urologist may be able to help with the bladder issues. Apologies if you have already tried specialists and it hasn't helped.


      Hang in there and please keep us posted on how you are doing, if you feel comfortable doing so.


      Best, Erin, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member.

Please read our rules before posting.