Waiting for my Appointment
Hello, I am new to this forum. Not sure I should be here yet because I am waiting to see my Neurologist, which isn't until May.
If I started at the beginning you'd probably get bored. So basically, I am a 58 year old male, relatively heathly until I got Covid in November of 2020. 3 months after I had a spell where I feel into my closet one morning getting up to go to the bathroom. The room wasn't spinning, I just couldn't get my baring's. Went to the Dr., he claimed it was a side effect of my having Covid but did an MRI on my brain because of my past Acoustic Neuroma surgeries. The best I can remember and tell from my Dr. report of the visit, normal aging but nothing to be concerned about.
About two months ago I had severe pain in my hands. Dr. did an xray and determined that I had some degeneration in my joints. His deduction was Ostio-Arthritis. But he couldn't explain the other pain I was feeling in the rest of my joints. My Dr. put me on 60mg of Cymbalta, which has taken most of the pain away.
Now I have serveral other ongoing issues that he can't explain, so that's why I'm going to the Neruo.
Here are some of the symptoms....
1. My teeth chatter when I close my teeth together, really noticible to me when I lay down at night, very subtle, but it's alway there 24/7
2. Scalp and facial numbness that comes and goes.
3. A funny feeling in the outside corner of my eyelids, like I have hayfever or an allergic reaction to cats.
4. Fatigue - Sleep for 6-7 hrs. get up and fix breakfast, eat, go back to sleep for a couple of hrs.
5. Sharp pains in different parts of my body the come, sometimes stabbing and then go away.
6. Seem to have bouts of emotions that put me in bad moods a few times
7. Playing the piano at church and find myself getting lost on the page.
I realize that these could be anything or nothing...maybe it's all in my head. I've other issues over the years that run along these lines as well.....this new stuff just makes me nervous because my Dr. couldn't put a name on what was going on with me.
Thanks for any input you can give me.
Hi @AllenD and welcome to the community! It's awful to have a variety of symptoms while not having a diagnosis. Then having to wait for an appointment adds to the difficulty. There are oodles of credible info /articles about MS, symptoms, and the diagnosing process on this site but it can be overwhelming. It's good that you have an appointment set up with a neurologist; if you are highly suspect that MS is a strong possibility for you, an MS specialist neurologist is the best doctor to see. We often recommend that you begin keeping a journal of your symptoms with a timeline; this is useful for both your records and the doctor visit. Many neurological and other chronic illnesses can mimic each other, and it unfortunately can be a long process to get to the bottom of things. In addition, being 58 years of age also adds to the mix of confusion with symptoms. Being a 60-something senior myself, I often question whether a symptom is age or MS related. However, there are many tests and tools available nowadays to figure it all out. Here is an article that gives an overview of what’s involved in diagnosing MS https://multiplesclerosis.net/diagnosis and another from one of our patient advocates https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/is-it-multiple-sclerosis Our community is here for your feelings and questions as you go forward, so please feel free to reach out! Warmly, Debbie (Team Member) Definitely get testing. MRIs can show lesions on the brain. Lumbar puncture with MRI confirmation can assist with a diagnosis of MS.
You're absolutely right—testing is crucial for an accurate diagnosis. MRIs are one of the most effective tools for identifying lesions on the brain and spinal cord, which are often indicative of MS. Early diagnosis and intervention can make a big difference! -Latoya (Team Member)
