Hi,
I did ask for advice here a few months ago but was told that I am probably worrying for no reason if my GP told me that I am unlikely to have MS. My appointment with the neurologist has been cancelled because of Covid. I will try and explain everything that I have felt since last April.
One day during April I had this severe lower back pain which has lasted 10 months now coming and going. I have gone to the doctors and they said it seems to be a pulled muscle or something. Back in September it spread to my leg which I worried about but was told it was Sciatica because of the back. I believed this but a few days after this happened my arm also played up. It is not exactly weak but it feels tired sometimes and occasionally aches (although this is rare maybe happened once only). The bone connecting the wrist keeps clicking when moving my wrist. This never used to happen. I also had a tickling feeling in my feet that has stopped now and also on my arms (not hands). When I looked at where I felt this on my arms I saw a single arm hair standing up and that is what caused the tickle. I guess I put this to anxiety since it has never happened again.
Apart from those symptoms, I have also had lightheadedness which is better these days but I hope it does not return. Finally, there is this weird thing where the hairs on my left arm sometimes stand on their own and won’t go down. It doesn’t feel like goosebumps and I have to look at them to notice. By the way, it is not the whole arm it is on one fixed area. It is also not the achy arm. I just wanted to know if these symptoms scream MS? 2 doctors and my whole family have told me it is unlikely to be this. One of them said I had folate and vitamin d deficiency but the folate was only slightly below and I think my whole family have vitamin d deficiency since we are Africans in the UK where there is no sun. I am a 20 year old African male by the way.
I am really worried about these symptoms and just want a full-body MRI and then I can know. I don’t know if some of the symptoms were anxiety or maybe all since they have gotten much better for months now apart from the hair standing up sometimes. I am mostly convinced about the leg since the way it hurts/feels weird depends on if I have it raised on a table or down on the floor. Plus it seems to feel weak/weird when I am lying down. Maybe this puts pressure on the Sciatic nerve.
I think I have mentioned everything. Oh the doctor also found my blood pressure somewhat high. I want to work on lowering this but from what I have heard this doesn’t really cause symptoms. Or does it? I am just really worried and want answers.
Thanks for reading,
Nathaniel
Hi Nathaniel
It doesn’t sound like MS to me so calm down and try not to overthink it all.
Stress makes everything worse and can cause anxiety,
Vitamin D3 tablets are relatively cheap to buy, have a look on amazon. - 12 months supply costs £11.97.
It won’t hurt to work on lowering your blood pressure so good luck with that.
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regular exercise/walking
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reduce sodium intake (salt)
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drink less alcohol
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eat more potassium rich food (bananas, oranges, melons, spinach, apricots, prunes, dates, cooked broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes. peas, cucumbers)
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cut down on caffeine
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lose weight if required
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learn to manage stress (for example Mindfulness Meditation)
Next step - make an appointment to see your GP again to review your progress.
Good luck
Carole x
Hi Carole,
Thanks for replying. I guess I am worrying a bit too much but maybe that’s because the symptoms were so sudden. Also, even though they are getting better they technically are still there. Back pain and leg aside, the arm is getting better but still feels different to the left and the arm hairs still stand up sometimes. Even now as I type this they are up. Like I said it is on one area of the left arm (near the elbow) and I don’t think heat is the cause since I exercied a lot yesterday and overheated but nothing happened. I will try and get back to my vitamin D tablets and work on lowering my bp.
Thanks again,
Natheniel
Hi Nathaniel
perhaps you should grab some tweezers and pluck that pesky hair!
you sound in a bit of a better place.
Keep it up.
Carole x
Hi nathaniel, I echo what Carole has said, my symptoms are nothing like yours. Although I have had bouts of sciatica, but anyone can suffer with that.
What I will say is before I had MS I had a problem with a really uncomfortable aches arm. I was referred to physiotherapist and they discovered a bulging disc at the top of my spine, which probably occurred when exercising on a rowing machine! They corrected it by giving me traction and a special exercise plan. The relief on my first appointment was instant. This was nothing to do with my MS.
I would stop worrying and maybe try some yoga or Pilates. You are still young so I hope you manage to find out what’s causing your symptoms, so you can enjoy life.
best wishes Kim x
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your message, it really calmed me down. I have been holding onto the fact that if the arm pain really was to do with the clicking bone then it can’t be MS since it affects nerves not bones. However, th mind wonders as you probably know. The Sciatica might well be from the back pain which is why I am not that bothered by it. I will try and have a full body MRI which will hopefully show me what is wrong in the back or anywhere else.
Thanks,
Nathaniel
Good morning i hope you can help me iv been experiencing symptoms of ms since last year it started with my left foot and half way up leg tingly and numb then my arm and hand followed by my lips face forehead sensations in my back to the extreme i had to take my clothes off and couldnt shower because of the feelings my vision sometimes goes blurry and 1 day after sitting up in bed had the feeling of a shock all down my spine when these feelings come on i literally cant evan drag myself out of bed and all i do is wee iv had a mri on my brain and nw iv had 1 on my spine and on monday iv got to have a nerve test iv had other symptoms of dizzy spells goin wobbly like im drunk nw my legs have started kicking in bed i feel like im at my wits end can someone please tell me im not going mad i look in the mirror and think where have i gone i dont feel like im myself anymore .
You’re not going mad.
I truly believed I was.
Now after 13 years of MS I am officially bonkers!
Bless ya i just hope they can sort me soon