Multiple Sclerosis Forum - Ms Or Hypochondria??


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Lundblad1

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy

Joined: 27 Feb 2004
Posts: 1

Ms Or Hypochondria?? Posted: 02-27-04 13:21pm


I am new to the forum. I have recently been dx with trigeminal neuralgia, have also suffered from severe migraines over the past several months. Mostly, I have struggled with intermittent fatigue over the last several years. I am amazed at how everyone around me finds it so difficult to understand why I am fine one minute and incapacitated with pain the next. The episodes seem to be more and more frequent recently. As a type-a personality, it has had a dramatic effect on my daily activities, and I am finding it extremelly hard to adjust, which is probably why my family is so "weird" about my being sick. My biggest concern right now is that I was told by a doctor several years ago that he thought I have ms. At the time, I thought he had to be wrong. Afterall, I could walk and because of lack of knowledge, I thought people with ms were wheelchair bound. He sent me to a neuro, who also said "possible ms." I even argued with the Dr., so he showed me the letter from the neuro. I still didn't believe I could have ms. So, I stopped seeing him and over the last several years, I have struggled with the on again/off again extreme fatigue and intermittent episodes of strange neuro symptoms like facial burning-sensation and pain/cramps in hands and/or feet and legs. And, I have also learned a great deal recently about ms. I am now taking neurontin to help with current symptoms. Also, taking prozac to help control migraines, along with axert for rescue med. However, I have not discussed the past possible dx of ms with my current pcp. I have tried to talk to other doctors about my fatigue, etc, in the past, and they blew me off with comments like "you're just working too hard" or treated me like I was a hypochondriac without doing anything more than general bloodwork. I know this is long, but I am wondering how to approach my current pcp with this subject. I think he may suspect ms as well because he contacted a neuro while I was in his office last visit to ask if he should start me on steroids. I go back next week for f/u, and really think I should ask him if he would consider an mri and/or spinal tap. Knowing it often takes years to get a dx, has anyone had similar experience, and does anyone have any advice for how to approach?

san54

Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy

Joined: 28 Dec 2003
Posts: 227
Location: Virginia

Ms Or Hypochondria Posted: 02-27-04 19:42pm


It can take years to get dx if you go to a gp. Because our immune systems are out of whack, we look like we are faking an illness. It is because the symptoms come and go. There is a new blood test to dx ms, but I don't think too many doctors know about it. That is why we need to go to a neuro that specializes in autoimmune disorders. I hope you can get a second opinion. Tell your family and friends that they need to do some reading up. You are not playing sick and you are tired of people doubting you. Good luck and god bless.

kitten

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 7
Location: Canada

Ms Or Hypochondria Posted: 03-04-04 08:39am


Since november, i've been having these symptoms. Numbness in left side of tongue, cheek, back. My left arm hurts me, my left leg hurts me. I was getting memory loss, confusion, cloudiness in my head. My eyes starting hurting, double vision and blurry vision. Mood swings like you wouldn't believe. And terrible sharp pains in my head, not headaches or migraines, but head pains. My gp sent me to a neuro as he thought it was serious. My neuro examined me and said he couldn't find anything wrong with me and that these symptoms were just related to stress. I don't have any stress in my life right now~except this. Then, he thought I was having a migraine that lasted a couple months (i saw the neuro in jan/04) but without the actual migraine. That was another possibility of my symptoms. He dismissed me, but did schedule an mri. There's a 9 month wait for non-serious cases. I do understand how you feel as I feel like a hypochondriac. Especially since the symptoms stopped in jan, but have been creeping back again lately. I've been told over and over again by supportive people that you are the only one who knows your body. Anyone can drop me a line as there is no chat room for people who don't know what's wrong with them. Kittencm1 @yahoo.Ca

kitten

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 7
Location: Canada

Ms Or Hypochondria Posted: 03-04-04 08:40am


Since november, i've been having these symptoms. Numbness in left side of tongue, cheek, back. My left arm hurts me, my left leg hurts me. I was getting memory loss, confusion, cloudiness in my head. My eyes starting hurting, double vision and blurry vision. Mood swings like you wouldn't believe. And terrible sharp pains in my head, not headaches or migraines, but head pains. My gp sent me to a neuro as he thought it was serious. My neuro examined me and said he couldn't find anything wrong with me and that these symptoms were just related to stress. I don't have any stress in my life right now~except this. Then, he thought I was having a migraine that lasted a couple months (i saw the neuro in jan/04) but without the actual migraine. That was another possibility of my symptoms. He dismissed me, but did schedule an mri. There's a 9 month wait for non-serious cases. I do understand how you feel as I feel like a hypochondriac. Especially since the symptoms stopped in jan, but have been creeping back again lately. I've been told over and over again by supportive people that you are the only one who knows your body. Anyone can drop me a line as there is no chat room for people who don't know what's wrong with them. Kittencm1 @yahoo.Ca

chrysalis792004

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy

Joined: 18 Aug 2004
Posts: 5

Hi, I Have Had Simaler Stuff............. Posted: 07-12-05 01:22am


Hi, i have had simaler neuro things happen! It all started last fall when I was at a clinical and the right side of my face(trigimenal nerve) started to feel as though some one had slapped me, then went onto tingeling! I have also had odd things like tingeling ness in my left pinky which will go for about 5 minutes and then go away! I had went and did a mri with the dye/done on my brain and spinal cord.........They found nothing! Then they started to run blood tests, ana- to rule out lupus, mine came back 1:160 which was postive, so then they thought I had lupus! Well to meet a critera to have a positve diagonosis, you have to have 2 positve tests in 3 months. So I thought at last they had found what was worng with me, the 2nd test was done....Negative....Back to square 1! Since christmas, I have had weakness in my legs espically around the kneecaps, feeling of 'pressure' behind my knees. My left pinky toe and soemtimes others will start to tingel, espically if I have been sitting for a long time and then I go to get up and walk around or even if im just walking around! I had my optic nerves looked at and the optician said they were fine....20/20 vision.... Although I had someblurry long distance vision issues in the fall as well! I have been very deperessed by all this! It really is consumeing! The latest thing is my stomach, I have been back and forth to the er and now I am getting treated for h-pylori and a egd (camera down my stomach) next week, due to the doctors cant figure out what is going on with me! I am convinced that I havems, no one belives me! I have been to over 7 doctors, 1 neurologist and a eye doc! However, I feel something is very wrong! Yesterday morning (i work the night shift!) 1 hour before I got off of work, I started to feel like someone slapped me in the right side of my face again, although this time it was just a small area/right were the cheek bone runs.....Then in that area I began to devolpe a round red discolartion! Im just so fed up with all of this, I know exactly what you are going threw......By the way trigeminal neuralgia.....Is a non-specific diagnosis that docs use when they cant find another rule out for strange facial pain, some of the medical field (just like chronic fatigue!) dose not even reccgonize trigeminal neuralgia as a "true" condition! The nuerotin is a anti-seizure drug which you have to be very vigilant with! Take care