New here - MS Symptoms

[babylamb]

Hello, everyone. I am a 21 year old female who is Caucasian.
I've been experiencing some seriously strange symptoms, the latest being visual.

• Nov 2012: Strange tingling in my feet, particularly around the balls of the feet/underside of the foot. The tingling was MUCH worse in my right foot.
• The tingling continued for months, about 5-6. It is still present, but much less so now that I do not fixate on it so much.
• May 2013: I've been noticing I've been walking into things. A lot. Not subtly or gently; I took out a huge chunk of skin when I walked into something in my apartment. I walk into doors, etc. Pretty often to the point of bruising.
• May 2013: I now have a visual issue. I suspect it's Optic Neuritis. I went to the ER last night. My vision is foggy, blurry, and it seems like black things are gray. Red things look desaturated. My partner's face, when I look at it, loses some of its color. My left eye is affected. Things look wrong out of my left eye. There is also pain/pressure behind the eyeball and around the socket. Pain started April 25th or so, of this year. It is now May 20th and the pain is still here, and now I can't see as well.

I went to the ER, like I said, and got an ophthalmologist appointment for tomorrow morning. Thank GOD. Does this sound like Optic Neuritis?
I forgot to add: The visual fogginess gets SO MUCH WORSE after heat exposure. I was on vacation with my partner 2 weeks ago and we were in a hot tub. 3 minutes later, I said "I can't see so well out of my eye that hurts." I notice when I shower, the visual fogginess is incredibly worse.

I am not convinced I have MS, but I am not convinced I don't!
I have never had an MRI or a CT scan on my brain or head. I wish I could have one.

What are my next steps after the appointment tomorrow? I hope my specialist has some answers.

[agate]

WELCOME, babylamb--

If you have MS, the diagnosis can take a long time. For some people it takes years. Apparently doctors want to wait and see how your symptoms behave over time, and they're reluctant to make an MS diagnosis because it's a tough call.

An MRI is usually ordered if MS is suspected. A CT scan probably wouldn't be ordered.

Might you be bumping into things because your vision is blurry? The ophthalmologist should be able to tell you whether you have optic neuritis. It's a matter of looking at the optic nerve to see if it's pale or swollen, and probably giving you a visual fields test, which isn't hard or painful. You just sit there and report whether you see a little light that keeps moving around on a screen.

We aren't medical doctors here. Your symptoms could point to MS but they could also point to a lot of other problems. Or they could just disappear and you'll never have them again.

You might have to wait a long time before an answer is found. In the meantime, try not to worry.

[Gary]

Hi

I wanted to repeat what Agate has posted. It can take time to get a Dx. And it will seem like for ever. A MRI is your best bet it is almost conclusive. There are other tests but they are mostly used to confirm a Dx.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

[SalpalSally]

Welcome to Braintalk, Babylamb. Glad you found us.

[stillstANNding]

Welcome to Braintalk.

See you around the forum.
ANN

[Abby2006]

Welcome to the forum

Abby