Hello all, I have read so many of these pages and the info has been great. I have not been DX with MS but there is suspicion for it because of intermittent paresthesia. Below is my history.

I am 34 female otherwise healthy Mom and wife.
I got Strep with a fever that I could not bring down and ended up in the ER in May 08. Two weeks later my neuro symptoms started. I felt very weak and legs were sore like I had the flu, went to Dr and blood work showed viral infection. Dr said remaining virus I will get over it. My knee (skin only) had a mild burning sensation without any reason which would last 10 - 15 secs on and off throughout the day. I got very dizzy and lightheaded for a few days and went back to Dr. He did blood work and said everything was back to normal, still must be effects of virus. I felt horrible, NO energy, no appetite, lightheaded, and sick. This went on for several weeks and I couldn't perform my job. I was referred to neurologist and passed neuro exam, EMG, and MRI of brain cervical spine was normal (with and w/o contrast). Neurologist said I think it is a virus, give it time and it will go away. From May to July my neuro symptoms increased to my forearm feeling like there was a band slightly constricting it; my temple tingling; the feeling of "chills" with no visual skin changes, and isolated to a small area like the top of one thigh. My toe at the tip feels less sensitive, like a band-aid is covering it. All of these feelings would only last seconds to a few minutes at the most, but they would come and go throughout the day. Some days would be good and the very next day would be "sick" again. My family Dr and Neuro looked for MS b/c of paresthesia but Neuro said that my symptoms did not match MS that she had seen and all my tests were normal. I stopped Zantac and everything I was taking in fear b/c I didn't know what my problem was and I wanted to see if I could get better. I did, almost all symptoms went away by Aug and everyone thought they would never come back. I started the Zantac again (very bad ulcer and reflux) and got a flu shot in Oct. Two days later the "chills" feeling came back and over the next few weeks, so did the others. I was soo depressed and afraid, anxious ALL the time. Neuro does not know why they came back and has ordered another MRI and will refer me to another Neuro for a spinal tap if I want. I had my Dr. order B12 serum. It was 283 with a note from lab stating 10% of patients have neurological symptoms with level below 400. Neuro said can have problems with level below 500! I started the cyano b12 shots 1ml every day for 7 days, then 1 per week for 4 weeks, then 1 per month. My symptoms are better. I stopped Zantac after reading it can cause b12 deficiency.
I am afraid of MS and I am trying not to put all my eggs into B12 being the case but with the weird intermittent paresthesia I can’t figure out any other reason, and neither can my Drs. I don’t want the spinal tap until last resort. If my MRI comes back normal tomorrow what should I ask my Dr to do next? My neuro is very nice and wants to help but she said after seeing her since June,” in my heart of hearts I don’t believe that you have MS, I think it may be a virus and sometimes we can’t find a reason for everything.” .

Have any of you ever heard of a virus lasting this long and presenting neuro symptoms?

I don’t have any pain and I have not fallen or had any vision problems. Neuro said my symptoms are peripheral and have to do w/sensory. During all this, for about 5 days my knee (area about two inches on skin) felt like a cold breeze was blowing on it? When I have the numbness sensations I check to see if it is really numb and it is NOT. I feel everything just slightly less during the “spells.”

Dr said in MS symptoms have to last for 24hrs to be considered a flare up, do mine count b/c they only last a few seconds but are coming and going through the day. They also change from day to day; my finger can feel numb for a few days then feel normal a few days, then back to numbness again. (when I say numb it is not really completely numb, just less sensitive.) Is Dr right or are there people out there that have theses feelings only for a few secs like me?

I also went to ENT and had many tests done for vertigo, again everything normal. Dr said I could be hypoglycemic when I feel light-headed and eating does make me feel better, but not 100%.

Is it possible that all of my problems could be due to overuse of PPI and low Vit b12? I don’t eat meat that much and my diet is not very healthy, but that is changing! Does this sound like early MS that anyone else has experienced? I have had blood drawn for everything many times over 6 months, diabetes, lupus, RA, only things off are B12 and Vitamin D.

I was a normal person before all this, now I worry ALL the TIME! After reading so much on the internet I am scared that I will wake up one day w/o vision or feel paralyzed, or that the “symptoms” won’t go away. I know that some people get diagnosed with MS when they don’t really have it, so I am afraid to go to a new Dr and they just diagnose me b/c of my paresthesia and no lesion on MRI. My second MRI that is tomorrow will be 6 months from my last. If it is normal does that lessen my chances even more of not having MS?

I feel like there are so many variables and I don't know which way to go.

Sorry for such a long and convoluted post !Thanks for any help!