I am new here and have read many of your posts. I am hoping someone can offer their advice about my situation. I started out having a sore spot in the middle of my spine two weeks ago. It only hurt when i pushed on the spot. A week later I noticed numbness in my pinky and ring fingers in my left hand. A few days later the same fingers had a numb feeling on my right hand. The next day, I woke up with numbness in my fourth and fifth toes on both feet. I have no tingling or pain with the numbness. I saw a back specialist and was told I have a degenerative disc but he didn't think that was causing my numbness. My back now hurts worse and small movements feel as if a muscle is pulling and causes me quite a bit of pain. My GP had no idea what is causing my symmetrical numbness so now I am off to get an MRI later this week. I have googled and googled and keep coming back to MS. I have no other symptoms than the ones mentioned. Can anyone tell me what they think based in my symptoms? I would greatly appreciate it!!

Degenerative disc disease can cause numbness. And, since you have a tender spot on your back, I would guess you have some inflammation as well which can effect the nerves. I think an MRI is a good thing. Are they doing the whole spine, cervical, thoracic, or lumbar or even a combination of any of these? Are they doing it with and without contrast?

Check out this link and see if any of the symptoms and descriptions fit your situation.

http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/tc/de...verview?page=2

I hope you start feeling better soon and find some answers as to what is causing your symptoms. Let us know what happens and if we can answer any questions.

Thank you tkirk!
I am getting a brain MRI only because two doctors have told me that my back issues are not causing my numbness. The back specialist while it could be causing my toe numbness (even though it doesn't believe that) it could not be causing my finger numbness because of the location of my problem disc. He said I would need to have issues in my neck in order for there to be finger numbness. However, no x-rays were taken of my neck..though I feel no pain in that area. I also forgot to mention my finger numbness is usually much worse in the mornings and will get better as the day goes on. Today, my overall numbness isn't so bad but yesterday, it was incredibly bad in the morning. I just never know.
Does anyone think these sound like MS symptoms? I am so worried I have had panic attacks over my symptoms. I would appreciate your thoughts!

For problems other than numbness, I see a chiropractor. For a few days after being manipulated I can walk much more normal. I do also have occasional finger numbness, mostly at night, and learned from my chiro how to position my head to alleviate it.

Depending on your insurance, it can be expensive (but not always!) to start up chiropractic care. The initial xrays and exams are required by good chiros.

Hope you get some relief soon! And answers that do not include the letters MS.

Thank you! Did anyone else have my or similar symptoms before being diagnosed?

Welcome to NeuroTalk, SallyD, you from SallyC.

Sure, your symptoms could relate to MS, but to a few other diseases
as well. Sometimes you have to go thru many tests, before a DX
can be made.

So, take a breath, relax and hang with us, while you go thru the
process.

The sudden onset of pain in one spot on your back, and the progression of symptoms . . . ask your neuro about transverse myelitis. I have no lesions so far on two sets of MRI's three years apart . . . but I do have progressive symptoms like numbness, spasticity, pain that my neuro attributes to TM.

Transverse myelitis

Your hand symptoms could be early carpal tunnel syndrome, unrelated to MS or TM, but every bit as "fun." I have that too. Oh, and Crohn's too . . . my body just loves inflammation!

welcome to NT sally,

i don't know why your dr doesn't want an mri of the area of your back that's hurting. just imho. maybe it doesn't relate to numb areas but it might be something else. as long as you're in the machine. i don't know about cost.

IF they're looking to rule out MS having with and without contrast might be better. IF you have any active lesions they're more visible with contrast. it's worth asking about.

while you're there ask for a copy of the cd and get a copy of the report. you might have to go back to get it. start a medical file on yourself in case you see any other drs.

please let us know how you are.

Thanks everyone! Dr called me yesterday saying I have a vitamin d deficiency and put me on 50k mg a week for 8 weeks. I felt great yesterday and took the pill last night. I started feeling terrible once I went to bed..numbness all up and down my left side..itching..pins and needles. I had terrible insomnia. I don't understand. I am so much worse now than I was before. Can anyone make sense of this?

I have degenerative disc disease in the cervical and lumbar areas...it can cause the symptoms you describe. You can have it in the neck area and have no inflammation or discomfort in the neck and still have symptoms in the hands/arms.
I would ask to have an MRI of the spine as well...in the mean time, try your best to keep the inflammation down. there are prescription strength NSAIDS that work wonders, as well as oral prednisone. That helped me greatly when I had a major episode with my lumbar spine.
But my MS sxs were different, but it took a few years to get a diagnosis...