Jesse, can you give more information on the blood test you had? I have MS and haven't heard of one specific test that can rule out MS. Not saying there isn't one but I'd love to know more about whatever test you had.

they didnt give me a heavy metals test. i dont know why. i have paresthesias all over the body and i dont think thats a small fiber neuropathy symptom. i've never heard of SFN being everywhere. its usually in certain locations. thats why im starting to think that all these symptoms are coming from the central nervous system. another reason why i think it could be MS is because i was suffering from muscle stiffness and muscle weakness also. i hope i find out what this is soon though.

Are you sure it wasnt a blood test for Devic's disease? I think there's an IgG test for Devic's (also known as neuromyelitis optica) but I'm pretty sure they havent developed one for multiple sclerosis yet.

Yes--
 

--to my knowledge, serological testing for MS is still very much in the experimental/speculative stage; the current gold standard is MRI showing brain and/or spine lesions consistent with plaquing. When these are equivocal lumbar puncture and evoked potential testing might be used to provide further clues.

And, small-fiber neuropathy CAN be body-wide. Depends on cause and progression. Syndromes that come on acutely, or that are toxic/autoimmune, or that involve the dorsal root ganglia, are more likely to have a wider distribution.

@ Mustang, All over body symptoms, suggest a toxic or autoimmune issue.

Did you get a vaccine before this started? Were you ill with a virus? Did you come into contact with a chemical at work or with a hobby? Solvents, pesticides?

Did you ever get a Vit D test? What are the results?
Low Vit D leads to paresthesias like you describe. This is due to
low calcium absorption.

You have told us very little about yourself so far.
And you are using alot of that nerve support formula, and since that is all you share here with us, I can only suggest you
STOP taking it. Who knows if it has some contaminant in it, or even has what it claims it has. So STOP taking it and see if you improve. You could be reacting to that!

I recall a while back a brand name Glucosamine Chondritin product, well known, was contaminated with manganese.

@ Jesse M, And as far as a simple blood test for MS? I'd like to hear more about that.

Well, MS was one of the very first things my neurologist tested me for. I went under several blood tests and I took and extensive MRI scan, which included "with AND without contrast" with gadolinium.

It's my understanding that one of the blood tests was indeed a test for MS.
Here (below) are the blood test results I took that day. If that doesn't describe it (I can't actually read these tests -I'm not a doctor.) Then I assume that the MS screening was done under MRI exam.

However, there is no doubt that MS was determined Non-existent by my neurologist.

Blood tests ( I did my best to make this short and clear) I don't know how to post a scanned photo here.

MRI Test results: (I don't know what foci are but I didn't have a headache when I took this exam.)

"Clinical Indication: Headache & multiple hypoesthesias

Findings: MRI of the brain is obtained without and with contrast infusion using routine protocol. There are no relevant prior studies for comparison.

There are a few scattered foci of increased T2 signal intensity in the subcrotical white matter bilaterally. This is a non-specific finding and while it can be seen with demyelinating disorders, is also seen with migraine headache. There are no white matter abnormalities in and around the corpus callisum to be particularly suggestive of demyelinating disorder.

No abnormal enhancement is seen. The CSF spaces are unremarkable.

The paranasal sinuses, orbital, middle and inner ear structures are unremarkable as far as demonstrated in this examination of the brain.

Impression:
A few small scattered foci of nonspecific white matter change. The examination is otherwise unremarkable.

Blood test: (Once again - I don't pretend to know what these readings mean -only that they have been determined as safe ones.)

Antinuclear - Negative

Glucose Serum
GFR estimate, calculated (mL/min/1.73sq m)

Normal >59
Chronic Kidney Disease <60
Kidney Failure <15
Calcium 9.9 mg.dL 8.6-10.5
sodium 141 mmo 136-145
Potassium 3.8 mmo 3.5-5.1
Chloride 107 mmo 98-115
Co2 24 mmo 20-29

HIV Screen
Discern Result Interpretation
Reference range: Non reactive

Rhematoid Factor <15.00 IU/mL 0.00-20.00

RPR test Non-REAC

Thyroxine Free 1.09 ng/dL 0.71-1.85

TSH 2.55 mcu/m 0.34-5.60

Vitamin B12 926.00 h pg/mL 180.00-914.00

There is it - somehow, someway MS was indeed ruled-out for me by not 1 but 2 Neurologists - via these tests,or maybe the combination of them. I hope this helps some. :cool:

Looks to me like the MRI is your diagnostic tool.

None of those blood tests would indicate or rule out MS.

Some people with provisional MS diagnosis get a spinal tap as well as the MRI.

your potassium is on the low side of normal. So you might want to have V8 now and then and/or increase other foods high in potassium.

Yeah -I'm thinking the MRI was the verdict on that. I had 2 of them at 2 different hospitals from 2 different doctors, so I guess that made it more concrete.

As for the Potassium - I was starting to eat a lot of bananas and other fruit, but when I found out they contain huge doses of B6, too - I stopped. I try hard not to consume anything with B6 though this is quite impossible.

I figure I get enough B6 as it is eating regular foods and meats, but try vigilantly to avoid any products with "added" B6, since B6 (even in B-Vitamins) can cause or worsen symptoms of PN.

I started drinking SILK soy milk -the vanilla or almond flavored ones. It has lots of potassium and other vitamins, but no B6 (which is odd since the Fit & Trim one DOES have B6).

Okay, I want to post a link to a renowned site for a neurological department that has helped me. I talked to their med-secretary there and submitted a patient referral and basic application. These places are specialists in PN and they take Medicaid/Medicare, too. I mentioned it once, but it got censored here because of copyrights here so I can't actually mention the name.

I'm going to post the link below. I hope it doesn't get removed because it's a great help to people looking for answers for PN, even if you just browse through their website. If I violated the rules here, please excuse my ignorance- I'm just trying to share places that I know of that actually helped people.:D

http://peripheralneuropathycenter.uc...ic/drugs.shtml

Thanks, mrsD, for the info. I, too, had alot of blood tests during the diagnostic process of MS. I think they try and get an overall feel for your entire health so as to eliminate any underlying problems that might present as symptoms of MS.

MS is difficult to diagnose much of the time and is often the result of a process of elimination.

Jesse, you are confused about what you can put up here according to our guidelines.

You can link after you pass probation when very new --which you have done. It is the copying of copyrighted material here at length that we discourage. What you did before if I recall correctly was copy/paste an entire page from that location, which is in violation of THEIR copyright.

You can post a sentence or two from most sites, then put the link. You can mention a location or hospital name for treatment, but you cannot "spam" commercial places for personal benefit.

I tend to not even give the minimum quote from WebMD and Medscape...they have very strict copyrights. You can view copyrights at the bottom of the site you are reading, to clarify their position.
Always give a link. The only exception to a link is from PubMed, where everything there is free domain because it is a government site.

To get PN from B6 you have to consume at LEAST 100mg a day and perhaps more than that according to some doctors. (I've seen 200mg a day quoted), and this for a LONG LONG TIME. The actual number of papers on B6 toxicity occurred when 500mg a day or more was commonly given to women for PMS symptoms. There were special products made for this, in fact, before some started getting toxicity.
The actual numbers today are very very small. So don't worry about your food, please.
I think you are wasting time and bypassing nutritious choices because of the B6 phobia of yours. The B6 is not even active you know...it has to be activated to P5P in your liver before being used by tissues.