Playing detective...need help!!
 

Hi there, I'm a 45 yr old female. I was rear ended in Feb. of this year & almost a month to the day, developed Trigeminal Neuralgia. Then in early Sept. started having shooting burning pains in my arms, hands, legs & feet. These pains have gotten progressively worse since then, mostly my arms & hands. My B12 levels have checked out fine.

The pains get much worse at night & I'm having great difficulty sleeping. The pain specialist wants me to start Baclofen, along with the Gabapentin that I'm taking. He's got me taking 100mg, 4 times a day, of Gabapentin. I have a hard time taking it & going to work, so I don't know how I'm gonna handle the Baclofen.

I'm waiting to have an MRI & the pain specialist said he wouldn't rule out MS just yet.

Does anyone else have pains that get much worse when lying down to sleep? I feel like the pain is constant, burning & achy. I don't seem to have any vision problems, is this not a major sign of MS??
I guess I'm just looking for other MS stories & experiences, as I realize it affects everyone differently.

I was DXed in 2002. I have never had any vision problems. My EPs, LP, History, MRI are all Classic MS. When I lay down get burning flashes down arm, pokey like with an ice pick joint pain in elbow, Shoulder joint gets pains and if I roll it, makes pop/crack sound. Neuro has prescribed Gabapentin(generic Neurotin(600 mg I cut in half tabs) or Hydroco/Acetam 5/500(generic Vicotin. I take @hour before bedtimes. Gaba. leaves me feeling drug hungover next morning. Vicotin doesn't.

I got my first MS symptoms after a car accident. scary! :o

I feel worse with pain when laying down. I am not sure if its that my mind isnt distracted by the buzzing house, or that I have time to think and concentrate on my body, or that my actual body doesnt like the lay down position.

Have you tried mental relaxation? ajusting pillows under and around you to comfort you? distraction? or just getting up for a bit?

i hope you feel better. :hug:

Welcome, Jiggered :), great to have you here. I'm one who doesn't like meds that make me wobbly and out of it. I don't have pain that I can't handle, though, unlike some others here.

Come in and join us and we will try to get you through the Diagnosis process..:hug:

Do you think that trauma, like a car accident, exacerbates the MS symptoms? I didn't have any symptoms until then!!

I've read that for some reason laying down does make the pains worse. Bummer :(

I'm starting my Baclofen today. I'm gonna take half a tab, just to see how it goes. I have to work tonight ( 11 - 7 am), so I'm gonna lay down around 2ish. I hope I get a good nap with the Baclofen.

Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it.

Hope u have a great day.

Leslie

Upon reflection I did have some minor sx before the accident, but it wasnt on my radar screen long enough, or severe enough to warrent panic. I had periods of exhaustion, I had periods of screwy vision, I had periods of drop foot for a day or two. Then came the car accident, and it was like it just threw me for a loop. I got Optic Neuritis, and was off balance, and exhaustion doesnt even cover it. I was drop dead tired. couldnt walk to the mail box and back. Drop foot stayed for a month or longer, and the local MD was quick to tell me that I was making a big deal out of tiny sx. I was given dx of migraine syndrome and anxiety. 5 years later a new MD was shocked to see my old MRI and was confused as to why it wasnt caught then.

Would I have gotten worse without the car accident? probably. would it have taken much longer? probably. I think the accident pushed me over the edge by forcing my body to react to broken bones. once your immune system ramps up it can really flare MS.

I hope you feel better quick. :hug:

I too know of a man who was diagnosed with MS after a car accident. Just by chance. They ran an MRI to check for damage from the accident itself, and lo and behold, MS type lesions. It explained a lot of mild neurological symptoms he'd previously passed off (he's since developed more, unfortunately).

With that said, an accident or a very stressful period can be the catalyst for MS to come to the fore-front for sure, or to result in an inflammatory period during which symptoms are more pronounced, or show up new.

I wish you luck in your search for answers. It may or may not be MS when all's said and done, but regardless of what they find, I do hope you receive some relief from your symptoms (as a fellow Trigeminal Neuralgia sufferer, I feel your pain, literally :( ) in the near future. Stay in touch with updates and come here if you need help getting through the limbo period. :hug:

Edit: I notice you're in Edmonton, AB. I tried taking Gabapentin for my T.Neuralgia, found it did nothing. If you'd like to send me a private message, I'll tell you all the fun stuff I've tried, and what's worked/what are my known triggers. You may want to check out the Trigeminal Neuralgia forum apart from the MS forum on NeuroTalk as well, if you didn't find it already! :)

Stress is definately a big MS Trigger....either mental or physical stress.:eek:

As far as symptoms go, I've noticed that I'm also experiencing sudden moments of diarrhea & dizzy/shakiness. Have u ever experienced/heard of this??