New to the struggle of being in limbo
 

I am officially new here, but I have been lurking around since last year.

Here is a history of my medical problem: Last year I woke up with a sore neck that progressed to unbearable neck and shoulder muscle pain in about a month. I finally went to the doctor and chiropractor. The pain eventually traveled down my right arm and made my ring finger and little finger tingle. I was taking pain medication, muscle relaxers and physical therapy and it seemed to be working. Then, suddenly and without warning, in a public place, lost control of my bladder. My chiro immediately thought it might be MS symptoms and sent me to a neurologist. ALL of my tests have come back normal, except that I did have a bulging disk in my neck of which physical therapy seemed to take care of last year. MRIs of brain, cervical, and thorasic - normal. Blood tests - normal. EMG - normal. After all those tests, time off work, and money, I found that I was the healthiest person alive whose fingers tingle and has a burning pain in their arm off and on for no reason! I finally gave up and did not go to my last follow up appointment with the neurologist. However, I had to return to my neurologist this year for a refill on my migraine medication. My migraines are hormone related and occur once a month (I'm 42 years old). Of all things, the week before my doctors appointment my back and shoulder muscles started to spasm again, my wrist was killing me and now he wants to repeat the brain, cervical and thorasic MRIs and the EMG.

I know many of you have spent years in limbo and understand my frustration. I'm just not sure that anything new will appear on the MRI or EMG since last summer. Am I wrong? Has anyone else given up on having all of these tests done?:confused:

That sounds like a lot of tests. I have had only two MRIs in my life. What's he looking for. It sounds like he is doing what most doctors these days have to do, make sure they are covered in case of a liability suit.

Wet your pants. Every woman with MS is always wetting their pants...at least the few I knew. They knew where every bathroom was in every store in a fifty mile radius (it was a small town).
If there is one indicator of MS, it is bladder control in women. Besides you have tingling and burning pain..that's enough for me. You have classic MS symptoms. Now all you have to do is wait for an MRI to show damages and that might take a while. Then, when they do show damage, a spinal tap.
It seems that your neurologist is aggressive and that's good. Don't get rid of him. And keep smiling, these are your good days, enjoy them.

Thank you all. I had my MRIs (2 full hours of them - brain, cervical, and thoracic, with and without contrast) and ever since then I have been in pain. I'm not saying their related, but just a coincidence. Anyway, I have had horrible upper back spasms, painful burning shoulder, upper arm and forearm, and tingling in my fingers. I also have had tingling patches of skin all over - the side of my leg, the arch of my foot, the side of my head. I have my EMG tomorrow so hopefully I will get my MRI results and blood test results tomorrow as well.

I have a question though - did you start medication before your official diagnosis? I'm just going to insist that I get something to treat my symptoms tomorrow at my appointment.

Multiple diagx
 

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...light=symptoms

Louise, this diagx I am posting mimics various symptoms and problems, it is generally made when other things are ruled out.
But, you could have two diagx too...
Read some of this and the forum to see if it fits your situation.

I am posting as you mention the ring and pinkie finger and that is classic to thoracic outlet syndrome ie) brachial plexapathy. The spasms, sore shoulder, traveling to the ring and pinkie are some of the symptoms. The nerve compression is in the area behind the collar bone and in front of the first rib. The symptoms can be anywhere there is a hinges, as the elbow, shoulder, wrist or CT.

This is not diagx with an MRi typically unless a pro doc does a brachial plexus 3-D MRI, maybe it could show, or in the later stages it can affect the nerves that are tested by EMG. TYpically the smaller nerves are the first affected and unable to test by EMG.
I some people they ahve extra cervical ribs or misshaped ribs, even larger collar bone that compresses the nerves as they pass from the certvical spine across the trapoizus into the arm and hands.

I hope you can find relief. I found valium for the muscle spasms helps.
Dianne

Thanks Dianne. I'm definitely going to do some reading up on the info you gave me. My EMG last year (with the same symptoms) was normal and showed no carpal tunnel, etc. It will be interesting to see if there have been any changes in my bloodwork, MRIs or EMG today. If there are no changes and everything is still normal, then I will ask for something to treat the symptoms. I guess that's all I can do for now.