I have had facial numbness started on my left side in July 2022 now also affect my right side of face and lips and front of tongue. This is daily but off and on. I also have tingling in my hands and feet. Occasionally hand numbness mostly right hand. In August 2022 I had a brain mri at the hospital ER where I went for the facial numbness. Doc said the mri was normal. Since then I have bouts of thigh and calf cramps and now pain in both arms and bicep cramping daily. Especially the right bicep. My right hand and right food it is always cold to touch. My legs can feel heavy and like jello sometimes. My arms feel heavy. I do not have any muscle weakness. I am scheduled for another MRI in two weeks. I think I have ms and it may have been missed on my initial mri either due to it being too early to see or the doc just missed it.
The following symptoms have been bad since 03/02 and is still present now 03/18/23
Fatigue, numbness in face and mouth sometimes certain places on limbs usually left side, and muscle cramps with pain more on the right side seems to be my symptoms. I also can get lightheaded, have urinary frequency, burning mouth, depression, anxiety, random muscle twitches in calves, butt, arm, shoulder, back, abdomen, once in my foot.
I am perplexed as if it could be ms or something else?
anyone experienced these symptoms?
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Lorelle09
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OMG: My very first symptom was facial numbness (although my right side). It was numb for nearly a week. It felt like nonvaccine from the dentist.
Way back in 1994, my mother was just dx with breast cancer. I would come home from work each night and take a hot bubble bath and cry. Before MRIs were invented, folks used to take the "hot bath" test.
So, a few weeks after my numb face; I started to have vision problems. Something was "off" with my vision. I worked in an Insurance Agency at a strip mall; so on lunch, I walked to the local optometrist office.
They checked my vision. Color recognition was okay; no color blindness, my eye seemed okay. The doctor there suggested that I get a blood test to rule out other problems.
So, again the hot bath nightly, I called my new PCP and was given an appointment in a week. In a few days, now my balance seemed off. When I was walking with my laundry basket to my car, I felt a bit unsteady.
By this time, I was very nervous. I called back to the PCP and said I was having new sx and I was thinking of going to an ER. My appointment was moved up to the next day.
Back in 1994, I just turned age 25. My PCP just turned 29 and just graduated from John Hopkins Medical School. He did a quick examination and took my report of sx. He referred me to a specialist (neurologist) to rule-out MS.
He told me that there was something wrong with my brain or brain stem. My left eye wasn't moving all the way to the left side when I was looking around. Hmm?
So, sure enough, my MRI "showed a few white spots" and the dx neurologist told me that "young women tend to do very well with MS" as he was confident in his dx. I had the babinski response on my left side too.
Fast forward three more years, 1997, again more vision problems. I finally go back. My three-year follow up MRI showed substantial silent progression. I was told to start tx (Avonex) ASAP. Avonex hit the US market in 1996. Betaseron was dispensed via a lottery back in 1994.
Anyway, be patient monitor your sx. See a knowledgeable PCP or specialist. Fortunately there are over twenty txs available.
I got my mri today. Still need to wait for doctor to read the mri and send report. I was able to get a disk. U got some shots off my computer. They only did mri w/o contrast. Are these white spots ms lesions? At the tip the three small white spots.
I highly recommend that you get an MRI of your neck and spinal chord. Some people don't initially have lesions on their brain but in their neck and spinal chord. Don't let the doctors dismiss your symptoms. Just keep in mind that you might have something else going on that isn't MS.
These symptoms can be many things.Typically MS is diagnosed partly by ruling out other problems and with MRI of brain and spinal cord (cervical and thoracic spine) as well as a lumbar puncture. Sometimes they also do evoked potentials but I think if diagnosis is confirmed with MRI and lumbar puncture, evoked potential isn't necessary. The neuro will also perform an exam which will help tell if it is a central nervous problem, like MS, but MS is not the only central nervous possibility.Hang in there. Additional testing will hopefully get you answers soon.
Only neurologists can diagnose MS, so that's where you should start. This may take some time because other conditions may cause similar symptoms. Advocate for yourself and be persistent! Keep a log (date/symptoms/duration) and medical records because a single test is not sufficient to diagnose MS. Many of us here experienced years long struggles to find the answer to our mysterious symptoms. Check back in to keep us posted on your progress. Someone here will always listen! I wish you well.
I think like others have said be persistent and look into the stories here.
You can tap a persons name (in the threads) and view posts. I’m sure at one time or another we’ve talked about the journey to diagnosis. My facial numbness and persistence led to my Dr but I had symptoms prior that was brushed off as isolated incidents that now all were precursors to the main event…
Make sure you have a neurologist that is very familiar with MS or one that specializes in MS. I was diagnosed right after having numbness on half of my face & tongue. Of course there was the MRI, lumbar puncture & evoked potential test. Then the diagnosis. I saw a specialist & was diagnosed within 30 days as I was in the middle of an attack. I had 9 active lesions on the brain & 5 bands with the spinal. For years, going back to my teens I had MS symptoms, mostly fatigue & was diagnosed with several different things over the years. I was 50 when diagnosed with MS. So be patient & realize there are other diseases that mimic some of the MS symptoms. Prayers you find an answer soon so you can be treated.🙏🙏🙏
I started with pins + needles from waist down to feet at least a week . My Neurologist sent me up with Spinal tap . They inject dye into your spinal fluid + turn you upside down all the time watching behind closed doors, I guess looking for blockage . The specimen of spinal fluid they tested nailed it , MS .
So glad I didn't have to go though a long time for DX . This was what they did before MRI machines 43 years ago .
Good Luck 🙂 I hope it's not MS maybe a pinched nerve or whatever can be repaired
thank you. I don’t think pinched nerve because of the muscle cramps/tightness in legs and arms. I just want to know what it is so I can start treatment. Sounds like your spinal tap was not fun back then. I’m going to ask my doc for one after the mri on Wednesday. They took one of my brain in august all clear. Now another one which might also be clear so I’ll ask for spinal tap and or spine mri. Maybe nerve tests.
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