Alternatives? differential diagnoses
03 Jan 2014 at 5:28PM
Hi -
There is a really interesting post on this forum today about breathing and MS-type symtoms - about how overbreathing / hyperventilation can result in tingling to extremities, dizzyness etc. It made me want to ask about something I've been thinking about for a while -
What other things do people consider (other than MS) might be the cause of their symptoms?
I've had tests to rule out obvious things like diabetes, anaemia etc. But I do often wonder about sciatica and anxiety; if I don't have MS, I think they are both pretty plausable explanations for my current difficulties.
What do other people think might possible alternative causes of their symptoms (if it transpires to not be MS)?
There is a really interesting post on this forum today about breathing and MS-type symtoms - about how overbreathing / hyperventilation can result in tingling to extremities, dizzyness etc. It made me want to ask about something I've been thinking about for a while -
What other things do people consider (other than MS) might be the cause of their symptoms?
I've had tests to rule out obvious things like diabetes, anaemia etc. But I do often wonder about sciatica and anxiety; if I don't have MS, I think they are both pretty plausable explanations for my current difficulties.
What do other people think might possible alternative causes of their symptoms (if it transpires to not be MS)?
03 Jan 2014 at 8:51PM
Hi Anon,
My neuro told me I was tested for over 100 different things, before they narrowed it down to MS. I probably couldn't name more than about half-a-dozen of them, but they included things like infectious diseases, vitamin deficiencies, rheumatology spectrum disorders, etc. Although I was diagnosed on BUPA, I think this is pretty standard on the NHS too - you don't get any extra tests going privately - you just get them a bit more quickly.
So the answer is that there are over 100 other things it could be - far too many to list, even if I knew them all!
Tina
My neuro told me I was tested for over 100 different things, before they narrowed it down to MS. I probably couldn't name more than about half-a-dozen of them, but they included things like infectious diseases, vitamin deficiencies, rheumatology spectrum disorders, etc. Although I was diagnosed on BUPA, I think this is pretty standard on the NHS too - you don't get any extra tests going privately - you just get them a bit more quickly.
So the answer is that there are over 100 other things it could be - far too many to list, even if I knew them all!
Tina
03 Jan 2014 at 10:45PM
have you been tested for lymes disease? B12
deficiency/thyroid? LIke Tina says there are many things that mimic ms.
Don't rule out stress - it can manifest itself in physical symptoms. I
think its important to take care of the mental health side of things
when going through all of this. Good luck!
Have you had an MRI?
Have you had an MRI?
03 Jan 2014 at 10:45PM
have you been tested for lymes disease? B12
deficiency/thyroid? LIke Tina says there are many things that mimic ms.
Don't rule out stress - it can manifest itself in physical symptoms. I
think its important to take care of the mental health side of things
when going through all of this. Good luck!
Have you had an MRI?
Have you had an MRI?
03 Jan 2014 at 11:31PM
Yes, I have had MRI, which showed some lesions 'suggestive of
MS', but there is not enough evidence for ms diagnosis. My neuro is
not convinced that the lesions I have could account for the symptoms I
am reporting. the symptoms I experience are suggestive of spinal
lesions, but so far, the only lesions that have been found are in my
brain, so neuro has ordered more scans. But if no further lesions show,
then I will not be diagnosed with MS, and it is possible that my
symptoms are not related to MS after all.
So I am considering other possibilities. I have been pretty comprehensively tested for lots of things - vit defficiencies, anaemia, ana panel, rheumatoid arthritis - all clear.
Part of me thinks that because I have some lesions 'suspicious' of ms, it is more than likely that my symptoms are ms-related. But other times I wonder if some of my symptoms might be caused by other things, such as anxiety or sciatica. I guess its just the uncertainty of having a funny half-way kind of diagnosis.
So I am considering other possibilities. I have been pretty comprehensively tested for lots of things - vit defficiencies, anaemia, ana panel, rheumatoid arthritis - all clear.
Part of me thinks that because I have some lesions 'suspicious' of ms, it is more than likely that my symptoms are ms-related. But other times I wonder if some of my symptoms might be caused by other things, such as anxiety or sciatica. I guess its just the uncertainty of having a funny half-way kind of diagnosis.
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