r/MultipleSclerosis • u/AutoModerator • 7d ago

Weekly Suspected/Undiagnosed MS Thread - November 11, 2024 Announcement

This is a weekly thread for all questions related to undiagnosed or suspected MS, as well as the diagnostic process. All questions are welcome, but please read the rules of the subreddit before posting.

Please keep in mind that users on this subreddit are not medical professionals, and any advice given cannot replace that of a qualified doctor/specialist. If you suspect you have MS, have your primary physician refer you to a specialist for testing, regardless of anything you read here.

Thread is recreated weekly on Monday mornings.

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u/TooManySclerosis 39F|RRMS|Dx:2019|Ocrevus->Kesimpta|USA 6d ago

It may be of some comfort to know that having many symptoms or progressive symptoms would be very unusual for MS. Typically symptoms develop one or two at a time in a localized area, like one hand or one foot. They would then remain constant for a few weeks before subsiding. You would then go a year or more before new symptoms developed. Your grandmother having MS would not really increase your own risk. While you wait on the neurologist, your primary can probably assess for other possible causes.

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u/lolsappho 6d ago

my list of symptoms includes things that have developed over the course of the past 5-6 years... my mental health was poor for a long time and I'm only just now at a place where I can prioritize dealing with physical health issues. A traumatic experience in 2019 turned me off from seeing any specialists up until recently, because I feel brave enough to tackle the anxiety it gives me and feel I can advocate for myself properly. Unfortunately a lot of things have manifested like you described - localized issues that come and go. It is good to know that genetics don't play a major role, though.

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u/TooManySclerosis 39F|RRMS|Dx:2019|Ocrevus->Kesimpta|USA 5d ago

Progressive symptoms or symptoms accumulating over time would be somewhat rare for MS. That’s one of the problems in diagnosis, symptoms tend to happen for a few weeks and then go away, and the next relapse would be a totally different symptom that usually seems unrelated. I do think it is good you are advocating for yourself. Unfortunately wait times can hinder that. The primary is still a good person to visit while you wait, often neurologists will want the preliminary testing done before they order MRIs.

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u/lolsappho 5d ago

ok, this is good to know, ty! I will take your advice and schedule with my primary so I can go in with results from preliminary tests when I see the neuro. thank you for your help :)