Discussions By Condition: I cannot get a diagnosis.
MS or Sjogrens
- Posted By: Anonymous
- January 12, 2009
- 06:31 PM
Hello... I´m 36, in my teens had several renal infections caused by a deformed renal tube, skin rashes that could not be diagnosed and muscular pain. As an adult eye dryness, scalloped eye lids (had to stop using contacts and had laser correction). Dryness continues with occasional blurred vision, occasional stabbing eye pain, loss of feeling in fingers and toes, phantom itching on skin. Dry skin. Dry vagina. Tongue sores and glandualar swelling in mouth, muscular and severe joint pain.
I´ve had 3 attacks that led me to be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis ( Attacks being, rigid muscles, joints. Mild one sided facial paralysis, numb eyelid, brief blindness in numb eye, difficulty swallowing). Now to add to all this, I´ve had painful intercourse for many years and had a hysterectomy and my bladder repositioned about 5 years ago. Do I have just ALOT of health problems or could this maybe be Sjogrens? My MRI´s show no new brain lesions and the ones i have are minimal and unchanging. I take no interferon for MS because i don´t think I have MS!
I´ve put in my symptoms and Sjogrens came up. I don´t sweat either so i overheat very easily and get red patches on my face when I exercise.
My neurologist thinks i´m crazy looking for other diagnoses and that I should accept that I have MS related symptoms. I had a second and third opinion and they said They didn´t think i had MS. Now I´m in bigtime limbo...
Anyone out there with Sjogrens or knows anything about it? Does this sound familiar?
5 Replies:
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With autoimmune illnesses if one has one, one is more likely the get another autoimmune illness. It does sound as if you may have Sjogrens and hence you may need treatment for that... but you also could have MS too if you were diagnosed with that. Im no doctor but sjogrens as far as im aware dont lead to facial paralyses.taniaaust1 2267 Replies Flag this Response
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Sjogren's does not cause facial paralysis.You didn't say anything about a dry mouth,which would be typical of Sjogren's.You did say that there were no new lesions on the MRI scan,which tells me that some plaques likely showed up before,probably due to M.S.richard wayne2b 1232 Replies Flag this Response
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I went to a naturopathic doctor who had diagnosed and helped a friend of mine who had an autoimmune disease which the doctors couldn't figure out. He is now in remission they say. This guy had been to several doctors searching for an answer. He isn't the kind to be ill often and was scared. The Mayo clinic didn't give him any hope with a poor prognosis with the test results but the naturopath is who treated him for Scleroderma and he is doing great and also diagnosed the disease. What I am trying to say is if you can get a good reference for a naturopath in your area, it may be worth a try. I brought all of my medical records with me and we came up with a plan that couldn't hurt either way. I am feeling much better in many ways.stillhere 14 Replies Flag this Response
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The reason why the last 2 nueros don´t think I have MS is because my Lumbar puntures come out clean, the lesions I have are insignificant and unchanging and the electrode nerve tests come out more or less ok. I was clinically diagnosed... which means i was hospitalized on a at least 3 occasions with MS like symptoms. The facial paralysis was weird. It was like my right side was melting. But I do have the dry mouth and the glands under my tongue swell up and mouth sores. The medication I take daily is for Reumatoidpain. I guess I could have the bad luck of having both Sjogrens and MS but be lucky that the MS isn´t progressive. I´m also a Celiac... I just feel frustrated that ALL this could possibly be ONE disease that is being overlooked. I also had seizures as a child that it seems I´ve grown out of. Last one being about 10 years ago. I must say that after starting a Gluten free diet MOST of my numbness... phantom itching... went away! I am going to the nuerologist on the 9th Feb and I will address the Sjogrens again. I believe they could do a mouth or gland biopsy to at least rule it out.Anonymous 42789 Replies Flag this Response
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Have the doctor check your hormone levels especially your testosterone levels. I have been diagnosed with Sjogren's and do have facial paralysis at times mostly when I have an attack and stress does induce this as well as any crash dieting or poor eating habits or strenuous exercise. My MS can on brain came out clean so I don't know why I am having nerve problems--hand, feet swelling as well. I get severe dry skin and flake off my scalp in certain areas and around ears really bad ... I was told it was psoriasis but I dont think it is -- I think it could be eczema or just plain old dry skin from the sjogren's ...psoriasis is usually raised and mine isnt and there is no redness. If anyone could refer me to a good neurologist I have open ears (Austin).The reason why the last 2 nueros don´t think I have MS is because my Lumbar puntures come out clean, the lesions I have are insignificant and unchanging and the electrode nerve tests come out more or less ok. I was clinically diagnosed... which means i was hospitalized on a at least 3 occasions with MS like symptoms. The facial paralysis was weird. It was like my right side was melting. But I do have the dry mouth and the glands under my tongue swell up and mouth sores. The medication I take daily is for Reumatoidpain. I guess I could have the bad luck of having both Sjogrens and MS but be lucky that the MS isn´t progressive. I´m also a Celiac... I just feel frustrated that ALL this could possibly be ONE disease that is being overlooked. I also had seizures as a child that it seems I´ve grown out of. Last one being about 10 years ago. I must say that after starting a Gluten free diet MOST of my numbness... phantom itching... went away! I am going to the nuerologist on the 9th Feb and I will address the Sjogrens again. I believe they could do a mouth or gland biopsy to at least rule it out.Anonymous 42789 Replies Flag this Response
