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Suggest Treatment For Severe Depression While Mourning The Demise Of Family Members
Question: my wife has had a lot stress lately, lost her father recently, her mum has gone into a home with memory loss and depression, also we are having problem's with our daughter in law. My wife has been having aches and pains , mainly in legs , but also in back and shoulders, she saw a programme recently and the person had all the above, plus pins and needles, that person has MS, as a result my wife is convinced she has a slight tingle in her hands and feet , and also might have MS. What are your thoughts please.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
I am pretty confident that your wife has not MS. Pain is not a presenting feature of MS. It can be a part of the manifestations, but not as an initial one, it is usually later in the course of the disease, in the setting of motor weakness with subsequent spasticity of the limbs that pain manifests.
Most common manifestation of MS are bouts of double vision, vision loss on one eye, weakness of the limbs on one side, balance and coordination issues etc.
As for the pins and needles, they can present at times, but usually it is initially on one side, not bilateral, only later on when there are bilateral multiple lesions it can be more widespread. Also pins and needles are one of the most non specific symptoms in medicine, meaning they can manifest in many many conditions, MS is not the most common one, I would say in daily practice it is much more common for it to be in the setting of anxiety (which your wife seems to have an issue with).
The last argument against MS and perhaps the strongest one is your wife's age. MS does not typically manifest at the age of 62. There are rare exceptions, but it is certainly rare to have the first manifestations after the age of 50.
So I really do not think your wife has MS. That doesn't mean she shouldn't consult a doctor about her symptoms. Issues such as rheumatological conditions or peripheral neuropathy can manifest that way and a physical neurological exam as well as some blood tests for inflammation and metabolic issues should be ordered by your primary physician. But MS would certainly be the last diagnosis of my list, rest assured about that.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
I am pretty confident that your wife has not MS. Pain is not a presenting feature of MS. It can be a part of the manifestations, but not as an initial one, it is usually later in the course of the disease, in the setting of motor weakness with subsequent spasticity of the limbs that pain manifests.
Most common manifestation of MS are bouts of double vision, vision loss on one eye, weakness of the limbs on one side, balance and coordination issues etc.
As for the pins and needles, they can present at times, but usually it is initially on one side, not bilateral, only later on when there are bilateral multiple lesions it can be more widespread. Also pins and needles are one of the most non specific symptoms in medicine, meaning they can manifest in many many conditions, MS is not the most common one, I would say in daily practice it is much more common for it to be in the setting of anxiety (which your wife seems to have an issue with).
The last argument against MS and perhaps the strongest one is your wife's age. MS does not typically manifest at the age of 62. There are rare exceptions, but it is certainly rare to have the first manifestations after the age of 50.
So I really do not think your wife has MS. That doesn't mean she shouldn't consult a doctor about her symptoms. Issues such as rheumatological conditions or peripheral neuropathy can manifest that way and a physical neurological exam as well as some blood tests for inflammation and metabolic issues should be ordered by your primary physician. But MS would certainly be the last diagnosis of my list, rest assured about that.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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