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What Causes Weakness And Lack Of Stamina?
Hello, for the last two years I have been weak, lost 50 plus pounds and all my muscle tone, have very low stamina and energy and basically very unwell. I have had tests from my doctors and they don t find anything out of the ordinary. I am not myself and definitely feel something is wrong with my body. I have wondered if I have MS but how do I find out with out spending a small fortune and going to someplace like Mayo Clinic? Thank you for your time, Linda
Mon, 21 Jan 2019
Hello,
I am sorry to hear you have been feeling like this for 2 years.
It does not require a trip to Mayo to evaluate for MS. Have you seen a neurologist? Because that is the person to make that diagnosis, and you should have neurologists somewhere in the region where you live.
To diagnose you with MS, your doctor must find:
- evidence of damage to two separate areas of your central nervous system (CNS), such as your brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve
- evidence that damage to your CNS has occurred on separate occasions, at least one month apart from each other
- no evidence that the damage has been caused by other diseases.
The evaluation can be accomplished with a full neurological exam, and then usually some additional tests which may include an MRI of the brain and other tests such as visual evoked potential.
The symptoms you are having are not necessarily MS, but given your weight loss, should be continued to look into. If they haven't already, they should have checked: TSH, Free T4, CBC with peripheral blood smear, urinalysis, rheumatic illness panel, ESR, C-reactive protein, comprehensive metabolic panel. I imagine they have already checked some of these things. In particular, make sure you have had your thyroid (TSH, free T4) checked.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh,
General & Family Physician
I am sorry to hear you have been feeling like this for 2 years.
It does not require a trip to Mayo to evaluate for MS. Have you seen a neurologist? Because that is the person to make that diagnosis, and you should have neurologists somewhere in the region where you live.
To diagnose you with MS, your doctor must find:
- evidence of damage to two separate areas of your central nervous system (CNS), such as your brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve
- evidence that damage to your CNS has occurred on separate occasions, at least one month apart from each other
- no evidence that the damage has been caused by other diseases.
The evaluation can be accomplished with a full neurological exam, and then usually some additional tests which may include an MRI of the brain and other tests such as visual evoked potential.
The symptoms you are having are not necessarily MS, but given your weight loss, should be continued to look into. If they haven't already, they should have checked: TSH, Free T4, CBC with peripheral blood smear, urinalysis, rheumatic illness panel, ESR, C-reactive protein, comprehensive metabolic panel. I imagine they have already checked some of these things. In particular, make sure you have had your thyroid (TSH, free T4) checked.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh,
General & Family Physician
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