I was just about to have breakfast…

‘What if multiple sclerosis doesn’t start with numbness or vision loss but with years of unexplained fatigue, anxiety, and pain?

For decades, MS was thought to begin suddenly, when the immune system visibly attacks the brain and spinal cord. Before that moment, doctors assumed the body was largely unaffected.

But a large new study from the University of British Columbia, published in JAMA Network Open, tells a much quieter and more unsettling story.’

My Spidey senses just went into overdrive! I’ve had a diagnosis for over 18 years but the truth is I am often asked whether there were things that may have pointed to my diagnosis a lot sooner. Even an HR consultant in an early job asked me a question about it…

‘Researchers analyzed health records from over 12,000 people and discovered that those who later developed MS were already visiting doctors up to 15 years before diagnosis, often for vague, hard-to-explain symptoms.’

My husband has described me as being a ‘frequent flier’ at the GP. But I’ve always argued that it is better to go to the doctor than to assume the malaise is one thing or another. When I was working fulltime I would often have flu and a malaise which seemed to mirror the flu which reports said was prevalent in the general population. Maybe I just read too much and wrongly self-diagnosed a condition which seemed to fit my symptoms. In fact in my early pre diagnosis stage I was sent to a consultant for possible carpal tunnel syndrome. The consultant looked at me disparagingly and bluntly told me to lose weight! However bluntly he was to put that to me, losing weight didn’t get rid of the tingly fingers.

‘Long before classic neurological signs appeared, there was a slow buildup of fatigue, pain, dizziness, headaches, and mental health concerns like anxiety and depression.

The pattern wasn’t random.

15 years before symptoms: more GP visits for fatigue, pain, and mood issues.’

…and so my story continues. The prescription for fatigue: there isn’t one. Depression leads to SSRIs which to be honest I reject due to the brain-numbing effects they can have. I don’t want cotton-wool happiness, thanks. Real anxiety increases my insomnia so I can see there might be benefits…

‘Most people with fatigue or anxiety will never develop MS. But understanding this early phase could one day allow earlier identification, monitoring, and intervention potentially changing the course of the disease before lasting damage occurs.’

And I could have another co-morbidity – something that has lots of letters – BPPV – and causes the dizziness/vertigo I have suffered from virtually all my life. Heart-stopping fear at the top of mountains could have a cause? Who knew? And as yet I haven’t been diagnosed with the letters, they only appeared on the complicated report from my neurological consult a few weeks ago. Which is leading to further appointments I must attend before Christmas and all the way through to April. I will no doubt be ruminating on these possibilities in my posts to come. I also know I will be questioned on my sources and no doubt challenged for taking my source from FB but it’s like the Daily Mail of old with far reaching sources.

Italic text is from a FB post I thought to copy before it disappeared!Source: University of British Columbia. “Fatigue, anxiety, pain? They might be MS in disguise.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 August 2025

Merry 2025 Yule!