How do I know if I have MS or fibromyalgia?

The symptoms can be similar, but people with fibromyalgia are more likely to experience depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and widespread, persistent pain. Symptoms more common with MS include weakness, vision problems, muscle spasms, and bowel or bladder issues.

Do MS and fibromyalgia have similar symptoms?

Fibromyalgia — commonly referred to as “fibro” — and MS have a number of similarities. Both present with vague symptoms like brain fog, depression, fatigue, and trouble concentrating. Both conditions more commonly affect women. Both are ongoing, or chronic, ailments.

How can I test myself for MS?

When should you suspect multiple sclerosis?

People should consider the diagnosis of MS if they have one or more of these symptoms: vision loss in one or both eyes. acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body. acute numbness and tingling in a limb.

Does fibromyalgia turn into MS?

While MS and fibro may have some symptoms in common, they are ultimately distinct conditions with very different causes and treatments. Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis are both chronic diseases with no cure. Fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis can both cause some of the same symptoms.

Daniel Ontaneda, MD, PhD: How Multiple Sclerosis Can Be Misdiagnosed

Should I see a neurologist for fibromyalgia?

The pain from fibromyalgia is what typically prompts people to visit a neurologist, and this specialist may prescribe medications to control your pain. Pain Management doctors treats all forms of pain, including that caused by fibromyalgia.

Can MRI detect fibromyalgia?

It means that an MRI may help both with diagnosing fibromyalgia, as well as the identification of the individual patient's unique subtype of the syndrome. This level of detail will potentially help doctors create more customized treatment plans for their fibromyalgia patients.

What does a neurologist do to check for MS?

Lumbar puncture or spinal tap

Your health professional will give you a local anaesthetic. Then they'll insert a needle in your lower back, into the space around your spinal cord and take a small sample of your spinal fluid to test for signs of MS.

Can a neurologist tell if you have MS?

Since diagnosing MS can be very difficult, it must be done by a neurologist who specializes in treating MS. As many as 10 percent of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis actually have some other condition that mimics MS.

What does the start of MS feel like?

Numbness of the face, body, or extremities (arms and legs) is often the first symptom experienced by those eventually diagnosed as having MS.

Where does MS usually start?

Here's where MS (typically) starts

Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache. It often occurs on one side and can eventually lead to partial or total vision loss.

Does MS show up in blood work?

While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections, and rare hereditary diseases.

How does a doctor rule out MS?

There are no specific tests for MS . Instead, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis often relies on ruling out other conditions that might produce similar signs and symptoms, known as a differential diagnosis. Your doctor is likely to start with a thorough medical history and examination.

Is MS pain constant?

Pain that comes from weakness, stiffness or other mobility problems from MS is considered musculoskeletal pain. Both types of pain can be acute, having a rapid onset and short duration, or chronic, starting gradually and persisting daily or almost every day.

What are usually the first signs of fibromyalgia?

What are the 8 symptoms of fibromyalgia?

What other conditions mimic MS?

What are four common diagnostic tests for MS?

Can an eye test detect MS?

Diagnosis and early intervention

As optic neuritis is the presenting sign of MS in up to 30 percent of patients, the eye exam can lead to the initial systemic diagnosis.

What blood tests are elevated with MS?

What symptoms might you predict with MS and why?

Vision problems are an early sign of MS. Gait and mobility changes: MS can change the way people walk due to muscle weakness and problems with balance, dizziness, and fatigue. Emotional changes and depression: Demyelination and nerve fiber damage in the brain can trigger emotional changes.

Can you still have MS with a clear MRI?

Although MRI is a very useful diagnostic tool, a normal MRI of the brain does not rule out the possibility of MS. About 5 percent of people who are confirmed to have MS do not initially have brain lesions evidenced by MRI.

How does a neurologist test for fibromyalgia?

There is no widely accepted medical test to diagnose fibromyalgia. Instead, diagnostic tests are performed to see if another condition could be causing the symptoms. Blood tests are usually ordered to rule out conditions with similar symptoms.

What can be misdiagnosed for fibromyalgia?

What is the new test for fibromyalgia?

The FM/a ^® Test analyzes your immune system's white blood cells for their chemokine and cytokine protein patterns. Those who suffer from fibromyalgia will show an abnormal pattern of these protective proteins. The degree of abnormality is scored from 1 to 100.