Advice Appreciated

[Guest guest]

Hello all.

Sorry to trouble the list again. I'll try and keep it

as brief as I can.

My Brother, who has MS, started a new electrical job

on Nov 1st. That same day symptoms that have now been

there since then, appeared; Loss of sensation/numbness

in left hand mainly-but also in left arm up to elbow

and slightly in left side of face/head. My Brother did

damage his left shoulder in a car accident, has had

teeth removed on the left side of his face, and badly

knocked-up his left elbow-all the same time as these

symptoms.

Basically, until these new symptoms, he has only ever

experienced Optic Neuruits problems and sensory

problems-temporary numbness in arms/hands etc mainly

(20 mins at a time), electric shock feeling etc. He

was diagnosed with MS this year (he is 22 years old).

However, the Optic Neuritis has been there-then more

so occasional brief pins & Needles/numbness since he

was 16 (so for 6 years)-when a spark flew up into his

eye in work. However, he used to get bad migraines etc

when he was 13, 14 years old.

He saw the MS Specialist neurologist in July last

year. He basically did not offer any treatment as of

yet (though that may also be because of the probable

Gastroparesis and Coeliac Disease complications), and

said, for want of a better expression, my Brother was

on " The better side of MS " because of age, length of

time of symptoms presented, vision/sensory symptoms

etc. He was not given a stage of MS at that point,

probably due to the fact this was the 1st time he had

seen him (this MS Specialist neurologist did not

diagnose my Brother-another Neurologist did). He is

due to once again see this Neurologist at the end of

January.

Now, this new job involves working outside in freezing

conditions, long hours, pulling cables, he has sliced

his hands down to the knuckles on some fingers on both

hands etc. So both hand give him a lot of pain due to

the afore mentioned as you might imagine. He was not

doing these physical things when these latest symptoms

came on on that first day of work. But he has noticed

that the cold is affecting symptoms-to the point

yesterday when he couldn't use his left hand properley

in the cold. He says the symptoms now haven't gotten

any worse really, but haven't gotten much better

(particularily in the left hand) in the 7+ weeks plus

since they came on. A couple of times he has lost

balance too-but is this because he's tired etc (I know

it can be an MS symptom).

I am wondering if this is the job causing these

symptoms to persist, or just general MS. I ask if it's

the job, because to go from these vision/sensory

symptoms of a temporary nature (although his eyes are

usually bright-light sensitive and usually the most

MS-Prominant thing he had up until recently) to

suddenly something lasting much longer at the moment.

It is not stopping him do his job, and apart from when

very cold, can use his hand 'normally' and the grip

etc. So, could it be a relapse, his job? Both?

Something else?

Due to diet requirements-many of you are aware he eats

a limited diet. Then everything in that limited diet

is Coeliac/Lactose free. He gets all the vitamins/oils

etc via the pancake mix which are mixed in and

compensated for as the pancakes are lightly fried in

virgin oil.

The only medications he is on are Propranolol 160mg

for the probable Gastroparesis/vomiting, Lanzaprozole

15mg for the reflux/acid and Lustral (Sertraline) 50mg

for anxiety/depression.

He has also smoked Cannabis (I know no one should

smoke-but it's his choice) for a number of years-pre

MS diagnosis.

So no immediate change in medication could be a facor

I don't think.

Thank you to those who have read this far! Any advice

would be gratefully received.

Thank you, Adam.

___________________________________________________________

ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun!

http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com