Multiple Sclerosis

[Achilles2323]

has any 1 ever been ds with ms ? and had POTS ?

i feel like i have so many ms symptoms but i am not sure if its POTS ?

[badhbt]

I think POTS can mimic MS. Have you had a MRI? I totally thought that was my diagnosis in the beginning, but my neurologist (who has treated many MS patients) said that I didn't present like a patient with MS.

[Achilles2323]

oh i c

i would love to find out what the **** is causing all these symptoms

i dont think i had an MRI

i have a new neuro this friday i guess i will present the question

[ramakentesh]

Pots can be a presenting sign or a secondary manifestation of MS although in most cases people with POTS dont have MS>

[corina]

As I have some MS symptoms my neuro wanted to be sure so he ordered an MRI which ruled it out fortunately.

[AussieOI]

It wouldnt hurt having an MRI if your doctors agrees - it is good to rule out MS if you are having those types of symptoms.

[looneymom]

I agree about having the mri done. Before my son was diagnoised with POTS, they did this to rule out ms.

[Mytwogirlsrox]

Rama, do you have any articles that say POTS can be a presenting sign of MS? I would be very interested in reading it! Thanks

[lejones1]

Here's an article about people with POTS and MS: http://www.medsci.org/v07p0062.htm

I was nervous about this too and had a brain MRI to rule it out. When I talked to my neuro about it he said that MS can initially present as POTS but it's very rare in the absence of other more specific MS symptoms. He hadn't seen or heard of any such cases but since MS can cause autonomic dysfunction it is possible, and he still checks all his POTS patients for it.

[badhbt]

If you get a MRI while you are at it have them look at your neck too....sounds like you are like me...lets rule it all out!

I hear your frustration.

Hang in there

[Achilles2323]

ct scans do not rule out MS for sure...it is said 5% still have ms with negative ct scans

small amount but still not for sure

i think i had a ct scan 6 months ago before POTS

[Christy_D]

My son had a spinal tap in February and one of the things they tested for was MS. Thankfully it was negative.

[Achilles2323]

thank god.

usually they do 3 test to kind of rule it out.

i know ct scan and spinal tap are 2 of the 3

[Angela]

all my neuros have tested me for ms, think cause my big sis has it. all my tests come back negative. 2 mri's and the crazy eeg one but, at the same time pots can present worse/more dehabilitating symptoms than ms, depending on the patient.

[kitt]

Pots can be a presenting sign or a secondary manifestation of MS although in most cases people with POTS dont have MS>

Rama, This is an important distinction. Many MS, Parkinson's and CFS patients develop pots, yet few people with pots develop MS, Parkinson's or CFS.

Mayo's newest paper published this year notes that 50% of pots patients have a viral onset.

CFS patients have a high viral load to CMV, EBV and HHV6 as well as Coxsackie viruses. Not necessarily to all those viruses, but often to at least 3.

Researchers have long suspected that a retrovirus is the possible etiology of MS, and CFS researchers continue to believe that a retrovirus may be the cause of CFS.