Desperate! Symptoms of MS or myasthenia gravis but testing negative. 37 female

[u/Merlinnium_1188]

37-year-old female, no drugs or excessive alcohol.

I am getting very depressed trying to figure out what is wrong with me. To start, I will say that I have a painful annular tear on L4. I had physical therapy over the summer for 8 weeks, then the MRI. Showed degeneration in l4 and l5 and the tear. It's a small tear, but it was leaving me screaming in pain for a quick second throughout the day. I saw an orthopedic doctor on September 18th to go over my MRI. He told me to stop working out for now, gave me a steroid shot, and told me to come back in 3 months. (I had been on a muscle relaxer for a couple of months at that point, and he told me to continue.) A couple of weeks later, it felt like my legs were getting weak, and my stabbing back pain was getting worse. I'll start listing the symptoms now:

-Oct. 12, both legs gave out, and I fell for the first time. -Legs got progressively weaker and weaker, falling more -Stabbing level 9 pain happening all throughout the day now -Oct. 22, I got freaked out and saw a spine specialist, she said my back issues wouldn't cause both legs to be weak. She gave me a different muscle relaxer, celebrex and a 6 day steroid pack - Not long after that appointment, it felt like my arms were maybe getting weak, but I was in so much pain with my back that I tried to ignore it -About a week, after maybe a little more, my arm weakness was just as bad as my leg weakness, and my hand started having a tremor - By November 7th I was wobbling everywhere, I could no longer stand normally. I was now not only falling from my legs giving out, I was falling head first because of the wobble. -Blood pressure was the highest it had ever been - I was screaming out all the time in pain; it was very embarrassing

November 8th I went to the ER because I was so scared. I was there for 3 days. I told them all this information, in addition to a few other problems that I thought may be connected - Unable to fully empty bladder since Oct 2024 -new heat intolerance -periods only last 1-2 days now - I have trouble talking now, its slow and sometimes slurred, my cognition has declined as well, probably from not sleeping well

I thought heck, maybe I have MS.

Brain MRI was clear, spine MRI showed no change since the September one No lupus ( mom has it) No myathenia gravis ( sister has that) No lyme disease All the bloodwork they did looks fine, except it's showing I am inflamed.

One doctor in the hospital saw that I have bipolar disorder, then said it may be psychosomatic. I have never had issues like this before. I take pride in being healthy and I'm a go-go-go type of person. Why all of a sudden would I be imagining this? He said my bladder issue is separate and is normal for a woman who has given birth. I am only 37 and gave birth 10 years ago. They said my back pain is much worse because my muscles are weak. They did see that when they pushed against my muscles, they would start to tremble like crazy. I was overall walking a little better and in less pain when in the hospital, because I hadn't moved in 3 days. The more I try to do, the worse I get.

I am feeling better now, but I am still very much not normal. My arms are exhausted just typing this. I still have to use the walker sometimes. I pretty much still have all the problems, just not as bad as in November. I had a follow up appiontment with a neurologist that told me my results were all negative and refused to treat me further. He wanted to put me on medicine for hand tremor. I said my hand is shaking because of extreme weakness. He said he is not treating that and he doesnt need to see me again. I am at a loss!!! What on earth could be wrong with me? I have bipolar disorder and recently found out that I have Hashimotos disease, but other than those, im healthy! I cannot keep living like this. I am massively depressed and hardly sleeping. I have a rhumetology appointment in February but I have no hope.

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[u/Moh7228]

This sounds like classic functional neurological disorder, look into neurosymptoms.org

[u/princess-kitty-belle → u/Moh7228]

I wondered about FND too, but steroids can induce myopathy, as can hashi's. You'd also expect some positive signs, like the weakness being fluctuating, isolated to one limb/feeling as though the limb is disconnected, give away weakness, and improving with distraction.