Multiple Sclerosis

In past month I've been told I have 1. Depression 2. Fibromialgia 3. Possibly lupus and now 4. Possibly MS (and my husband is convinced its Lyme disease).  The latest symptom that lead my ophthalmologist to say Posibly MS is optic neuritis. 

I've tried to look at the net about MS but seeing as I can't see the computer but from one eye (which is giving me a headache and quite frankly freaking me out).  So I thought I'd come here and list my major symptoms.

1986 car wreck - have had low back and neck/head pain ever sinse (have been in physical therapy about 6 times over the years / otherwise just deal with it - very infrequent use of painkillers other than motrin)

1991 I was diagnosed with Raynaud's phenomenon (21years old)

2004 hypothyroid (tx with synthroid)

2006 started having chest pain, no EKG changes, failed treadmill test, CT normal; doctors calling it angina secondary to Raynauds

2007 started having severe pain in chest when eat cold things; doctors calling it esophageal spasms from Raynauds

2009 over past 6 months I have been so tired, Some days I'm weaker than others, I'm dropping things (actually I guess thats only from my left hand), I have so many aches and pains (last week it was my left foot killing me for 2 days for no apparent reason) and am tender to the touch esp on my ribs (thus the dx fibromialgia), My brain just isn't working right - I forget simple words / get lost mid sentence / sometimes have a hard time paying attention even when forcing myself / the other day at work I couldn't understand a client's chart (couldn't really get through it), my vision has been changing rapidly (which I was blaming on being 40) but two days ago woke to right eye pain with movement and partial loss of vision / dx by ophthalmologist as optic neuritis (which is how I got to here)

I'm so confused and worried

To see a neurologist tomorrow

Any ideas?  Could the chest pain and soreness (esp rib cage) be from MS?

Thanks for taking the time to read and listen to me whine

Any, all or none of it could mean MS. MS varies GREATLY from patient to patient (even in the same family). Both my husband and his brother have MS and they share almost no symptoms.

It's important that you get seen. It should be an MS specialist not just a general neurologist.

An MRI WITH contrast is a definite, then possibly things like an evoke potential test, maybe a spinal tap, blood work to check for Lyme disease (a common thing to rule out). Seeing someone who specializes in MS can make the difference between an "I don't know" and a positive or negative diagnosis.

My DH first saw a general neuro and we were told "I don't know" and shoved out the door even after all the "right" tests. We took his records to an MS specialist in Milwaukee and she diagnosed him without any extra testing and said it was obvious that it was MS. He's on a myriad of things. Several pain medications a day for his nerve pain (mostly in his legs and back), Rebif (injected 3 times a week) but he was on Copaxone first, Provigil to help with the fatigue, and then he also takes Synthroid (thyroid problems are common in MS patients but as you know it's highly treatable) and an anti-depressant to help with the mood swings that can come with MS as well.

I'll answer the breast feeding question here. There are some medications you can take while breast feeding. Some of the pain and other pills you might be on may not be okay for breast feeding, it's really going to depend on which if any of those you are on. As for the actual MS injectable drugs I'm pretty sure it's Copaxone that's okay for breast feeding. We have one member who used it while breast feeding. Dr. Hale has done a TON of research on unusual medications and breast feeding and determined that the molecule was too large to pass into breast milk.

It will be something that you would have to research both on your own and with your doctor to determine what works for you and your child.