Can menopause symptoms be mistaken for MS?

The effects of the menopause can feel similar to MS symptoms, and hot flushes and difficulty sleeping might make MS symptoms feel worse. Finding ways to manage the effects of the menopause could help with MS symptoms too. Many women feel that their MS changes around the time of menopause.

Can menopause cause MS flare?

Menopause and MS progression

The worsening of MS may have to do with the drop in estrogen after menopause. Younger women with MS who have surgery to remove their ovaries also find their disease gets worse after the procedure.

Can menopause cause neurological symptoms?

While menopause is a reproductive transition state, it is also a neurological transition¹, as evidence by the fact that many menopausal symptoms are neurological in nature, such as hot flashes, disturbed sleep, mood changes, and forgetfulness².

Can hormones cause MS symptoms?

Menstrual problems

Research has shown that some women have increased MS symptoms during their periods. That may be because of a drop in estrogen levels during that time. Symptoms that worsened for study participants included weakness, imbalance, depression, and fatigue.

Are hot flashes common with MS?

Many people with MS report this mysterious symptom of overheating at night, and even night sweats. Even though anecdotally I find this to be a fairly common symptom, there are no studies that have been done that explain this, or that really even confirm this it is a true symptom of MS.

Woman mistakenly diagnosed with MS

Do you sweat at night with MS?

However, because people with MS are especially sensitive to temperature, this increase in heat can result in many restless nights, waking up drenched in sweat and struggling to ever feel cool and comfortable.

How does MS affect your legs?

Over time, your muscles can get weaker and weaker. Some people with MS find that their muscles tire more easily than usual. For example, someone with MS might find that their legs might start to feel unstable or they may have trouble moving them after periods of exercise, like walking.

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.

What were your first signs of MS?

Can you develop MS in your 50s?

Most people with MS receive a diagnosis between the ages of 20 and 40 years. However, the condition can appear at a younger or older age. When a person develops symptoms of MS after reaching the age of 50 years, a doctor may refer to this as LOMS. Research suggests that LOMS is relatively rare.

Can menopause cause weird symptoms?

With menopause, you expect hot flashes and night sweats. But lower hormone levels and other age-related changes may result in a host of more unusual symptoms as well. Menopause can cause surprising symptoms that include dry, itchy skin and a metallic taste in the mouth.

Can menopause cause neck and shoulder pain?

Joints that are most frequently affected during menopause are the neck, jaw, shoulders, wrists and elbows; though other joints in the body may experience pain as well. The discomfort is commonly described as stiffness, swelling, shooting pains and even a burning sensation after working out.

How severe can menopause symptoms get?

Your periods stop, and you're likely to have hot flashes and experience other menopausal signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms can be severe, as hormonal changes occur abruptly rather than gradually over several years.

Can estrogen help with MS?

High levels of two types of estrogen, estriol and estradiol, have been shown to have a benefit against MS. For people who have the relapsing-remitting type of MS, the hormones may make the relapses, when symptoms appear, less frequent.

Can MS symptoms last only a few minutes?

Paroxysmal is a term for any MS symptoms that begin suddenly and only last for a few seconds or a few minutes at most. However, these symptoms may reappear a few times or many times a day in similar short bursts. They may be painful and disrupt your everyday activities or they can just be annoying.

What can be mistaken for perimenopause?

Hyperthyroidism. Less common than hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, the overproduction of thyroid hormones, can also mimic perimenopause!

What are the early symptoms of MS in a woman?

Where does MS usually start?

Here's where MS (typically) starts

Although a number of MS symptoms can appear early on, two stand out as occurring more often than others: Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache.

Does MS start suddenly?

Symptoms. Most commonly, MS starts with a vague symptom that disappears completely within a few days or weeks. Symptoms can appear suddenly and then vanish for years after the first episode, or in some cases never reappear. The symptoms of MS vary greatly and can range from mild to severe.

What other symptoms have MS but no lesions?

About 5 percent of people who are confirmed to have MS do not initially have brain lesions evidenced by MRI. However, the longer a person goes without brain or spinal cord lesions on MRI, the more important it becomes to look for other possible diagnoses.

Can a neurologist tell if you have MS?

MS is diagnosed by your neurologist. They will use a specific checklist to diagnose MS, known as the McDonald criteria. They'll carry out a number of tests to run through the criteria, which could include blood tests and MRI.

How do you rule out MS?

Do you itch with MS?

Pruritis (itching) is a form of dysesthesias and may occur as a symptom of MS. It is one of the family of abnormal sensations — such as “pins and needles” and burning, stabbing, or tearing pains — which may be experienced by people with MS.

What does MS in your legs feel like?

The weakness can make your legs feel heavy, as if they are being weighed down by something. They may also ache and hurt. Some people with MS describe it as like having bags of sand attached to their legs. This muscle weakness combined with MS fatigue can be upsetting.

What does MS leg pain feel like?

This pain is described as constant, boring, burning or tingling intensely. It often occurs in the legs. Paraesthesia types include pins and needles, tingling, shivering, burning pains, feelings of pressure, and areas of skin with heightened sensitivity to touch.