HI KJ

Thank you for your response. May I ask what your symtoms are and if they gave you any medication? Can you still drive? Do you get vertigo? DO you have any pain?

Thank you Sally

Hi Sally,

I originally went to the doctor to have them take a look at my tremors. I've had these for years but they got a lot worse over the winter. Besides tremors I have double vision and see dark and bright spots. I almost completely lost my vision in one eye about three years ago. I have sudden jerks in my legs and feet. I have had some really annoying cognitive problems. This has gotten much better but at it's worst I couldn't remember the names of my co-workers and one time I got confused and didn't know where I was. I had to stop my car and wait a few minutes before it came to me where I was and where I was going. I have had pain in my face (short, sharp stabbing pain that makes me tear up). I have had some vertigo but not too bad. I sometimes feel like I'm moving forward or backward when I'm standing still. Other problems include bladder issues, etc.

I can drive without much problem, even on the worst days. I take medicine for the tremors (Propranolol), for upset stomach (Prilosec) and for depression (Citalopram).

Should you discover what you diagnosis is, please post.  I have all the symptoms you do and have been going through test after test to no avail.  I will be eager to hear if you doctors come up with a diagnosis.  My father is encouraging me to go to the Mayo Clinic as that is where he was ultimately diagnoses with MS.  Good luck to you.  I will let you know if I hear anything from my MDs.

Thanks, I will. Right now I'm doing very well. My thinking is very clear and the main problems I have are the tremors and some twitches and jerks in my legs and hips. I sometimes see bright flashes and I have had a few odd facial pains, but mostly I seem to be doing much better for the last 6 months or so. In fact I am working overseas in Iraq for the next two or three months and don't have any concerns. Please let me know what you find out and what process you took.

Hi, sorry about the delayed response. You ask some really good questions. 

First off - I haven't yet been diagnosed with MS. The docs are still calling it "white matter brain disease". I'm stable so they haven't done another MRI. I understand that unless there is a major change in symptoms and corresponding change to the white matter (sclerosis), I won't be diagnosed.

In hindsight, my first major symptoms occured in Iraq in 2006. I had a classic case of optic neuritis. We used laser sights on our weapons and I assumed I had been flashed by a laser and just let it heal on its own. After a few weeks of staying out of the sun the symptoms mostly went away.

In general the heat makes things worse. I get pain in my face (tip of nose and upper lip especially) when I'm very hot. The tremors get a little worse too, but the meds (I'm on Propranolol) help. Prior to my 2007 deployment to Iraq we trained in New Mexico and I noticed that my shooting ability really declined in the heat. (I have intention tremor and pistol shooting has really gotten bad.)

As far as getting a job - I don't have a diagnosis so I can pass a physical with no trouble. A formal diagnosis of MS would result in some additional medical screening either by the military or contractor side of the house. That may be disqualifying, but I don't think it necessarily is depending on the job you're deploying for.

I deployed most recently in 2009-2010 as a contractor and had little trouble. I timed the deployment to run from October to May when it wasn't as hot. Afghanistan tends to be a little cooler than Iraq, and Bagram in particular is not too bad. (I was there in 2002-2003.) Parts of Afghanistan are very high altitude and that also seems to exacerbate symptoms somewhat, so keep that in mind.