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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Could this be MS?
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Could this be MS?
by Tone37, Jul 12, 2005 12:00AM
Hello,
I was just looking for ANY feedback regarding my current situation that may help!!! I'm a 37yr old female originally from the UK and now living in Ont/Canada. I've had MS like symptoms for approx 5 yrs now. I've had 2 normal brain MRI's and normal bloodwork (nothing out of the ordinary according the DR). I'm scheduled for a spinal MRI end of August and EVP testing also. I've been up and down this possible MS rollercoaster for 5 yrs now and I'm feeling extremely frustrated - just looking for some kind of answer.
My symptoms are tingling in right cheek (face), hand and foot, optic neuritis (one episode) in right eye, EXTREME fatigue where after 1 hr of normal activity my body feels like lead, right arm goes through periods where I can't lift it along with aching pain that I can't pinpoint, my right leg feels like it's going to buckle climbing the stairs and often weak after walking for a while. I'm currently off work with depression so they say due to my tiredness. Neuro found a positive babinski's reflex in my right foot which I was told inidicates a spinal problem? My questions are as follows: How likely is it that I have MS? Given the fact that I have normal brain MRI, what are the odds of anything showing up on my spine? What exactly does this babinski's reflex indicate - a lesion of my spine?
Any info on this would be sooooo helpful!
Signed,
Not a very patient patient.....
I was just looking for ANY feedback regarding my current situation that may help!!! I'm a 37yr old female originally from the UK and now living in Ont/Canada. I've had MS like symptoms for approx 5 yrs now. I've had 2 normal brain MRI's and normal bloodwork (nothing out of the ordinary according the DR). I'm scheduled for a spinal MRI end of August and EVP testing also. I've been up and down this possible MS rollercoaster for 5 yrs now and I'm feeling extremely frustrated - just looking for some kind of answer.
My symptoms are tingling in right cheek (face), hand and foot, optic neuritis (one episode) in right eye, EXTREME fatigue where after 1 hr of normal activity my body feels like lead, right arm goes through periods where I can't lift it along with aching pain that I can't pinpoint, my right leg feels like it's going to buckle climbing the stairs and often weak after walking for a while. I'm currently off work with depression so they say due to my tiredness. Neuro found a positive babinski's reflex in my right foot which I was told inidicates a spinal problem? My questions are as follows: How likely is it that I have MS? Given the fact that I have normal brain MRI, what are the odds of anything showing up on my spine? What exactly does this babinski's reflex indicate - a lesion of my spine?
Any info on this would be sooooo helpful!
Signed,
Not a very patient patient.....
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Jul 13, 2005 12:00AM
Many conditions can mimic MS, and treatment for MS has risks involved so it is important to have a firm diagnosis of MS before treating/labelling it
There are fairly thorough criteria for diagnosing MS (the McDonald criteria), which essentially requires documentation of more than one MS attack in more than one place in the central nervous system (by MRI, evoked potentials, spinal fluid analysis etc), with exclusion of other causes such as tumors, masses etc
MRI is a pretty sensitive test at picking up MS lesions especially over time, and is being used more and more in the diagnosis. So a normal MRI over time in the presence of attacks suggest that it is not MS. MS lesions also commonly occur in the cervical spinal cord so this needs to be included in the above.
Alternative diagnosis include Strokes, vasculitis, Lyme, sarcoid, B12 deficiency, migraine
The babinski reflex is present, indicates that there is a problem in the motor neurons anywhere above the lower motor neuron area in the spine - so it could be spinal cord, brainstem or brain - further localization must be done with the clinical examinations and MRI.
There are fairly thorough criteria for diagnosing MS (the McDonald criteria), which essentially requires documentation of more than one MS attack in more than one place in the central nervous system (by MRI, evoked potentials, spinal fluid analysis etc), with exclusion of other causes such as tumors, masses etc
MRI is a pretty sensitive test at picking up MS lesions especially over time, and is being used more and more in the diagnosis. So a normal MRI over time in the presence of attacks suggest that it is not MS. MS lesions also commonly occur in the cervical spinal cord so this needs to be included in the above.
Alternative diagnosis include Strokes, vasculitis, Lyme, sarcoid, B12 deficiency, migraine
The babinski reflex is present, indicates that there is a problem in the motor neurons anywhere above the lower motor neuron area in the spine - so it could be spinal cord, brainstem or brain - further localization must be done with the clinical examinations and MRI.
B12 can cause some of these symptoms. I was diagnosed with MS and years later they discovered low B12 and they decided that was cause of MS-like symptoms. You might want to research B12 deficiency and see if your symptoms match.
Good Luck!
Believe it or not, just talking about my symptoms and finding out that others are going through similar situations is helpful and reassures me that I'm not alone! Once I have my spinal MRI, I will know for sure.
Deneener, I would ask for a spinal MRI just to rule out MS. My neuro did say that there are MS sufferers who don't have lesions in the brain but do in the spine so this is why she is going to check mine. And like the neuro above said, I guess this Babinski reflex that I have indicates something wrong in the spine so we wait and see! I posted the same question on the mssociety.org.uk website and I've had a couple of people respond saying that they only have lesions in their spine - brain MRI's were all normal! Obviously it could be something else also.... Like all of us in "could it be MS" limbo land I just want an answer. I'm not a wimp and consider myself to be a VERY strong individual, but these ongoing symptoms and not knowing is just breaking me down. Good luck to you all and keep pushing for an answer! I know I will........