MS? Seronegative something? Crohns? Help please.

[lifeback22]

At age 31 (2007) I pulled a muscle in my scapular area; discovered I had a functional leg discrepancy/SI joint instability/illiotibial band syndrome/patellofemroal misalignment. Back pull still swollen after loads of ibuprofen and eosinophils slightly high. Doc said may be autoimmune disorder. ND found multiple food allergies and low vit D (just moved to AK; from PA). I eliminated food, dosed on vit D, and took ibuprofen;stomach gave way to tons of digestive problems. Now doc said IBS. RA doc said no fibro may be seronegative arthritis; put me on 10 mg prednisone for 14 days. Last day I had numbness in chin and prickly/itchy pins in various body part (along with ongoing back pain, swelling, hip and knee pain (one knee with mild effusion) and general hypertonicity). Doc thought may be MS. MRI showed 8mm atypical vague lesion in subcortical area of left frontalparietal lobe at midline. Spinal tap, slightly high Albumen, but tap no good said neuro since done after low dose steroid. 6 months later, no change in MRI. 7 months after that, no change and doc notes 1cm pineal cyst that was there all along too. Joint/muscle pain is mostly constant/moving, with trigger points.I get pricklies every so often for hours or a day.  Loss of lordosis in neck says cervical MRI. Wide-ranging food allergies; muscle twitches all over; headaches with ear pain and occasional dizziness; night sweats; low body temp/blood pressure.$6000 in tests ordered from Mayo found no connective tissue disorders. I do test slightly positive for ASCA/Sed rate zero/No inflammatory markers.Titer test negative. Is MS likely? Lymes? Seronegative arthritis? I was fairly healthy before this save years of an eating disorder (body survived it well but slightly low BUN  level), +TB test after working with dolphins in rehabilitation program, and UTI symptoms that responds to Septra though no bacteria shows.Can you suggest a good research clinic/ types of doctors to see? Marshall Protol, can you speak to this?

[lifeback22]

Thank you. The research hospital - I asked because I need a diagnosis. Research hospitals do not function in this way? So, that is not what I should be looking for? Is there a place where I can go to see a good clinical neurologist and rheumatologist in one place? Also,"atypical" on MRI was in reference to the location (they said atypical for MS): "This flair sequence again demonstrates a single vague, approximately 7mm x 5mm subcortical white matter hyperintensity at the left vertex. This is unchanged. No new lesions are seen."  I do not believe the doctor who did the spinal tap checked for Lymes but my CSF protein was slightly high in CSF culture and gram stain.  As for meds, I quit ibuprofen two years ago and the prednisone was only used for 2 weeks in February 2008...so I don't know if they could still have an effect? Does this help to comment on the MRI? Would it be common for one lesion to stay the same for two years in a person with active MS?  Would you recommend evoked potentials for the ongoing fasiculations and prickly feelings? Thank you very much for you time Dr. Kantor.

[Dr. Daniel Kantor, MD]

I am not sure why you would wanto be in research given that you do not have a diagnosis. A good clinical neurologist and rheumatologist would be crucial.

Many of the symptoms you describe are side effects of the medicine you have been on -- such as ibuprofen and prednisone. The question is whether something is underlying all of this?
You have had testing but it is difficult to know what it means. it seems that your MRI would be important but I obviously cannot see it and therein lies the problem. I cannot tell what is atypical about it.
Lyme was presumably tested in your spinal tap and this does sound like it. Rheumatological diseases will eventually "declare" themselves and presumably one wouldn't stay "serongative" forever.