Aa
Anyone diagnosed WITHOUT a LP (lumbar puncture/spinal tap)
Is there anyone here who was diagnosed with MS without having a lumbar puncture/spinal tap? If so, what was it that made the doc's say 'yep, you have MS'?
I am Dx my LP was normal, I have brain lesions, spinal lesions, optic neuritis.A Dr at a major teaching hospital wanted to wait and see. got a second opinion and was diagnosed right away.
I was DX with MS and not having a spinal tap. my doc tends not to do them, due to the chances of them being negative and the person still having MS. A risk not worth taking for some people she said. (She is also at a Big MS center in Cleveland, so I trust her as well).
Take care,
Michelle
Take care,
Michelle
Hi, and welcome!
I too was dx'd w/o a spinal tap. Well, I actually had two early on in my MS career, 78' + 82.' Both were for naught and dissasters! Following the first one, I had become so sick that I was hospitalized for 6 days. They had to literally kick me out of the hospital. It was another full week before I recovered enough that I was able to stand up for more than 10 minutes w/o being quite ill. The second one was not much better but doctors got rid of me after a few days.
Finally, 31 years and about 17 MRI's later, I showed lesions on my cervical cord, and on the pons and cerebellum.
Anyway, good decision on your part. Not that spinal taps are a bad diagnostic tool.
Frank
I too was dx'd w/o a spinal tap. Well, I actually had two early on in my MS career, 78' + 82.' Both were for naught and dissasters! Following the first one, I had become so sick that I was hospitalized for 6 days. They had to literally kick me out of the hospital. It was another full week before I recovered enough that I was able to stand up for more than 10 minutes w/o being quite ill. The second one was not much better but doctors got rid of me after a few days.
Finally, 31 years and about 17 MRI's later, I showed lesions on my cervical cord, and on the pons and cerebellum.
Anyway, good decision on your part. Not that spinal taps are a bad diagnostic tool.
Frank
Hello and Welcome to the Forum :)
I too was dx w/ Out needing the LP. I think you made a wise decision in not having it done because even your doc explained to you his thought on it.
glad that you have been doing good.
Take Care,
~Tonya
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Multiple Sclerosis Community
Top Neurology Answerers
Australia
ON
Queensland, Australia
Queen Creek, AZ
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
The ER Neuro suggested LP, but when I asked whether the results would alter his diagnosis & treatment, he said no. Very high % of false negatives, so a positive result would just confirm his diagnosis.
I declined the LP, have seen 2 neuros since then (for 2nd opinion & treatment) and have been doing OK on rebif for 10 months, since my diagnosis.