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Possible MS Diagnosis

Hey Group,
Please read my story... my question is
... Is a 1.6 cm lesion in the deep white matter of the left front lobe of my brain really large. Someone I know said, "Woe! That's large!"
I am very new to this and thought I'd reach out. I had one episode of vertigo that lasted about 5 mins and took myself to the emergency room since I thought I was having a stroke. They did a CT and found something and followed up with a non contrast MRI. Now, I've had punctuates on a previous MRI but all were related to migraines; however, this time (in January 2016) the MRI showed a 1.6 cm lesion and the neurologist, an MS specialist, is thinking MS. I have no symptoms except brain fog, fatigue, constipation (this one is very new), and blurred vision in one eye, but I only get the blurred vision if I eat too many carbs. I don't have tingling, jumbness, muscle weakness, headaches, and I was just tested for optic neuritis and came back negative. I have a follow up MRI of the head, c-spine, and t-spine scheduled for this Friday. The neurologist said he'd want to do a lumbar puncture depending g upon the results. Because I have no muscle weakness-type sptoms, he is leaning towards an asymptomatic version of MS but perhaps I DO have symptoms... perhaps the fatigue, brain fog, and blurred vision when I eat carbs ARE MS symptoms. Can anyone respond? Thanks guys...
9 Responses
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Avatar universal
Thanks do much for all your encouraging eords, smarts, and support. YOU ALL ARE wonderful! I'll keep you posted! Used probiotics and the constipation is gone now! Hurray!
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Avatar universal
I've been tested for celiac's disease both with blood work and biopsy and turned up negative. Doc said I am gluten intolerant.
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645800 tn?1466860955
I will respond about the vision problems for the most part. I was borderline diabetic for a number of years and then one day my vision went blurry and could not walk due to extreme pain in my legs. When I got to the hospital they discovered my glucose was at 1100. My glucose was that high from eating too much carbs. This was the cause of the vision problems as well as the walking problems. Since then I have had to take insulin shots every day to control my glucose.

If you keep over eating carbs and your blood sugar keeps going too high you could end up losing your vision completely. I would seriously talk to you PC about this problem as it is most like your glucose causing the blurred vision.

Dennis
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5509293 tn?1428531475
Just a thought, since you mention carbs. Some people have had experience with gluten intolerance (Celiac) causing MS type symptoms. I am not sure if this extends to eye symptoms though. Maybe someone else can comment on that.
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Avatar universal
A small lesion can potentially do more harm than 3 large ones, so it's not that simple. Much of this depends on location, and a lot of brain territory is 'vacant' in terms of lesion effect. Don't worry till  they tell you to worry, which they won't.  :-)

I don't know what to say about carbs and vision, except this can hardly be from MS. The central nervous system does not know what has been digested.

You are afraid and I get that. But if your brain fog and fatigue appeared after you learned you have a rather large lesion, consider that this could be cause and effect. Our brains and emotions are wily critters.... And it's very possible that your PCP has sent you to an MS center because that was his or her first thought, no more, no less. Not that MS is a foregone conclusion.

What I'm trying to convey is that anticipating the worst case scenario is never good and just causes double trouble. There's an excellent chance you don't even have MS. And if you do, well, there are far worse things, and now there are many MS treatments. But one thing at a time!
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1 Comments
I have had MS for 51 years. I am not that disabled. I am 53. They new I had something wrong with my brain from the age of two just not what. In 1965 they had no MRIs. In fact up against other MS patients I look great. Every case of MS is different. I had most of my damage the first 5 years. I have permanent double vision, vertigo, left side weakness, cognitive issues (I graduated *** laude), am now I walk slower. I still can ride a horse. MS is not the end game for many people.

A MS diagnosis can take years. When they seriously started looking for MS it took me two years of testing. In my case the LP is what got me the diagnosis. For many people it is negative. Many people can live normal lives with MS. It is not a great disease but it depends on the individual.

I thought MS meant a wheel chair or blindness. Neither has happened to me. I have learned to take things one thing at a time. I even forget I have MS.

Most of my symptoms are managable.I like ESS saying don't worry until the doctors tell me to worry.
Alex
Avatar universal
Oh one more thing... the 1.6 cm lesion was found in the deep white matter of my brain in the left frontal lobe. Hope that helps.
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Avatar universal
Oh I'm 59
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Avatar universal
Hi There thanks for the reply! I've been besides myself with worry because I figured out that a 1.6 cm lesion was large and that's pretty scary. Ever since I received the news, I've had brain fog and fatigue... lol. I'm definitely stressed out for sure. Not knowing is terrible. My primary care sent me to an MS center so he is thinking MS even though the only symptoms I have are the ones listed above. I'm in school so now I'm thinking that I'll be cognitively disabled soon. I don't have much money and up until now I had a great career. So I'm freaked out. Enough with that... lol...

Let me respond to your comments above... yes the carbs I'm speaking about are the pasta, potatoes, bread type... if I overload on those the vision in my right eye seems... well... just different. It's not blurry so I can't see out of it... it's just different. My blood sugar is borderline diabetic and my blood pressure can be anywhere from 133/89 to 88/66...

I have had an OTC and am seen by a retina specialist who sees a lot of MS patients. He says that I do not display optic neuritis. I don't have loss of vision and the only time I have blurred vision us whwn I stare at my computer for hours without wearing my glasses or the strange vision in my right eye when I over eat carbs. I'll call my retina specialistand ask about visual evoked response test.

The new MRIs are being done with and without contrast. They are being done this Friday.
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Avatar universal
Hi there and welcome.

I don't (of course) know whether you have MS, but still I can offer some comments, so here goes :-)

Yes, a 1.6 cm lesion is large, but as the saying goes, size isn't everything. A lot depends on other factors.

Next, no one has all the MS symptoms, thank god, so don't worry on that score. I'd be more concerned about the eye symptoms you do have. Why are you sure it's not optic neuritis? A regular exam by an optometrist would not show this, and even an ophthalmological exam by an MD might not be conclusive. It's possible to have a lesion further back on the optic nerve that is not readily apparent, and which may not even be seen on MRI.

Have you had the visual evoked potentials test? That might be important for you.

What do you mean when you say you have visual symptoms only when you eat carbs? Stuffing yourself with pasta or bread? After all, veggies are carbs. We all eat and need carbs every day.

Constipation, though it can be associated with MS, is much more likely to occur from some other cause, especially early in the MS game. This could well be a coincidence.

Is your neurologist an MS specialist? Not an absolute requirement, but overall an extremely good idea. You could possibly avoid an LP if the doctor knows enough about MS otherwise.

As it stands now you aren't a candidate for an MS diagnosis, but all that could change, depending on your new MRIs. I hope they will be done with and without contrast, and according to the MS protocol.

Hang in there! If this turns out to be MS, it's often a waiting game, and that's just the nature of the beast. Good luck.
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