Will neuro blow me off??

Hi all. I've been having some recurrent symptoms for a few months, and went to my dr asking about MS. He told me I was paranoid but did labs and MRI to appease me. The results came back with 'multiple small, hyperintense foci in the bilateral frontal lobe'. Also, I was diagnosed with uveitis two years ago, and had suspected optic neuritis along with severe vertigo in August. Couldn't get into ophthalmologist until October, at which time eye symptoms were cleared up. My dr. seems to think that a neurologist is going to tell me to come back in a year for another MRI, and not do anything for now. Is that really what will happen? I've felt awful for months now, falling all the time, tingling, muscles spasms, not sleeping...is that not enough to count as two documented relapses and begin treatment? I am so worried about all of this, and could really use some advice. Thanks in advance!

[SarahL2491]

Ok to start with - it takes more than one (I am sure I will be corrected) episode of events.  Like for example 2 MRI's showing a distance in time.
(see our health pages on MRIs and McDonald Criteria and/or plus documented CIS (events that would send you to your eye doctor, etc.)

So, your doctor is right, in that if that is your only documented event, you will need another.  The opthalmo doesn't count since your events had cleared.

Now, the good news is that MS is a slow moving train as I call it.  You will not pass out while waiting!  Your neuro is going to run a ton of tests including more labs, trying to rule out over 20 mimic diseases which do the same thing MS does.

Many of us have waited years for a Dx while being followed by neurologist and some have been to (who me?) multiple neurologists searching for answers.

Have you set up an appointment with a neuro?  Do so, it often takes a long time to gt in with them.  Don't let your regular doctor talk you into forgetting this!  

I have more questions but won't worry you with them all.  Welcome to our corner of the web!

[SarahL2491]

Ok to start with - it takes more than one (I am sure I will be corrected) episode of events.  Like for example 2 MRI's showing a distance in time.
(see our health pages on MRIs and McDonald Criteria and/or plus documented CIS (events that would send you to your eye doctor, etc.)

So, your doctor is right, in that if that is your only documented event, you will need another.  The opthalmo doesn't count since your events had cleared.

Now, the good news is that MS is a slow moving train as I call it.  You will not pass out while waiting!  Your neuro is going to run a ton of tests including more labs, trying to rule out over 20 mimic diseases which do the same thing MS does.

Many of us have waited years for a Dx while being followed by neurologist and some have been to (who me?) multiple neurologists searching for answers.

Have you set up an appointment with a neuro?  Do so, it often takes a long time to gt in with them.  Don't let your regular doctor talk you into forgetting this!  

I have more questions but won't worry you with them all.  Welcome to our corner of the web!

[AmICrazy13]

Thanks for the quick response! I wasn't sure if the two eye issues could be counted as relapses or not. I have military insurance, so I am currently waiting on an authorization to see a general neurologist. I was told that I couldn't see one who specialized in MS yet. I know I won't pass out while waiting, just have read all this information about how treatment should begin right away and hate to wait for nothing! You're no bother with questions, I'm happy to get information on what's happening to my body. :)

[SarahL2491]

unless the eye episodes were documented, no they don't count.  

gotta love that useless military insurance! (grin) (have child with it)

A few months won't matter too much in the grand scheme of things.  Sometimes we get prompt with our replies and then again, it depends who is online and how much time they have.  I just happened to be "passing thru" and scanned the "headlines" on our forum.

Seriously, though, our health pages to the right (there are more than are showing) are a wealth of information and assurance.

We are here, even if you just want to vent

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome,

I think it's appauling that your GP was dismissive even before he ran any tests, i wonder if you have a history of anxiety or another mental health issue to explain it, though sometimes if a person is very anxious during their appt. that can unfairly lead to that assumption too.

MS is a difficult condition to dx, as Sarah mentioned there are many mimics and it is more common for someone to be dx with one of the mimics, than it is to be dx with MS. The Mcdonald Criteria was developed to make the dx process simpiler, though its still not simple and probably never will be. MS is dx by the symptoms (type, behavior pattern etc) + clinical signs (neuro tests - clonus, Optic Neuritis, balance etc) + diagnostic evidence (MRI, LP etc).

The diagnostic evidence like the MRI has a set criteria that needs to be met, (see http://www.mstrust.org.uk/atoz/mcdonald.jsp) and lesion location is a pretty major component for dx. The lesion area's specifically relating to MS are Periventricular, Juxtacortical, infratentorial, and spinal and considering your MRI didn't find lesions in any of the needed areas but did find 'multiple small, hyperintense foci in the bilateral frontal lobe' then I think your going to find that one of the mimics is more likely, though what that is i couldn't tell you.

What i can tell you is that the frontal lobe of the brain is not connected to any of the sx's you've mentioned, that part of the brain is all things like executive function, impulse, personality, memory, emotions etc so these MRI findings are not going to be helpful in explaining why your having those types of physical sx's.

At this stage you dont have anything to indicate the problem is neurological and not something else so it probably will take sometime to work out what is causing this to happen to you.

cheers.........JJ

[AmICrazy13]

Ok, I officially have a neurology appointment! It's on axe ember 20, and hopefully I will get some answers then. Also dealing with a cardiologist as I have an enlarged right ventricle...could it be MS related as well? I'm so new to all of this, it's a lot to take in!