Possible MS

[shadais]

I appreciate the opportunity to post a my question. I had posted a question in August and had the Doctor give me advice and since then I have had a another Mri of the Brain, the first MRI 7/02 stated "Mild increase signal flair in the Periventricular reigionis nonspecific and clincial correlation is recomended". I had a second MRI 11/04 "minimal periventricular T2 bright signal change frontal horns more promient on right". my thrid MRI 9/06
states "Again seen proient periventricular signal on Flair images which appears unchanged on the axial image, but appears more prominent on the sagittal image. no mass affect, shift in midline structure, or extra-axial collections, final slight change in periventricular/ pericallosal signal irregularity as disscussed above". My PCP say's this means nothing and not to worry, but kept asking when I was going to see the Nuero again.
Well can"t see him till October, What doses all this mean,
I also Labs had a ANA, Sed rate, & Lyme profile all normal. I am not a candidate for lumber puncture had on in 1982 and my body had a very bad reaction. do not know why. My syptoms (symptoms) had seemed to subside for a while , but know they are returning. Please help me by explaining what you think these MRI mean.
Thank you

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-SH]

First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.    
   The symptoms that you describe (in your previous post) and the history you provide are consistent with possible MS (multiple sclerosis).  Some additional information would be helpful such as a lumbar puncture and visual evoked potentials (as previously suggested).  If you had a "reaction" to the lumbar pucture before, you should ask for a lumbar puncture with sedation, with a small needle [22 guage or smaller] (less risk of headache), LPs can also be done under fluoroscopy if the technically difficult.  Also there was no mention on contrast in your MRIs.  I would recommend a MRI of the brain and C-spine With contrast.
  Your MRI findings can be conistent with MS (I cannot tell without actually seeing the films), but periventricular white matter changes can also be seen in hypertension and migraine headaches.  I would recommend that you see a neurologist that specializes in MS (such as in a MS center) and ask that person to evaluate all of your films.  Periventricular white matter spots that are perpendicular to the corpus callosum, involve the corpus callosum in vertical projections (called Dawsons fingers) and spots that enhance with GAD contrast are most consistent with MS.
I hope this has been helpful.

[shadais]

COPY OF POSTING FROM AUGUST 25,2006 (FOR REVEIW)

I have been experiencing several different symptoms especially sudden lose of balance which causes me to fall. I was diagnosed in 1995 at the age of 35 with fibromalagia (fibromyalgia) and chronic fatigue syndrome at this time I thougth it might be MS. I was diagnosed by a primary care physician not a Neurologist. I have had 3 MRI, one in 2002 that showed increased periventricular
T2 bright signal white matter bilaterally along the frontal horns more prominent on the left than right. The MRI’s in 2004 also showed there was increased white matter. I have been doing some research and I do seem to have symptom that are consistent with MS, but not with FMS. I have experienced everything from tremors to blurry vision to burning sensations.I am due to see a neurologist with in the next few weeks my suspicion is that I
may have MS and it not been diagnosed correctly, it seems that my health has continued to spiral downward.With just some of this information is it posible I may have a valet suspicion about MS.

[Mezazinine]

Your symptoms are very non-specific and could be caused by a number of things, only one of which is MS. The same goes for your MRIs and thus it's reasonable that your neurologist is being cautious before having you labeled with a lifelong incurable disease. Have you had a MRI of the cervical spine? Were your MRIs done with and without contrast? These may give you more info on what's going on.

[shadais]

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it. I agree with you I do not want to be labeled at all with anything and to answer your question, yes I have had an MRI of the C-spine and all my MRI were done with contrast except the last and why the doc did not want contrast is beyond me? C-spine Neg, Labs Neg,many other test. I have had a million dollar work up and all the specialist keep pointing to a poosible demyelinating disease. I understand that your are not a physician, But I am in the medical field and I noticed you post some pretty strong comments. I am courious to know what you would be posting about if you caught the luck of the draw.

[Lele Bug]

Can't start a new post....if you want to contact me on the topic we have been discussing send emails to:

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[Mezazinine]

Another thing to consider is that chronic fatigue syndrome can cause lesions on the MRI as well. The difference between CFS and MS on the MRI is that CFS lesions tend to be tiny whereas MS lesions are relatively large (usually > 3mm).

Have you had a lumbar puncture? Chronic fatigue syndrome will have a negative lumbar puncture whereas 90-95% of MS patients have abnormal spinal fluid. It's an icky procedure but it may shed some light on what's going on.

Symptoms wise, CSF can cause various neurological symptoms including fatigue that MS can cause. However, CSF can cause some systemic symptoms that MS won't cause such as fevers, and joint and muscle aches.

As for myself, I have the opposite problem that you do. Physicians are labeling me with MS even though I have some atypical things going on. When I press them on it, they either do not acknowledge it or try to pass it off as something else that it cannot possibly be.

[shadais]

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it. I am sorry to hear that you have been dx with MS. I myself do not want to except that I could Possibly have MS either and yes I do know that CFS
cause various syptoms (symptoms) that mimic MS.

I also am aware of the relationship of lesion on MRI compared to other illness. I am as you trying to find another logical explanantion for my syptoms (symptoms) beside MS. I am not a candidate for lumber puncture.

I had one in 1982 and was very ill afterwards, acctualy lost the feeling from the waist down for almost 2 weeks was advised never to attempt another by a leading spinal surgeon in my area.

I never experience fever and I tend to have more short live sprouts of an electrical type pain and I guess because my
syptoms (symptoms) come and go for weeks even moonths at a time they want to label MS. I am strictly using this forum to obtain differant opinions of my syptoms (symptoms) and to educate myself more.

I hope you as well are able to finally figure out or except what dx is more adaquate for you. I wish you all the best.

[Mezazinine]

Yikes.....that is a bad reaction. I'm sorry that happened to you. And I thought the headache I got afterwards was bad.

I'm with you in limboland. It's difficult to know what to do. On one hand, there are MS drugs that may help. However, they're so expensive. Even though I have insurance, I feel guilty being on them if I don't need to. Not to mention the side effects. I've decided though that if I do have MS I'm going to volunteer for a clinical trial. There needs to be more mediations that are oral, fewer side effects, more effective, and more cost effective.

[shadais]

I am with you on the Medication and there side effects. I am not willing to except an MS Dx., so you know I definitely do not want load myself up with injectable medication. I have always been such a big believer in alternative medicine. I will include you in my prayers. I pray everyday for all of us whom are in limboland and do not know what to do?

I hope that you do not have MS, but I think it is a very wise decision to seek out new clinical trial’s that would allow for a better quality of life and I agree with you insurance and the medication expenses are ridiculous. I too have insurance and sometime wonder what would happen to me if I did not. I just could not image.  Keep your head up and  take Care

[Hityty]

Hi, fellow limboland resident here. Well, I was for about 14 yrs. Check out The Marshall Protocol (MP), It’s a fairly new curative therapy, (NOT JUST a treatment of symptoms!) involving a combo of common med's & avoidance of Vit.D (Which yes, sounds weird, I know, but the website explains better then I can.) PLEASE look at their site, they’re not selling anything & NO ONE makes a dime from this. It's got 3500 members w/the majority of them being already cured patients, including Dr. Marshall (PhD) who created the protocol & cured himself of his Sarcoidosis. He was given something like 18 months to live, that was in the 70's. Since then they’ve treated other Sarc patients & along the way they realized it had the same beneficial affects on different autoimmune diseases like FMS, CFS, MS, etc. Don't let the Vit D thing scare you, its all based on yrs of scientific research which they post. I was very skeptical about it at first (7/06), (so I understand it sounds odd,) but am now on the MP & already seeing for myself that it works! (I think of the Vit D thing as if being allergic to it, so I need to avoid it, at least for a while during the treatment. My family is allergic to Vit C & avoid it, that helped them understand the MP when I told them I was going to start it.) Anyways, the MP site really does explain it well! Here’s a link I suggest to read first: http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum2/4213.html, & on that page is a link to another good article: “Is the Marshall Protocol an Applicable Treatment for my Disease?”
Also, Shad, someone in another forum here suggested looking up “Arachnoiditis.” It sounds a lot like what you’ve experienced w/the lumbar puncture.
This is all just my opinion of course & I am not a med’ prof., but I believe that the MP is the answer I’ve been searching for my entire adult life. (BTW, I’ve been dx’d (multiple x’s)  w/FMS/CFS, (& other things,) & I suspected MS, Lupus & Lyme (which, like you guys said, I have more symp’s of, then I do of FMS/CFS.) Take care!
Hityty

[Hityty]

My post was meant for Shad too!

[shadais]

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it. I was glad to read that there are other's who beleive in alterantive treatments and know it sound very possible to me. I have very bad allergies
and due beleive that vitamin can cure, but also can make you ill
if you body rejects them. Thanks as well for the info "Arachnoiditis" I will due some research. I am very excited to check out the MP web site. I to beleive in trying to cure syptom (symptom)'s not just bandages them up. Thank you and the other forum member for your suggestions. Good looking out!!!!!!!

[Mezazinine]

Thank you for your kind words. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers as well. Speaking of alternative treatments, I've read that Vitamin D supplementation can prevent people from developing MS and may help those who already have the disease. I'm sure you've also heard of the "Swank diet". The effectiveness has mixed reviews in the literature but it sounds like a healthy diet. It certainly wouldn't hurt, and might even help. Good luck and I wish you all the best.

[ilmf]

Hi,  Does anyone know if MS could cause a very low white blood cell count?

[stress27]

If there is a neurologist out there that could give me an opinion about my MRI I would greatly appreciate it! MRI findings: Scattered bilateral periventricular deep whit matter several hypersignal foci on T2 and FLAIR weighted images without contrast enhancement. There is a questionable faint hypersignal identified in the right sided temporal lobe,lateral aspect. The visualized bilateral ventricles as well as prepntine cisterns are well patent. I have an appointment with a MS specialist at the end of the month but in the mean time I'm emotionally distraught. I am only 27 and I have four children and this is really freaking me out!