What is wrong with me?

I am 54, and have been having strange symptoms off and on for several years. Pain, headaches, blurred vision, fatigue, tingling or burning or intense itching sensations for no reason, blurred or double vision, and depression. I have been treated for major depression and fibromyalgia for a long time now.  these symptoms come and go.  But lately they are more frequent and are lasting for longer periods than they did in the past. My MD sent me to have an MRI of my brain a couple weeks ago.  The report said i had several areas of demylenization and some glubular areas hinting towards a demylenating disease that is chronic.  I hope someone can tell me what is wrong.  I go to see a neurologist next month.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

You are going through an agonizing phase. The varied symptoms and the hint of demyelination on MRI point towards a possible demyelinating disorder.

The nerve cells in the brain and elsewhere are covered with a protective sheath called as "myeline sheath". Due to certain diseases, this myeline sheath gets damaged. This process is called as demyelination. The symptoms appear according to the site of the demyelination.

Please ask about this to the Neurologist when you visit him. There are some more tests that need to be done to confirm a demyelinating disorder.

Take care.

[lucikay]

Thank you for your  reply. I am now having bouts of dizziness, loss of balance,  and have been stuttering.  I have never stuttered in my life.  I am very frightened, and wish I could get in to see the Neurologist sooner.

[lucikay]

To add to my previous post, I have a close family relative that has MS. I also experience urinary incontinence  when i have the bouts with the other symptoms.  Do you think I should suggest a spinal tap when I go to see the neurologist?

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hi.

Yes, you should suggest a spinal tap. With the family history coming into the picture, you should be absolutely sure about the diagnosis.

Take care.

[santicota]

hi my boy was in aruba for vacation last december, me and my wife noticed that his lefthand was shaking when he went to grab something and also his left food was not ok, he wasn't using his lefthand for anything  and he could not hold his lefthand in the air so we decided to go see a doctor, he recommended us to take an MRI which resulted in a white color stuff on the right side of his celebral hemisphere, so we urge him to Colombia where they did a series of tests and also 2 MRI's
with no result cause none of them could tell us what's going on with the boy, so time past and now his on vacation again in Aruba and last monday he was playing( 9:30 p.m.) with his mother and suddenly he had like a epileptical attack, with vomit, his face turned blue, on the way the hospital he had another one and also one at the hospital.
He vomit  and was burning in fever the whole night at the hospital and could not sleep well the next day he had alot of headache and his left arm and leg were like very stiff, he could not move or use them, on wensday he came home back and his way of walking is not good, he has alot of fatigue and his arm is not good, he doesn't eat to much either so my question is can someone please help me out cause i'm willing to go to the states so a neurologist can see him and with the history of test and MRI he has we can help him.
Remember the white stuff is only on the right side of his head and it's affecting his left arm end leg